Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-05-28

attachment to herself personally. Above
all the servants on the plantation he was
distinguished for strict, religious per-
formance of his duties, for Juba was con-
sistently pious. He was also shrewd and
ready in every emergency, and Mrs. Stew
ard felt that he would save her, even at
the peril of his life.
Juba, even while speaking, had seized
her hand and dragged her toward the
staircase. But now a gust of wind drove
such volumes of thick, black smoke to-
ward them, that she was almost suffoca-
ted, and she paused, unable to proceed.
1t was not time to hesitate SO Juba,
snatching her in his arms as he would a
child, and dragging the cover entirely
over her face, dashed into the rolling vol
umes of smoke, and down the great stair
case.
He was not moment too soon. Scarce
ly had he reached the bottom, followed
by the afrighted maids, before the pas
sage was closed entirely by dense wall
of fame. Neither he nor the female SER
wants, indeed, escaped entirely unhurt
But the table cover ehectually protected
Mrs. Stewart.
Juba had scarcely, however, placed his
mistress safely on the lawn, before she
started up, crying, s'where is the baby?
Who has seen the child? Oh it is in
the house yet" And she would have
rushed toward the blazing doorway if she
had not been instantly and forcibly de-
tanned.
The servants looked at each other in
dismay. In the sudjenness with which
the conhagration had spread, and the ex-
citement of their mistress danger, no.
body had thought of the child 1t was
an only one, boy about two years old,
who slept with his nurse, or nanny, as
she was called in the household, in the
back room in the upper story. Mrs.
Stewards first thought, on her escape,
had been to look for her darling but for
this the absence of the child might have
been even longer overlooked.
The servants, we say, looked at each
other in disInay. The hall of the house
was now all in fame, the fire pouring
out through the doorway as from the
mouth of a furnace, so that ingress by
that path was impossible. Most of the
second story was also burning, and the
entire first floor, for the confla grafton had
broken out there originally. To reach
the apartment where the nurse, probably
paralyzed by terror, was still with the
child, seemed out of the question entirely.
But there was no one there who deter
mined to make the attempt. The sight
of the mothers face, and the sound Of
her broken means as she sank into the
arms of those who restrained her, exhaus-
ted by her struggles to escape, determin-
ed Juba to try at least to rescue his
young master.
Il will go, missus," he said, don't
CRY any more"
He looked around, as he spoke, for
some means of scaling the second story.
There was no ladder, and only one stair
case, but the bough Of an ornamental
tree, that overshadowed the house, fortu
nately held out means of access to a
bold heart and strong arm. Not stop
ping even to hear his mistress thanks
ne climbed up the tree, ran out On the
limb, and dropping on the roof, disap
peared within the dwelling.
How breathless were the moments that
ensued. The flames were spreading with
ffish ful rapidity. The caves Of the
Building began to smoke, showing that
the fire within had reached the roof, and
soon after the whole line of them flashed
into confagation. Meantime the lurid
element poured out from the windows,
ran upward licking the combustible front
and STRAINED in waving. dazzling pyra
mid, high over the top of the mansion
far into the blue armament. Millions Of
sparks, accompanied by volumes Of roll
ing smoke, sailed down the sky before the
breeze, completely obscuring the heavens
at intervals, though occasionally this thick
canopy partially blowing aside, the calm
moon was seen, peacefully shining down
through the rent, in strange contrast to
the otherwise terrific scene. The roar of
the conflagration had now become intense
ly loud; and, to add to the horror, there
began to be heard the awful sound of tim
bers falling within the house.
Mrs. Stewart had watched the fire in
silence, her hands clasped, and lips part
ed, ever since Juba had disappeared within
the house. Each moment appeared an
age to her. At last the suspense, thus
lengthening out intermina bly, as it seemed,
became intolerable.
''Oh, it is in vain, she cried, making
Il