Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1852-05-06

made It's lurld face pale before 1t!
But no-but no. The flames glared
gleefully in at each pane, growing boldeT
with thcview. They licked their hungry
tongues, as if in sweet foretaste Of the
delicious morsel thet was theirs. They
looked out at their victim through a
hundred jealous and fiery eyes. as if she
might by some mishap be stolen from
them. They wreathed the sill--the
casement-the little gable-like vine
all of bright fire, and luxuriant with
flaming foliage. They clapt their hur-
dred red hands above their heads, and
screcchcd and yelled, and Missed, in their
great glee.
"1Ty chjdl Sare my cAildw
1t was wild cry of agony from one of
the dense crowd below. The shrek of
the woman's voice rose above the din of
men and flames. 1t pierced the thick
smoke clouds, and reached the very room
in which the child lay, And the jubilant
fre-fend caught the wild echo, and an
swered it with Kissing hellish laughter.
The cry rose again,-and again. The
agonized mother could do no more. She
sank Gfeless to the ground.
They lifted long ladders to the wind
oWs, and brave men mounted to the top
most rounds-but they could advance no
farther. A wall of fire kept them out at
the door. A sheet of fire threatened to-
enwrap them from the roof. There was
no advance. The room could not bo
preached.
Meantime the glass in the windows Of
the child's bed-chamber fell tinkling on.
the floor, and the hot breath of the flames
awakened her. She bounded into the
middle of the room, ana stared wildly
around her. She was as rigid as statue
of bloodless marble.
In another moment, she had opened
the door that conducted down the stairs.
But she as quickly shut it again. The
stairway was bunk of living flames =
Fire was on every side. The iegions Of
the fend hemmed her completely in
Neither through the window, nor through
the door, could she make her escape
And she stood like statue there, g5zing
in mute agony at the death she knew was
inevitable.
A pallor, as of ghost, spread ore= her
face. Her auburn ringlets rolled down
her shoulders of ivory. Her blue eyes
were set in her head, and all the time
glaring at the FIRE. Her little frame
shook like an aspen leaf. Her hands
were tightly clenched, and immoyable at
/ her side.
| The flames threw out their forked
tongues at her through the wirdow, and
winked fiercely at her with their hellish
eyes They wreathed themselves into
all manner of fanciful figures, and played
and wrestled, and danced, aud writhed
like serpents together, as if to delight
her in her greatest terror. They shot up
like huge billows. and their erests threw
off row of million of glittering sparks.
Then they sunk down to the window a
gain, and looked in at the easement
They clapped their palms over and over
again They continually thrust out their
horribly sibilant tongues. They screech-
ed they yelled they roared they his
sed they sang. Then they beckoned
each to the other, and poured into the
room They formed circle about the
child, joining their fiery hands. They
danced around her, and yelled in their
excess of Joy. They rose to her breast,
each moment closing up about her form.
They breathed upon her fair shoulders;
and she quakcd and shivesed with fear
They breathed upon her cheeks; and
she gasped for life. Then they retreated
a moment but it was only to return with
freshly whetted appetites. They kissed
her neck. They laid their tongues upon
her lips They dallied with her ringlets
as if they were braiding them up with
bands of fire. They enfoied her at once
in their embrace, and fell gluttinously
upon her. She sank to the floor,
The rooffell to the cellar, and legion
of sparks few up to the sky.
Morning came. Hundreds of men were
searching among the ruins.
Only handful of white bones laid
piled up together.
The mother was . maniae.--Carpct
/ Bag.