The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-08-29
IDA LEWIS Al HOME.
How the Famous Heroine Llv es in Lime
Rock Light.

Running from the mainland of the
city of Newport. Rhode Island, into
the west side of the harbor, is a log,
%staunchly built wharf. says Ellen lie
Garde, in ladies' Home Journal. Were
you to lind Your way to its end, you
would ere long see from the light.
house beyond, a woman appear and
glance in your direction. Presently,
with agile step. she runs down the mar
row ladder fastened to the stone wall.
jumps nimbly into Il boat. untics it
from its mooring, takes the heavy oars,
and, with a beauty of stroke all her
own, pulls with Il long and a strong
pull that sends her flying toward the
steps of the pier on which You wait.
Her back is as erect rs that OF a young
girl, her powerful strength manifest in
the strides the row-boat makes, aud
yet. when she deity turns it around
and YOU get a good look at her face,
it can be seen that it belongs to Il WON.
an in middle life. but upon whom time
has left few tc~ll-talc marks. She puts
out Il welcoming hand with a beautiful
white wrist, adding a CHEEKY smile and
word of greeting as she makes ready
to take you oSer TO Lime Rock as her
guest. You have cause for sclf-con-
graduation in being thus favored by
the heroine-Ida Lewis.
Life on a lighthouse, situated as is
Lime Rock light, is not the gruesome
thing generally imagined. With .
six-roomed house there arc cares that
fill the day. and, like any other guide
WIFE Miss Lewis has pots, kettles aud
pans to attend to, rooms to sweep,
beds to make, papers and magazines to
read, letters to write, and all the va.
rlous ctccteras to manage which fill
tho time Of ii busy woman. A devoted
church woman. she spends Sunday on
shore whenever her brother is at home.
AS the only light : house
keeper in our country, and the last
II that will be given n light-for such
is the verdict of the powers that be
Miss Lewis has other duties that are
unique. Exactly at shutdown she must
light her lamp, and precisely at mid
night another must be substituted. All
through the night it must he watched,
and Miss Lewis likens this constant
care to that demanded by au infant.
The wick might flare or burn low, the
chimney smoke or crack. or any Of
the hundrcd-aud-one accidents happen
that are taking place with the use of
kerosene oil. She can but catch cat
maps; hence the ncarncss of her sleep
ing-room to the light. AT sunrise the
law requires her lamp, like the foolish
virgins, to have gone ont, and from
this fact she is an curly riser. The re-
sponsibility is no small one, for the
slightest neglect of duty or accident to
her light or lenses would bring Il re-
port from the first seaman who suf-
fered by ii. Lives hang on her vigil
ance, but to her credit no light on all
the coast is AS regularly or perfectly at
tended to, nor does any other gain
from the Government Inspector so
high a report. Miss Lewis keeps a
daily expense book, noting Just the
amount of wick and oil burnt, and the
time to Il second of the lighting and
putting out of the lamp. In addition,
Il record of the weather must be en-
tered dailW AS Lime Rock light is a
tirst-class light, no rations are allowed,
the yearly salary being $3.50, and two
IONS of coal.