It was on a wild, stormy afternoon in December, when night shuts down early over sea and land, that Ephraim Wright took his lantern in his hand, and prepared to climb the tower to light the blessed lamp, which many a sailor would strain his eyes far over the water to see that night. He kissed his wife and bade her go to bed early, for he should watch from the tower to see if any vessels were in danger, and to be sure that the lamp burned bright and cheery.

She sat down in the dim twilight with her knitting, and, as she heard the wild roar of the storm and felt the very ground rock beneath her, she thought first of the poor sailors, and then her heart turned to the warm, sheltered homes on the mainland. She thought of mothers rocking their babies to sleep, or tucking the little merry prattlers into their warm beds, and unconsciously began to hum a sweet lullaby; but it was broken by a deep sigh, for she thought that such loving duties would never be her own happy lot. Yet as she murmured in her heart, the thought of

of him who never let a drop of rum pass his lips; who had never spoken a harsh word to her in all their toilsome life, but whose love was as warm and constant as when they went to the little district school together, or gathered huckleberries in the pastures on summer afternoons. Overcome with this feeling her knitting dropped from her hand, and her heart poured itself out to God in one gush of earnest love and gratitude.

As she thus sat she heard the well-beloved voice: "Susan, there is a vessel among the breakers, come and see."

She ran quickly up the tower stairs and looked forth. There was a ship drifting at the mercy of the waves, which were driving her directly on to the island.

"Can you guard the light?" said Ephraim. "Indeed I can," was her only reply. He kissed her, and said, "God bless you," as he called to the boy who assisted him, and hurried forth with ropes and lantern to give what help he might. His good boat was ready, but there was no possibility of using it.

Susan listened and watched. Now she climbed the tower to be sure the lamp was bright; then she came down and tended her fire, and put on a large kettle of good cornmeal porridge and a pot of coffee, that she might have something warm and nourishing for the men when they came back, perhaps bringing some shipwrecked sailors with them. Nearer and nearer drove the ship, knocked about on the waves like a worthless weed. "O God- are there husbands and fathers there?" she said. Now she could seem to hear human voices of agony, amid all the wailing of the storm. She could see her husband's lantern glimmering in the darkness, and she knew he was away out on the farthest point of rocks where it was possible to stand, striving to make his voice heard by the wretched sailors. At last day broke; she pu out the lamp and hurried down. She toon her little tin pail filled with the warm porridge, tied her old cloak and hood firmly on and went out to see what she could do to help. A dreadful sight met her eyes; the ship was broken to pieces on the outer ledges, but

not one living man had yet come to shore. Ephraim had gone down to the very outmost ledge where he was in danger of being washed off by every sea, and had again and again. thrown out his ropes to some one struggling with the waves; but the pitiless sea had thrown them back again out of reach, or striking against the rocks, they had been killed by the blow. The last man to leave the wreck was now struggling with the waves, and strange to say, he held a bundle clasped tightly in his arms. What could be so precious that he would remember it in an hour like this? As the sun rose cold and cheerless over the waters, there seemed a moment's lull in the storm; the tide was turning perhaps, and the waves were a trifle less angry. At any rate the brave swimmer fared better than his comrades. With skilful eye he chose the best landing place, and made for a little cove into which the current was strongly setting. Ephraim and Susan hastened to throw out ropes and planks to him. He seized the rope, but instead of clinging to it himself, he tied

it around the burden which he carried. As he let go the rope a wild surging wave swept him out. In vain did he strive against it, in vain did Ephraim fling himself into the sea and try to reach him. Stunned by the shock of the waves, he had only strength left to seize the rope which Susan and his boy drew in shore. He lay exhausted on the rock, while the brave sailor was swept away and they saw him no more. Ephraim watched his wife and boy as they drew in the precious bundle; and as they unbound the rope and opened it, to their utter amazement they saw the face of a little child. With a cry of joy and terror Susan clasped it to her breast. "Was it, could it be alive?" She listened eagerly for the beating of the heart, and believed she could feel a throb under her

trembling hand. She hastened home, and used every means her simple skill could devise to bring it to life. At length after a long hour of anxious care the little blue eyes opened, and a baby voice cried" mamma." Poor Susan burst into tears and sank on the floor, almost