it on her tiny foot, and, taking up its fellow
from a hiding-place—for the fairy had
purposely left her the other slipper—she showed
them both to the astonished woman.

"Yes, mother, I am the lady who goes to
church; I am the lady of the fine carriage
and the fine horses. Do you think that,
because you do not care for me, there is
not One above who sees justice done in this
world?"

The enraged woman, blind with jealousy
and anger, pushed the girl out of the
door.

"Remember, mother," said the girl,
looking back, "that you sent me away.
And never more do I return."

"And a good riddance too," retorted
the woman, with a parting kick.

So the maiden went far away, and the
fairies gave her all that she could wish, and
all that she deserved—a fine palace, kind
friends, dainty dishes, fine clothes, attentive
servants, and, in course of time, a young
and handsome husband.

LIGHT FOR LIGHTHOUSES.

As far as regards lighthouse illumination,
the light of other days seems to have been
of very little account. The means adopted
by our forefathers and by the ancients for
marking the coasts by night were of a very
rough and inefficient kind. The necessity
for lights of some description to mark by
night the shores of civilised countries has
manifested itself wherever navigation has
been practised, and one may read of several
towers of old which were made to answer
the purposes of lighthouses. Our own
ancestors, as they began to journey on the sea,
found something of the kind necessary, and
blazing beacons were lighted on many of
the high hills and prominent headlands on
the coasts of Britain. There is no knowing
how many fagots of wood or tons of
coal were consumed by these fires, but the
quantity no doubt was very large. However,
the progress of science, or whatever
power it may be which ordains great
changes and improvements, at last abolished
this system of coal fires, and during the
latter part of last century established oil
lights instead.

It was an immense improvement when
steady lights under cover were substituted
for the coal fires, and no doubt the man
who tended the fires thought so too.
Looking back on those days, one cannot
help being struck with the great contrast
between the coast lights then and our own
admirable arrangements now. The coal
fire was generally made in an iron basket
fixed out in the open air, and in the worst
of weather the keeper had to work hard
to keep his fire burning in spite of the
most furious winds or the most deluging
rains. Under the depressing influence of
constant and heavy rain it can easily be
understood that it was no joke to have
to keep up a bright blazing fire. And
with the most careful attention these fires
were found to be most uncertain and
unreliable, at one time flaring wildly to the
sky, and at another obscured by smoke or
in a sulky state of dull red heat. Experience
suggested that a steady permanent
light was what was wanted—a light that
would not be affected by the uncertain
influences of the weather. So the candles
of the period were tried at one or two
places with a lantern, but in only a few
instances could they be made useful, the
light being so weak. The Eddystone for a
long time was illuminated by twenty-four
candles only, in a sort of chandelier. But,
after a time, oil was brought into use.
Spermaceti seems to have been found the
best adapted for burning and for giving a
good light, and for over fifty years was
used. Recently, however, it has been
found that rape-seed oil is much cheaper,
and can be burned so as to give as good a
light as the sperm, so it is generally used
at the present day. It has been found that
oil light is the most reliable, requires the
least amount of attention, is more
economical, and at present answers the
purpose of marking our coasts better than any
other light.

Nevertheless, the authorities who have
charge of the important business of lighting
England's shores have by no means been
insensible to the various means of
illumination which have at different times
appeared. Experiments have been and are
constantly being made, as to the advantages
of the numerous sources of light
which have at times been brought out.

Five different oils have been tried: first,
sperm, which, as has been said, was used
for some time, until displaced by rape-seed;
then colza was tried for a time, but although
it proved to be more economical, yet it was
by no means found equal to rape or sperm;
olive oil has also been tested, and found
wanting. Since the time when Americans
have been making colossal fortunes by
"striking ile," no end of proposals have
been received for the application of the