1899年福尔郡号遇险与长石岛灯塔救援.pdfVIP

TheLighthouse

Whentheenginesstopped,theForfarshirewasaboutfivekilometreseastofStAbbs

Head,inScotland.Theshipwastravellingnorth,fromHulltoDundee.Butthewind

camefromthenorth,sotheForfarshire,withoutherengines,begantogosouthagain,

backtoEngland.Itwasdark,andthewindwasverystrong.

Aboutthirtykilometressouth-eastofStAbbsHeadisagroupofsmallrockyislands

notfarfromthe.ThesearetheFarneIslands.Ononeofthem,Longstone

Island,thereisalighthouse.Therewerethreepeopleinthelighthousethatnight

—WilliamDarling,hiswifeThomasin,andtheirdaughterGrace.Gracesbrothers

wereusuallytheretoo,butthatnighttheywereinBamburgh,onthe.

Atsevenoclockthatnight,WilliamDarlingwentupthelongstairsofthelighthouse

tolightthebigoil.Gracewentwithhim.WilliamDarlingwasathin,strong

manaboutfiftyyearsold.Hemovedquicklyandquietly.Hehadacandleinhishand.

SometimesheturnedtotalktoGrace,andthecandlelightlitupthebigbrowneyes

inhiskind,oldface.

Gracewasayoungwomanabouttwenty-twoyearsold.Shewasnotverytallorstrong.

Shehadbigbrowneyeslikeherfather,andsoftbrownhair.Shecarriedanoilcan

inonehand,andheldthesideofherlongskirtswiththeotherhand.Shesmiled

atherfatherwhiletheytalked.

AtthetopofthelighthouseGraceandherfathercameintoasmallroom.Thisroom

hadnowalls—justbigwindowsallaround.Thenoiseofthewindandrainwas

terriblehere,andtheyhadtoshouttoheareachother.

Graceputoilinthebiginthemiddleoftheroom,andWilliamlitit.When

thewasburning,thebigsilvermirrorsbegantomoveslowlyaroundit.William

Darlingandhisdaughterstoodandwatchedthem.Theraincrashedagainstthewindows,

and