imagine, these two women living thus isolated from the
rest of the world. The freedom of the life, however, and the constant
abundance of stimulating sea air, together with the exercise of rowing
to and from the city, gave Ida a physical strength and a health which
makes her richer in all the valuable part of life than many of her sex
whose lives are passed in constant repining for something to live for,
while surrounded with all the appliances of luxury. That Miss Lewis has
also developed an independence of courage is shown by her deeds, which
prove also that the isolation of her life has not in any way prevented
the development of the tenderness of sympathy with suffering which is
supposed to be peculiar to only the helplessness of women.

It was owing to the efforts of the late Senator Burnside that Ida became
the recognized keeper of the lighthouse, a promotion as graceful as it
was deserved. The matter was arranged in January, 1879, by Senator
Burnside and Collector Pratt.

The keeper of Lime Rock Light then was Mrs. Zoradia Lewis, Ida's mother,
who had been in charge for a number of years. Mrs. Lewis's second
daughter, who was very sick, required all the mother's attention, and
accordingly it was suggested to her that by her resignation the heroine
could receive the appointment. She gladly accepted the suggestion, and
on January 24th Ida received her appointment, with a salary of $750 a
year, an increase of $250 over her mother's pay. In communicating the
appointment Secretary Sherman said: "This appointment is conferred upon
you as a mark of my appreciation for your noble and heroic efforts in
saving human lives." Ida Lewis had given up all hope that her claims
would ever be recognized, and the news was joyfully received.

In July, 1881, the Secretary of the Treasury awarded the gold
life-saving medal to her in recognition of her services in rescuing a
number of persons from drowning since the passage of the act authorizing
such awards. Most of the rescues made were under circumstances which
called for heroic daring, and involved the risk of her life. The
following summary of her achievements in life-saving is taken from the
records of the Treasury Department:

"The total number of lives Mrs. Ida Lewis Wilson has saved since 1854,
so far as known, is thirteen. In all these cases except two she has
relied wholly on herself. Her latest achievement was the rescue in
February, 1881, of two bandsmen from Fort Adam