ime,
asked to be taken back to his chair opposite old Martha.

"What is it?" inquired Martha, bending her ear towards a pretty little
mouth.

"Grandfather has just seen the new Eddystone lighted up for the first
time," replied Nora.

"Ay, ay," said Martha in a moralising tone, as she turned her eyes
towards the fire, "ay, ay, so soon! I always had a settled conviction
that that lighthouse would be burnt."

"It's _not_ burnt, grannie," said Nora, smiling, "it's only lighted up."

"Well, well, my dear," returned Martha, with a solemn shake of the head,
"there an't much difference atween lighted-up an' burnt-up. It's just
as I always said to your father, my dear--to your grandfather I mean--
depend upon it, John, I used to say, that light'ouse will either be
burnt up or blowed over. Ay, ay, dear me!"

She subsided into silent meditation, and thus, good reader, we shall bid
her farewell, merely remarking that she and her honest husband did not
die for a considerable time after that. As she grew older and blinder,
old Martha became more and more attached to the Bible and the
dictionary, as well as to dear good blooming Nora, who assisted her in
the perusal of the former, her sweet ringing voice being the only one at
last that the old woman could hear. But although it was evident that
Martha had changed in many ways, her opinions remained immoveable. She
feebly maintained these, and held her "settled convictions" to the last
gasp.

As for Teddy Maroon, he returned to Ireland after the lighthouse was
finished and quietly got married, and settled on the margin of the bog
where the Teddy from whom he sprang still lingered, among his numerous
descendants, the life of his juvenile kindred, and an oracle on
lighthouses.

Time with its relentless scythe at last swept all the actors in our tale
away: Generations after them came and went. The world grew older and
more learned; whether more wise is still an open question! Knowledge
increased, science and art advanced apace. Electricity, steam, iron,
gold, muscle, and brain, all but wrought miracles, and almost everything
underwent change more or less; but, amid all the turmoil of the world's
progress and all the storms of elemental strife, one object remained
unaltered, and apparently unalterable--the Eddystone Lighthouse! True,
indeed, its lantern underwent vast improvements, the Argand lamp and
lens replacing the old candle, and causing its crown to shine with a