The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1853-06-15
4an PteFson's Ladies' National Magazine
~ AITHFUL UNTO DEATHp
BY T.. THORNTON RANDOLPH.

AZ tub uch0 Va utSut ucfc WaS vi y
Fire, fire. frer
Even in a great city. where thousands
: ere at hand to render aid. it is terrible
cry al thai hour. But on q lonely planta-
ton how inexpressibly, awful.
Fire, fire, fre!.' 1t rang through the
wide ballssand was echoed from the negro
quarters in every variety of tones of .hor.
ror and alarm.
The mistress of the mansion. awaking
at the cry. sprang from her bed, and hur-
riedly began to dress. gazing around be-
! wildered. For. moment she was con-
..scious only that her husband was absent.
s She was re -calIed to something like her.
selfsbY. HE sfirieks Of the maid who had
slept Ia The room, and instead of assisting
: her toilet, was pointing with terrified ges.
ticulations to the ruddy reflection playing
against the tfSes in front Of the house.
Suddeniy,to add toihe confusion of the
scene, the Chamber door was flung open.
sand crowd of female servants rushed IN,
sfocking fightedly together like covey
sp6rstied blythe sportsman. They closed
around Mrs, Stewart's bed, screaming,
waeping. wriuging their hands, and de-
Spriving her Of what little presence of mind
@fads been left.
sse.Oh! missus, we shall be burned to
deatii. I've shall, all of u.s. The fire has
cahgIitto de staircase. The blessed Lord
fiiab mercy on rs. |
e Theso and similar exclamations filed
1lisair and distracted her attention.
Meantime the confagration became
more sserious each minute. Had that ter
fj6ed group liAened, they could have heard
4he roar of the flames in the hall outside,
nd the cracking sound that announced
f|76 approach ofFthe fire to the woodwork
near ihe staircase, warning them that if
!. they would save their lives. their flight
must be instant But they only huddled
sci0ear togefher, sobbing. moaning, en-
4bracf6X one another frantically.
al once man dashed into the room.
, with agitated face and dress disordered.
Hufsting aside the terrified maids, he
hastily approached his mistress.
sasssFl ", he cried, breathlessly, "this mo-
aAmeft, or you'll be too late" And glanc-
3 ing rapidly around the room, he snatched
9tharich cover from a centertable, which
stoodfn the middle Of the apartment, COW
cred with books, pretty trifes, and flowers
IN x1ses This he threw around his mis-
arsss, exclaiming, sit will keep the fire
from catching. sCome."
- The sightof his face had re. assured his
,Fnistre ss. 1hba Vas about her own age.
had been born in her fathers family and
had always exhibi.ed the most devoted
-s:stlnchd1ent TO herself personally. Above
-.all the servants on the plantation he was
distinguished for 4 strict, religious per-
formance Of his dulles, for Juba was con.
sistently pious.p He was also shrewd and
readyinseyery emergency,an and Mrs Stew
ard fslt that he wodld save her, even at the
peril OF lis life.a
i..Juba, even while sspeaking, had seized
hershand and dragged her toward the stair.
case.5 But now gust of wind drove such
aolames sof thick, black ismoke toward
xhsnl, that she was almost suffocated, and
,shss paused, unable to proceed. 1t was
mot time to hesitate, sos Juba, snatchine
her ins his arms as he would a child, and
dragging the cover entirely over her face
dashed into the rolling volumes of smoke
and down the great staircase.
He Was not q momenttoo soon. Scarce
g - had he reached the bottom, followed by
ah9k ksffrightedi nlaids,l before the passage
61eloseds entirely by dense wall o
Aaoess n either he nor the female servants
indsedeesnaps entirely unhurt. But the
table cover eHectuahy protected Mrs
Stewart q fAa ii aa
- Juba had soafcely, however, plaeedhi.
mistress safely 90 the lawn before shi
started up, Crying, q Where is thesbaby
who has seen the child? Oh! it is in tn,
house yes.,ss And she would have. .rushet
touasdahe blazing doorway if she hadn no
hssnsin sianfly and -foroibly detained
ssfiEhe servants looked at each oaheril
dismay.s dnihe suddenness with which tn
eon6agration had.sprsad = sandthe excite
dnsnfo Of their mistress' danger, nobody has
Ahauebkefsihe childs 1t was an only one
ahnyahoat tEo years old ,lwhoe slept witt
his nausassser smampy, ''Sas she was GALES
.inahe.household, in the upper story! Mrs
;Stewart' q tthought. on her escape. hat
besn Co look for her darling; but for thi
akssabsenes of the child might have beer
even longer oysrloeked. 6sa 50 k.4s
The servants, we say, looked at eacl
other in dismay. The hall OF the shous