Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-12-08
.Wbat is the daneerq'


to whimper.
"Why did you run such a risk. and
your master from home, and no one no
the place to render tine least assistance ?''
Sc / did it for the best" blubbered the
lad. ;.
"What shall we do?'
"Why, we must get out of it as fast
as we can, and leave the house TO its
fate.''
HWe can't get out" said the man in
low, hollow tone, which seemed the con-
centration of fear; al would have got out
of it if could, but just step to the back
door, ma am, and see.''
1 had not felt the least alarm up to this
minute: I had never seen fallow burnt,
but had heard of it as a thing of such
common occurrence, that / had never
connected with it any idea of danger
Judge then, my surprise and horror, when
on going to the back door, saw that the
fellow to make sure of the work had fired
the field in fifty different places. Behind,
before, and on every side, we were sur
rounded by wall of fire, burning furi-
ously within hundred yards OF us, and
cutting off all possibility of escape. for,
could we have found an opening through
the burning heaps, we could not have seen
our way through the dense canopy of
smoke; and buried, as we were, in the
heart of the forest no one could discover
our situation, till we were beyond the
reach of help. closed the door and
went back to the parlor. Fear was knock
ing loudly at my heart. for our utter help
lessness annihilated all hope of being
able to effect our escape-I felt tstupefed.
The girl sat upon the floor by the chill
dren, who, unconscious of the peril that
hung over them, had both fallen asleep.
She was silently weeping, while the fool
who had caused the mischief, was crying
aloud.
A strange calm succeeded my first
alarm; tears and lamentations were use
less; horrible death was impending over
us, and yet could not believe that we
were to die I sat down upon the step
of the door, and watched the awful scene
in silence The fire was raging in the
cedar swamp, Immediately below the
ridge on which the house stood, and it
presented a spectacle truly appalling
From out the dense folds of a canopy of
black smoke, the blackest 1 ever saw,
lcaped up, continually, red forks of lurid
flame, as high as the tree tops, igniting
the branches of group of tall pines that
had been left standing for sawlogs. A
deep gloom blotted out the heavens from
our sight. The air was filed with fiery
particles, which fioated even to the door
step, while the cracking and roaring of
the flames might have been heard at a
great distance. Could we have reached
the lake shore, where several canoes were
moored at the landing, by launching out
into the water we should have been in
perfect safety; but to attain this object it
was necessary to pass through this mimic
hell; and not bird could have flown over
it with unscorchcd wing.
There was no hope in that quarter, for
could we have escaped the flames, we
should have been blinded by the thick,
black, resinous smoke. The fierce wind
drove the flames at the sides and back of
the house, up the clearing, and our pas
sage to the road or to the forest, on the
right or on the left. was entirely obstruc-
ted by sea of flames. Our only ark of
safety was the house, so long as it remain
ed untouched by the devouring element.
turned to young Thomas, and asked
him how long he thought that would be.
"When the fire clears this little ridge
in front, ma'am. The Lord have mercy
upon us then, or we must all go!''
'' Cannot you, John, try and make your
escape, and see what can be done for us
and the children?''
My eye fell upon the sleeping angels,
locked peacefully in each others arms,
and my tears flowed for the first time
Mary, the servant girl, looked piteously
up in my face. The good, faithful erea-
ture had not uttered one word of COM
plant, but now she faltered forth:
''The dear, precious lambs! Oh such
death!''
1 threw myself down upon the floor be-
side them, and pressed them alternately
to my heart, while inwardly 1 thanked
God that they were asleep, and unconseI-
Gus of danger, and unable by their chill
dish cries to distract our attention from
adopting any plan which might offer to
effect their escape.
The heat became suffocating. We
were parched with thirst, and there was
not drop of water in the house, and
none to be procured nearer than the lake.
turned once more to the door, hoping
that a passage might have been burnt
through to the water. Isaw nothing but
dense cloud of FIRE and smoke-could
hear nothing but the cracking and roar
ing of flames, which were gaining so fast
upon us that felt their scorching breath
in my face.
"Ah,' thought I. (ahd it was most
bitter thought, "what will my beloved
husband say when he returns and finds
that Susy and his dear girls have perished
in this miserable manner7 But God can
save us YETI
The thought had scarcely found voice
in nv heart, before the wind rose to a