GRACE DARLING.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 6, 3 July 1930, Page 4

GRACE DARLING.

Grace Darling was a lighthouse girl. She lived with, ."her father on au wild rocky island off the coast of Northumberland. The sea boomed against the shore, and splashed up the great lighthouse tower; there was nobody to play with, nobody-to talk to; "only the seagulls,;with their great- strong wings, flew here- and there, and made their plaintive sounds. Every evening Grace or her far ther, or both together, would climb up the lighthouse stairs and light'the great lantern which was there to! warn ships of the danger of the rocks.

Sometimes boats came from the mainland with food; sometimes another man would be sent to take charge of the.lighthouse for a little time,, while Mr. Darling and his daughter went on shore; but for,the greater part of the year they were alone together/ On the evening of - September 6th, 1838, the Darlings as usual lit their lamp. A.great storm was raging, but they were used to the roar of'the waves and-the wind. Grace would make the fire a little brighter, and draw up close to it with her sewing or a book, and perhaps put up a little prayer for ships at sea, while her father would sit smoking and attending to his fishing-tacle—for much of the lighthouse keepers' food depended on the fish they caught. Boom! Boom! Boom! went the great waves—but there was the lighthouse lantern, winking out across^fche sea, to warn ships off the rocks. So long as they kept the lamp burning, there was nothiiig ;more for the lighthouse keepers to <10.

Early the next morning, when Darling climbed the tower to put out his lamp, he looked across the angry waters. There was some-

thing unusual there, surely? Ho went out on to the balcony, where it was difficult to stand. Yes — there, on one of the other barren, rocky islands, was a ship, broken and helpless; and clinging to her, moving sometimes, were Human beings still. Darling went down into his kitchen. ■-'"•';".". '' Grace, there was a ship wreck - ied last night!" he said. "Oh*.where?" cried Grace. Darling pointed." Ami a sea in which no boat could live between them and us!" he said. Grace opened the lighthouse door and struggled out into the storm.' "There are people living yet?. —You saw them, father ?'' said Grace. The lighthouse keeper nodded. "Father—we-can't leave them therewith a warm, dry room for sheltering them here. I can row as well as any man. Let's take the boat and try to save.them!'' " 'Tisnot much chance an open boat would have- in such a sea! ?> •said Darling. ;>Tis not much change-of rest we'd have if those poor men were left to perish!" said Grace, and she went towards the place where their own boat'wSs chained. Together father and daughter launched the boat. It was very difftcult to get it safely off into the raging sea; but it was launched at last; then they croue^ied bofore the storm and rowed \jritii all their strength. The journey seem ed endless. They wondered whether they would ever reach tho -ship. Sometimes the boat seemed' lost in the great ditch betweitt two waves; sometimes it seemed to. star..? -ipright upon the crest of one. At lai>t v they came within sight of the wreckage. The nine men still living, clinging to the rocks and expecting every moment to le swept into the sea and clrcnvnwl, set up a feeble cheer, "i'hey could hardly believe their eyes v hen they saw a row-boat eui-uing towards them-^-and with a girl Toivingi How they must have fyared and trembled when a larger wave than usual struck the boat! __

Grace Darling and her father got those nine people safely into their boat, and rowed back to the lighthouse. There the men were warmed and fed, and when they were well enough, and the storm had calmed down enough for them to go to the mainland, they told all .England 6$ their gallant rescue, and many people, sent presents to the brave Grace Darling.