single night for more than half a
century has passed, without its wakeful eye beaming on the waters, or
its fog-bells sounding on the air; and, best of all, _not a single
wreck has occurred on that rock from that period down to the present
day!_

Say not, good reader, that much the same may be said of all
lighthouses. In the first place, the history of many lighthouses is
by no means so happy as that of this one. In the second place, all
lighthouses are not of equal importance. Few stand on an equal
footing with the Bell Rock, either in regard to its national
importance or its actual pedestal. In the last place, it is our
subject of consideration at present, and we object to odious
comparisons while we sing its praises!

Whatever may be said of the other lights that guard our shores,
special gratitude is due to the Bell Rock--to those who projected
it--to the engineer who planned and built it--to God, who inspired
the will to dare, and bestowed the skill to accomplish, a work so
difficult, so noble, so prolific of good to man!

* * * * *

The nature of our story requires that we should occasionally
annihilate time and space.

Let us then leap over both, and return to our hero, Ruby Brand.

His period of service in the Navy was comparatively brief, much more
so than either he or his friends anticipated. Nevertheless, he spent
a considerable time in his new profession, and, having been sent to
foreign stations, he saw a good deal of what is called "service", in
which he distinguished himself, as might have been expected, for
coolness and courage.

But we must omit all mention of his warlike deeds, and resume the
record of his history at that point which bears more immediately on
the subject of our tale.

It was a wild, stormy night in November. Ruby's ship had captured a
French privateer in the German Ocean, and, a prize crew having been
put aboard, she was sent away to the nearest port, which happened to
be the harbour of Leith, in the Firth of Forth. Ruby had not been
appointed one of the prize crew; but he resolved not to miss the
chance of again seeing his native town, if it should only be a
distant view through a telescope. Being a favourite with his
commander, his plea was received favourably, and he was sent on
board the Frenchman.

Those who know what it is to meet with an unexpected piece of great
good fortune, can imagine the delight with which Ruby stood at the
helm on t