The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-17
"A LIGHT m THE WINDOW"
- Beautiful story ON which the WELL
Known 6sng was Founded.

- Beautiful Story on which the we'll
Known Song Was Founded.
Few are probably the persons who
have not one time or other heard the
Sunday-school song, IA Light in the
Window" Unless am mistaken it is
founded upon a story told upon the
little Island Of Sylt. but which might
easily have its exact counterpart on all
most any seashore where a mothers
heart beats with yearning love for her
sailor son and keeps its fond promise
from night to night.
Among the simple fisher folks on the
island lived a woman and her son. He
was her only child, the pride of her
heart as well as the source of constant
dread, for the boy loved the sea as his
father before had loved it. and nothing
gave him SO much pleasure as to watch
the incoming tide tumble its curling
waves over the sands. No sooner was
he strong enough to WELD an oar or
steer boat than he joined the men in
their fishing expeditions.
The mother. with all her fears and
the fate of long line of sailors in her
mind. yet would not have had it other
wise, for it would have been deemed
dishonor among the hardy coasters to
have kept the boy at home or sent him
safely at work for some farmer. What
ever the dangers, they must be faced
tor the sake Of family pride. Had not
the boys grandfather been a captain
when be went away tho last timer Had
net his father sailed bis own ship when
he went down in great storm? The
child was the last of his race, but he
must not dishonor it by tame and cow
ardly safety on shore. So the boy
grew up, tall OF his age, straight as
mast, nimble as the feetest and hand
lest boat, blue-eyed, fair-haired true
hearted. a real son of the sea. The
fishermen taught him the tricks of his
craft until he knew how to sail boat,
splice rope. or do many little things
which sailor must know. Whenever
a ship was in the of1ing he was soon
aboard. learning the rigging and how
work was performed upon her. He
was great favorite among the long
shore folk and with the sailors, and
when at last his 18th year came around
and he obtained the consent of his
mother to 60 to sea, he easily found a
good ship and captain. Then there
was parting and tears shed by the
mother, while he looked forward into
the great, wide world with all the JOY
Gus eagerness of boy. But with her
last blessing the widowed mother prom
lscd that every night a light should
burn in the seward window of her cot.
tage to light him homeward and to
show him that she still lived, awaiting
his return.
The ship sailed. Six months passed
and sailors dropped into the village
and told how she had been spoken
and all was we'll, and the neighbors
game to the cottage and told the pleas
ant news to the waiting mother. who
nightly trimmed the candle, lit it. and !
BET it in the window to make a bright
path up the sands. Again six months |
elapsed. and other sailors arrived
from far-off lands, but they had no
news to tell of the ship. A great storm
had happened and she was overdue.
She might yet make port. but-and the
people shook their heads and carried
40 tales to the widow, whose candle
burned brightly every night and cast
long steamers Of light out upon tho
Yea. Another year passed. but the
'ailors going or coming brought no
news of the ship. and tho neighbors
whispered apart and shook their heads
whenever they spoke of the widows
ION. but no one was cruel enough to cut
the slender threads which held the an
shor of her hope. And thus the light
continued to glow out toward the sea
1t every cleaning and burned steadily
'hrongh every night.
Years came and went. The children
Who had played with the sailor lad had
grown to be men and women; her own
head had been silvcred with age; her
|srmed was bowed. yet no one dared
70 cut the cables of her hope. Tender
words cheered her and tender hands
'nootled the way for her as she pa
'iently waited for the homecoming of
her fair-haired boy, and every night
the glow of her: candle streamed out to
seward and told the story of the low
ing heart waiting at home.
How many years did she watch and
wait? do not know. But one day,
It eventide, there was no cleaning
patch of light across the sands. The
remained dark. and the accus-
'omed beacon failed the fisher folk, and
when they wondered and went to the
cottage they found that the mothers
'oul had gone out to seek her son.
LeHisvi!le Times.