_COURAGE FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS_
FROM Norway comes a moving tale of a lighthouse keeper. One day he went
to the distant shore for provisions. A storm arose, and he was unable to
return. The time for lighting the lamp came, and Mary, the elder child,
said to her little brother, "We must light the lamp, Willie." "How can
we?" was his question. But the two children climbed the long narrow
stairs to the tower where the lamp was kept. Mary pulled up a chair and
tried to reach the lamp in the great reflector; it was too high. Groping
down the stairs she ascended again with a small oil lamp in her hand. "I
can hold this up," she said. She climbed on the chair again, but still
the reflector was just beyond her reach. "Get down," said Willie, "I
know what we can do." She jumped down and he stretched his little body
across the chair. "Stand on me," he said. And she stood on the little
fellow as he lay across the chair. She raised the lamp high, and its
light shone far out across the water. Holding it first with one hand,
then with the other, to rest her little arms, she called down to her
brother, "Does it hurt you, Willie?" "Of course it hurts," he called
back, "but keep the light burning."
The boy was wise beyond his years. He would do the important thing, no
matter how it hurt. Here the thing of chief importance was looking out
for the men at sea. To put them first took real courage. But what of it?
That is the attitude toward life of the worker worth while; he does not
stop to ask, "Is this easy?" Instead he asks, "Is this necessary? Will
it be helpful?" Having answered the question he proceeds to do his best.
It may hurt at first, but the time will come when it will hurt so much
to leave the service undone that the inconvenience involved in doing it
is lost sight of.
I