Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-07-07
Ida Lewis At Home.

Running from the mainland of the
city of Newport, Rhode Island, into
the west side of its harbor, is n log,
staunchly built wharf, says Ellen lie
Garde, in The Ladies' Home Journal.
Were you to find 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
narrow ladder fastened to the stone
wall, jumps nimbly into boat,
unties it from its mooring, takes the
heavy oars, and, with a long stroke
all her own, pulls with long and
strong pull that sends her flying to-
ward the steps of the pier on which
you wait. Her back is as erect as
that of Young girl, her powerful
strength manifest in the great strides
the row-boat makes, and yet, when
she deftly turns it around and you get
a good look at her face, it can be
seen that it belongs to a woman in
middle life, but upon whom time has
left few tell-tale marks. She puts
ont welcoming hand with beauti-
full white wrist, adding a CHEEKY smile
and word of greeting as she makes
ready to take you over to Lime Rock
as her guest. You have cause for
self-congratuIation in being thus ia
vored by the heorine--Ida Lewis.
Life in lighthouse, situated as is
Lime Rock light, is not the gruesome
thing generally imagined. With a
six-roomed house there are cares that
fill the day, and, like any other ''gude
wife," Miss Lewis has her pots, ket-
ties and pans to attend to, rooms to
sweep, beds TO make, papers and
magazines to read, letters to write,
and all the various etceteras to man.
age which fill the time of busy ON
an. A devoted church woman, she
spends Sunday on shore whenever
her brother is at home.
AS the only woman lighthouse
keeper in our country, and the last
one that will be given a 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
midnight another must be substituted.
All through the night it must be
watched, and Miss Lewis likens this
constant care to that demanded by
an infant. The wick might flare or
burn low, the chimney smoke or crack |
or any of the hundred-and-one acct |
dents happen that are ever taking
place with the use of kerosene oil. |
She can but catch cat,naps hence |
the nearness of her sleeping room to
the light. At sunrise the law requires
her lamp, like the foolish virgins, to
have gone out, aud from this fact |
she is an early riser. The RESPONSE
Oility is no small one, for the slight
EST neglect of duty or accident to
Ter light or lenses would bring re-
port from the first seaman who suf-
'ered by it. Lives hang on her Wig
lance, but to her credit no light on
Ill the coast is as regularly or per-
'ectly attended to, nor does any 9th
n gain from the Government Inspec-
or SO high report. Miss Lewis
Keeps daily expense book, noting
ust theamount of wick and oil burnt
md the time to a second of lighting
md putting out of the lamp. In adj
lition, a record of the weather must
re entered daily. AS Lime Rock
light is first class light, no rations
re allowed, the yearly salary being
$50, and two tons of coal.
81