The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1890-07-02
"a LIGHT IL The WINDOW"
The Beautiful Story on Winch the
Weil-KnOWn SOng Was Founded.

The Beautiful Story on Which the
Weil-KnOWn SOHg Was Founded.
Few are probably the persons
who have not, one time or other,
heard the Sunday school song, "a
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
It's exact counterpart 90 almost any
seashore where 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 woman and her
son. He was her only child, the
pride OF her heart as we'll as the
source of constant dread, for the
boy loved the sed as his father be-
fore had loved it and nothing gave
him so much pleasure as to watch
the incoming tide tumble its curl>
ing waves over the sands. No
sooner was he strong enough to
weld an oar and steer 4 boat than
he Joined the men in their fishing
expeditions.
The mother, with all her fears
and the tate OF a long line Of slilors
in her mind, yet would not have
hal it otherwise, for it would have
heen deemed dishonor among the
h irdy coast ers to have kept the
boy at home or sent him safely at
work for some farmer. Whatever
The dangers, they must he faced
tor the sake OF family pride. Had
not the hoy's grandfather been a
captain when he went away the
last time? Had not his father
sailed his owl ship hen he went
down IN great storm? The child
was the last of his race, but he
must not dishOnor it Ivy tame and
cowardIy safety on shore. So the
hoy grew up, tall OF his age.
straight as a mast, nimble as the
ifeetest and handiest boat, blue,
eyed, fair hairei, true-hearled--I
real son Of the sea. The fishermen
taught him the tricks of his craft
until he knew how to sail boat
splice a rope, or do many little
things which sailor must know.
Whenever a ship was in the ofiing
he wa. soon aboard, learning the
rigging and how work was perform
ell upoh her. He was great favor
lite among the longshore folk and
with the sailors, an when at last
his 18th year came around and he
obtained the consent of his mother
10 90 to sea, he easily found good
ship, aud captain. Then there
was parting, aud tears she'd by the
mother, while he looked forward
into thu great wide world with all
the joyous eaEerness of boy
But with her last blessing the wild
owed mother promised that every
night li.ht should burn in the
SEA ward window of her cottage to
light him homeward and to show
him that he still lived, awaiting
his return.
The ship sailed. Six months
pissed and sailors dropped into the
village and told how she mad been
spoken nd all was well, and the
neighbors came to the cottage and
told the pleasant news to the
waiting mother, who nightly trim
med the candle, lit it, and sci it in
the window to make bri hit path
up the sands. Again ST.: months
elapsed, and other sailors arrived
from tar>otf lands, but they had
no news to tell of the ship. A
great storm had happened and she
was overdue. She might yet rake
port, but-and the people shock
their heads and carried no tales to
the widow whose candle burned
rightly every night and cast long
streamers of light out upon the
sea. Another yeac passed, but
the sailors going or coming brought
no news OF the ship, and the neigh,
bors whispered apart and shook
their heads whenever any spoke
u the widows son, but no one
was cruel enough to cut the slen,
der threads which held the anchor
OF her hope. And thus the light
continued to glow out toward the
sea at every cleaning, and burn
1 /