Such are a few--a very few--of the beauty-spots of this lovely region.
We have not spoken of other lakes, such as Ullswater, home of beauty,
or soft Loweswater, or wild Wastwater, and many another mere or tarn,
all beautiful, all worthy of a place in the hearts of those who love
the romantic and the picturesque.
HEROES OF THE STORM.
England has many workers, but none braver than the toilers of the sea.
Her coasts are dotted with hamlets, each with its little quay or open
beach, where her fishermen hoist their brown sails and set off, as
evening falls, to reap the harvest of the waters.
It is a hard and perilous life. A fishing-boat puts off in the quiet
evening calm, as the lights shine out from the cottages along the
shore, but the men on board are never sure that they will see those
lights of home again. A sudden storm springs up; the heavy waves
overwhelm the tiny craft, and perhaps its brave crew are swallowed up
in the sea. A broken thwart or spar washed ashore may give a hint of
their fate, but they are never seen again among living men.
But the facing of these perils breeds the finest and hardiest race of
boatmen in the world. This is seen to the full when a call is made for
the services of the lifeboat. Let us fancy that we are walking through
the single street of a fishing village on a winter day, when a
tremendous storm is lashing the coast. The street is empty save for
ourselves, and every door is fast shut against the bitter wind. The
boats are all home from sea, and are dragged high up on the shingle,
out of reach of the great breakers which thunder on the shore and send
their surf swirling in masses of snowy foam along the beach. We make
our way inch by inch in the teeth of the terrific wind, and are
thankful for the smallest shelter in which to pause and draw a breath.
Suddenly a man comes racing up from the little quay. He pauses at the
door of a building which stands alone; he seizes a rope and begins to
pull, and the loud clanging of a bell mingles with the shrieks of the
storm.
Ah! what a change! The silent, deserted village becomes a scene of the
busiest life and animation. Doors burst open on every hand, and out
rush men, and race head down against the wind for the building where
the bell is ringing. After them stream women and children; all run as
if running for a wager. What prize do those stalwart fellows race to
gain? The prize of risking their lives to help their fellow-creatures.
There is a wreck off shore, and the bell is calling volunteers to man
the lifeboat. The first men to gain the house form the crew, and these
at once begin to jump into oilskins and fasten huge cork belts round
their bodies, while the great boat is run out and hurried down to the
beach.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account