The Young Lighthouse-keeper

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 106, 13 June 1885, Page 6

The Young Lighthouse-keeper

Sometimes in the long winter evenings Harry Bruce amused himself making out lists of lonely people, and his own name always stood at the head. He agreed that Robinson Crusoe had a hard time, but Robinson Crusoe could remember when he had as much company as he wanted, and Henry could not. The "Han in the Iron Mask " was solitary enough, but how about the time before he wore it? As for St. Simon Stylites, Harry would not put him on the list at all, because, even if he did choose to live on at the top of a high pillar, he always had a crowd gaping up at him. Harry's grievance was one he shared with Adam ; he had never had a boy to play with him. His father was the keeper of a lighthouse on the northern coast of England. The lighthouse stood on a rock two miles out at sea, but Harry lived with his mother and little sister in a cottage on the mainland, There was not another house within sight, and not a boy within a day's travel. Men used to come up the coast shooting and fishing, but curiously enough no boys ever came along, and although Harry had seen him on vessels, he had never had a good honest hour's play cr talk with a boy in all his life. There was another odd thing about the life here : at all lighthouses in these times there are two or three men, eo if one gets sick there will be some one to take his place. But Mr Bruce had never had an assistant. Everything had always gone on right, and so the Government had never realised that he was alone, and he never spoke of it because he was afraid he would be paid less if he had a man to help him. He expected Harry to take the place of assistant a«$ soon as he was old enough. In the meantime to educate the boy for possible contact with the world, he used to put him through what he called " The Emergency Drill. " This related to different matters, but always began in the same way. The first question was, "What is the matter?" The second, "What first?" Then, " Do I need help ?" and if the answer to this was " Yes," then, " Where shall I get it?" Harry became so used to these questions that he put them to himself on many occa sions, and he often aroused himself playing he was a general on the battle-fiela, or a king out hunting, and he imagined all sorts of troubles when the " drill " was of use. Ono morning a fishing boat camo in, bound for the nearest town, and Mrs Bruce asked the men to take her along to buy yam for the children's stockings. They agreed, but told her sho would have to walk back ; but she was willing to do this, although the distance was twelve miles, because, as she said, if they did not take her she would have to walk both ways. Everything went on very well until near sunset, when the sky began to cloud, and little Lucy became cross and sleepy, and cried for her mother. Harry gavo her bread and milk, but still she frotted. She did not want to play, and sho would not go to sleep. At Ia3t he cried : "My goodness! I wish all babies were grown up. I would rather hunt lions than take care of you !" He then picked her up and carried her to the door, "Now," he said, " we will watch for mamma." The rocks stood up against a grey and heavy sky. The wind had begun to moan, and the birds ilew screaming over the water. There was not a sign of their mother coming on the beach, and Harry felt more lonely than over. He looked evor to the light house and wished his father would light up, and it seemed to him that sunset, the time for lighting, must surely have come. Suddenly a little flag appeared in the lantern. Harry sprang to his feet. " What is the matter?" he exclaimod, in real earnest. " I don't know," was the reply. "What first?" " To go to the lighthouse." But he wa8 mistaken. The fiist thing he had to do was to dispose of Lucy. He could not take her ; he could not leave her. " If you were only a horse," he hurriedly cried, " I could put you in a stable If you were a cow, I'd tie you to a stake ; but what can I do with a baby ?" "Lucy can go," said the child. " No she can't!" he answered ; and then he looked out again ; but his mother was not yet in sight, and the red flag, which meant, " Come at once !" still shook and beckoned to him. He tied Lucy into her little chair with an apron, and wrote a note to his mother. (i Dear Mother: Father wanted me right away : and the lamp is not lit, and it was after sunsot, and I hope Lucy won't get into any trouble. Your son, HabryBruck." He put this note in front of the lamp, and hurried off. A boat was always kept ready, and Harry sprang into it, and rowed off with energy. It was dark, however, when he reached the lighthouse, and the rain had begun to fall. He tied his boat to the little pier, and ran to the tower. He opened a small, heavy bronze door, and entered a large, always dimly-lighted room, in which was stored coal and wood, oil for the lamp, and fresh water from the mainland. The stairs were in this room, and Harry ran up. The room above was the kitchen. Over that was the bedroom, and from this a ladder led to the lantern. Harry called, but there was no answer. He went up into the lantern. All was dark and silent. He spoke again and again, but still all was silent ; then he heard a groan, and he rushed down the ladder, got the keeper's hard lamp, and ran back. His father lay on the floor - } his eyes were closed, and blood ran from his temple. It was plain that he had fallen and hurt himself. Harry began to cry. He did not know what to do, and the "Emergency Drill" did't occur to him ; then he remembered that he ought to stop the flow of blood, and, taking his father's handkerchief from his pocket, tied up the wound. Still his father never spoke or moved ; then he cried again ; and then he thought of his mother. She must by this time be at home, and, without hesitation, he rushed off again, but this time to his boat. It took but a moment to untie it and spring in and be off. " The rain fell heavily j the waves dashed on the rocks ; and Harry, looking up, saw the dim outline of the lighthouse. lie stopped rowing. His heart gave a great jump, and before his eyes seemed to flash the "charge to the keepers" hung up in lighthouse : "You are to light the lamps every evening at sunsetting, and keep them burning bright and clear until sunrising." His father's faithfulness, the great importance of lighting up, rushed into Harry's mind, and again he involuntarily repeated his " Emergency Drill." "What is the matter?" " The lamps are not lighted.' "What first?" "Tol/ghtthem." He turned his boat, and rowed back a few rods ; but was it first ? It could not be ! He must take his mother over. His father would dio for want of help. As he paused, trembling, anxious, irresolute, he remembered how often his father had said thai no wreck should evor be his fault, and it was a terrible night, 1