Romance of a Lighthouse.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1904, 11 June 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

Romance of a Lighthouse.

A Pathetic Story.

The life saving departments of some countries keep a careful record of the lives lo&t upon the sea coast, but it will be difiiculS to estimate the number of lives saved by a lighthouse. The people living near a-tower, however, will often tell you of vcaaols, and even give yon the names of individuals, preserved by the lighthouse.

There ia a lighthouse near a visage upon the Canadian shore of Lake Ontario tbat has had as great a pare in the lives of gome upon tho land aa it could have ia that of any mariner, Before the 1 glithouso was built, a young couple lived in & cottage overlooking the town. Ono clay they quarrelled, and, smaiting under hia wife's sharp words, the husband went away. She repented bafore he was out oil fight, but was too proud to call him. She thought hs would scon return, but he did not come back, and the baby in the cradle grew to bo a baby of seven. But he could cot run about End ploy, fcr ho was a cripple, and tho neighbors took tbeir ecwicg to her and eho stayed in tbe cottage, alwayo sewing exoc.pt when she was doin^ somt thing to entertain the boy. When tho lighthouse waa built he waa delighted, for he could watch it from hia window, and when the light was Bhown bis joy knew no bound". It waa a companion to him, for often in the long night when he could not sleep for pain he would look out upon it. Oae day ho asked hia mother if he could keep a lighthouse too, and, so to please the child, Bhe fitted up a little window, and every night when the light from tbe great tower flashed out the lamp in the cottage window was lighted and kept just as faithfully. The husband was wandering about, never very prosperous, never happy, and at last he grew very ill. He thought that before he died he would like to go back and take one more look at his old home, and perhaps get a glimpse of his wife as ehe went about her work. He reached the place late at night, and when he saw the light in the window he thought it could mean but one thing, that his wife had put it there, so if by ohance ha saw it he would know that she wanted him to return, and in the morning she found him fainting upon the doorstep, and very tenderly nuraed him back, to health again. When the father had nearly recovered the boy died. Hi 3 lifework waa fiuiahed, and there waa no need of hia suffering any more. Before hia little life went out, he gave to hia father the lamp in the window, and upon his mother he b&Dtowod hia possessions in the great light over the water for company if she should bo wakeful in the night or left alone again. She haa never beeu alone einoe, and the years that have passed have been very prosperous ones. People sometimes wonder that tbe fine bouse ia not more conveniently located, but the mother never wants a room except where the window looks out upon the lighthouse. And in a beautiful cabinet is preserved the little Ismp locked away from tbe eyes of the curious and indifferent, as one keeps, in his heart, a great sorrow or a great lo7C.