The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-15

reckon do. I've watched her grow from
n wee bit OF girl so high. with two red
pigtails, 10 be the bride of a Vanderbilt.
and a beautiful bride AT that. beautiful
inside and out. Won't you come in?"
Ida lewis, the famous woman who
keeps tho Newport lighthouse held open
the door or ber sitting room and tho
reporter went In out OF the wind
Blows pretty hard around this little
lighthouse sometimes. but it's built on
rock ana SO it's bound TO be safe; that's
according to Scripture. you know"
Must be awfully desolate sometimes?'
The little woman looked out over the
water. as one might look into the eyes
OF a trusted friend
I'm never lonely" she said content
edly; II was born and brought up In
lighthouses, and I've lived In this one
ever since / was II years old.
"Harbor View is right here. Just look
out OF this here side window and youil
get good view There's the house and
the stables and the summer house and
boat house. It's only stones throw
from here, not 90 feet from the end OF
their dock
NEAREST NEIGHBoR.
Guess / am their nearest neighbor.
too, even nearer than the Lorillard- spen-
GERS. There's woman for yCu that
makes her life worth while to others.
Mrs. French Is another. There's no.
body in Newport better liked than they
are. l mind when they first moved over
there, the hothouse and flower beds were
beautiful, In much better shape than
they are now. And Mrs. French, she
sent me a huge bouquet of flowers over.
and told me TO come pick them I'm the
garden whenever l wanted to.
II remember IT made me feel warm to-
ward the new neighbors right off, be-
cause, you see, i can't have flower beds
on the rocks. and "A couple of pots of
Seraniums are the only hothouses I'VE
got.
WATCHED ELSIE AT PLAY.
Then used 10 see the little girl play
ing about on the lawns Ii was natural
should take an interest, for they were
my nearest neighbors. and with the
waves and tho occasional wrecks and ac-
cidents and the light-why, that was all
/ had.
I'D noticed the little girl and knew
her well long before shed seen me And
after the first summer passed and the
guests were all gone and IL came time
for the summer houses TO be closed
had "A sort OF desolate feeling, thinking
the lively place -eFpeEite woufd be closed.
"Then one fine morning / saw the little
girl with the red braids get into n boat
with her governess,, and the man rowed
them over here to the Time rocks and
Elsie French and Mrs Ramsey paid their
first visit 10 Ida Lewis. keeper OF the
light Elsie brought me flowers which
she'd picked herself from the garden. and
I'm the centre she'd put very big double
red poppy
That's the prettiest flower in our
garden she said. Don't you love red?'
and said did. We became fast friends
and she made me glad with the informa-
tion that they would live here winters
and summers, and never 20 away.
ALWAYS A TIMID CHILD.
"She was a very timid child. and rather
curious. She was curious TO see how
the biscuits and cakes were made that
she saw me whisk out OF the oven In
little brown loaves. and she liked to make
visits on baking days and peep into the
oven each time 1t was opened to watch
the progress of a certain dainty piece
that wasn't meant for big folks.
Then the light was another source OF
never falling wonderment and entertain
ment.' She liked TO hear how II worked
and how IT looked from the outside aud
IL IL ever smoked. and what would hap
pen If the chimney broke. and how many
times I got up at night to watch IT and
what would happen IL I didn't wake up.
And then she would speculate as If she
were ten times her age about the good
"A little light could do for hundreds of
people and she usually reckoned that
even II should oversleep some night the
light was such a good thing that God
would take care OF IL.
THE principal things ] remember
about her very early girlhood were her
passion for red flowers. raised biscuits
and to see other people happy.
IL don't know just why she took
fancy 70 coming over here. except that
the lighthouse was the only thing In
winter that was different from other
things Then she liked 10 hear the stories
of the rcscues, and she'd listen 10 them
DER and Der again, just like children
usually listen TO tales of Red Riding
Hood or Jack and the Beanstalk.
LIKED RESCUE STORIES.
Her blue eyes would get round and
gray i'm their seriousness when we got
TO the place where the wind howled and
the waves tossed and the signal OF dis
tress was given. And when she listened
TO how Ia take out the lifeboat her eyes
would glisten. and she'd wish for nothing
quite so hard as TO be "A lighthouse lady
and save peoples lives.
while ! don't think. as some folks
say. that she was a. ugly child, for
saw a grace and charm about her that
maybe other folks didn't, yet she never
gave promise OF turning out half 80
beautiful as she is Guess it's the New
port air that's done ~.
'she's never been hndered by being
closed UP I'm city houses and living city
sort OF life.
shed plenty Of horseback riding and
driving all through her girlhood and
she'd fake long walks In good. stout.
sensible boots, until her cheeks glowed
and her complexion got soft and bcautI-
ful
"Then she'd play tennis. My sakcs!
she never did seem to tire. and then she
got 10 golf and was making records right
away. because she was used 20 outdoor