New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-14
THE TWILIGHT
OF GOSPORT
Continued from page seuen)

the old Haley homestead, reads Mrs Thaxter's
story of the wreck.
"In distress of weather." she repeats. Zone
must live in such place fully to comprehend
the meaning Of the words. 1t was his custom
(Samuel Haleys) every night to put in his bed
room window, over the broad balcony facing
the southwest, light, which burned all night
"a little act of thoughtfulness which speaks
volumes.
"On that stormy January night he placed
the light as usual in his chamber window, and
| dare say prayed in his good heart that no
vessel might be wandering near this danger
Gus place, tossed helpless on the raging sea in
the thick darkness and bitter cold and blind
ing snow. But that night that great ship
Sagunto drove, crashing, full upon the fatal
southeast point, in sight Of the tiny spark that
burned peacefully, unwaverng in that quiet
chamber. Her costly timbers of mahogany
and cedarwood were splintered on the sharp
teeth of those memorable rocks; her cargo of
dried fruits and nuts and bales of broadcloth
and gold and silver was tossed about the shore,
and part of her crew were thrown alive upon
it. Some of them saw the light and crawled
toward it, benumbed with cold and spent with
fatigue and terror The roaring Of the storm
bore away their faint cries of distress; the
old man slept on quietly, with his family about
him, sheltered, safe, while stone throw from
his door these sailors strove and agonized to
reach that friendly light. Two of them gained
the stone wall in front of the house, but then
ebbing strength would not allow them to climb
over; they threw themselves upon it and per-
ished miseraby with safety, warmth and com
fort close at hand.
''In the morning when the tumut was
somewhat hushed and underneath the sullen
sky rolled the more suen sea in long,
deliberate waves the old man looked out in
the early light across the waste of snow, and
the wall lay--something that broke the
familiar outline. though all was smooth with
the pure, soft snow. He must put OF coat
and cap and 60 out and find out what this
strange thing might be- All that was
sight for his plying eyes under the cold
and leaden light of that unrelentng morn
ing!"
Fourteen bodies were found on the shore,
fourteen Spanish sailors who inspired one OF
Mrs. Thaxter's best known poems. Their
graves are to be found to-day, half hidden in
the brown grass, marked BY tiny cement
block, which has taken the place of the
crumbed headstones of 1873
Samuel Haley was the last of the genera
ton which had made Gosport known and re-
spected wherever salt fish and Yankee enter
prise were popular. 1t was the Revolution
airy War; however, which really marks the
decline of Gosport Such thriving com
munty and accessible harbor were eary
marked by the British for their own. and in
spite of the tiny wooden fort at the port side
Of Star Island the inhabitants were entire
ly at the mercy of the enemy The New
Hampshire authorities, therefore, ordered
them to the mainland, and as their fishing
was imperiled and their commerce broken up
most of them complied, and settled in the sea-
board towns. Probably they found the de-
flights of island air and sunshine more than
compensated by the easy conveniences of town
life, for few of them returned when the war
over. Those who remained were the
poorer less competent class, and they rapid
ly sank into a degradation which supplied
working material for New England MS
sionaries for the next two generations.
1t is the tiny chapel on Star Island which
holds the hearts of the SUMMER colony and Is
the goal of their dearest ceremony, the pic
turesque twilight professional There IN
lights in the ancient stone building and The
path that winds through the rocks is perllous
at nightfall So there has developed the Gus
tom, born of necessity but developed by an
artist, in which each person carries on tie
way to evening chapel tiny wroughtlron
lantern of antique design. This is later hung
peg against the wall to light the congfe-
cation at its hymns. 1t is essential to the
spirit Of the ceremony that no word be spoken
as theecande bearers wind their way over the
rocks. The hotel veranda also bushes its eiat-
ter, and the-only sound that breaks the silence
is the vespcr hymn, floating across the twlllgnt
to minglc with the grooming of the waves