Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-01-04

0m1ort, with large cnlmneys ara nuSe,
ide fire-places, in which of cold nights
ould be piled an abundance of clean hick-
ry logs, blazing up warm and merrily,
7hile around it, in a precise semi-circle,
7ould be gathered happy family listen
ng to some grey headed grandmother tell
TRANCE stories of old England, of how they
burned coal there turf in Ireland, how her
man. used to gallop on black charger
With the gentry across the plains, leaping
he bitches, after the hound chased fox
IF old England's cottages, of the little
matched roof she left under the green hill
herself,-of the house of lords and the
parliament that her man" used to talk
about,-of fine dresses the London ladies
wore, of the Queens carriage and of the
q dreadful time they had of it crossing the
big sea in the WATER WITCH bound for
America" But few Of the old houses with
pleasant hearth-stones remain, we dare as
sert not one, to tell US of the days when
the g Eagle was great Hotel and Jac-
ques St. Clair was printer Our memo
ry warns us Of two houses that yet stand
in R-x, as they were in that day:
one is an old Lutheran church built long
before the war, of colored brick, so ar
ranged as to throw them into diamonds and
triangles the other is an old yellow eHouse
on Fourth Street, or Third, LI~e will not
be precise faded .cf-;4rE paint now, and
moss OF l.s5 foof, With more than two sharp
gables running up from the frame, and sew
eral little attic windows with strong shut
ters peeping out from the roof A great
man lived there, and his grateful children
| 11ahv1 IL L \
ished, but suffer it to stand there as it did
when he left it, to go down to his home in
the dust, only that time-the ceaseless
workman-hasw written decay on its OUTER
wall, and a thousand worms have lived out
their feeting years in its panels and wains-
cotting, chipping the polished boards in
many parts to woody powder
Then it was that the arrival of schoon-
er from distant port brought together
hundreds of the citizens at the waters edge
to contemplate the sight; and even the
coming in Of loaded fishing smack was the
occasion of bringing together the rejoicing
hucksters who profted by the fish market,
and it was generally set down under the
head of Occurrences in the two news
papers of which R-x boasted.
~ 70 no" d CIeJ Vi many lHOuSdnu lQ-
4ts ztEsets tsese.ellaa ;zhsa
marble scores Of churches aj.esaage g ages
their high spires, their beautiful chiK.-ss
bells, and their velvet cushioned pews;
numefous printing offices fling their sheets
off night and day, spreading light and in
telligence broadcast through the land ma
ny institutions for the amelioratioa of pen
ury's ills are there conducted with zeal and
ability colleges, both classical and me1i-
cal, dispense yearly the light and truths of
science to the thousands of young aspirants
for fame, crowding their halls; and her
port is now lined with hundreds Of vessels
propelled thither by the combined agencies
of wind and steam, and is the focus where
the ships of all nations meet and enjoy the
privileges of free and uninterrupted trade.
Jacques st. Clair had lived In R-x
barely year, when circumstance trans
pired that had a manifest influence upon
him, and, In the end, effected an entire
change in his life =
Late one night, when the inhabitants were
sleeping, forgetful of the cares Of life, he
was at a ease in the Office busy on piece
of job work that was to be finished carly
next morning. Suddenly bright, glaring
light filled the room and Jacques, running
, to the window, saw red, spiral flames burst
, ing through the roof of Mr.. Somervile' 8
l large dwelling house on the opposite side
of the street He rushed out of the Office
! and gave the terrific alarm of " fire p'-
Soon crowd was gathered IN the street
3 before the burning building. A fire com.
. pany-a most inefficient organization
soon on the spot and commenced operations
t to extinguish the flames Their efforts
e seemed Of little avail for the lurid flames
: grew brighter and wilder, darting out thro'
n the cracking roof,-just under which the
f fire had originated, and heavy clouds Of
$ smoke, black as night, began to roll out
# through the broken windows. A shril
$ shrek of terror rang out upon the sultry
air, rising above the noise and and =
a the street, cry Of mingled despair ana
i mortal agony from the room above. around
d which the flames had just commenced Iick
Is ing their fiery tongues Mr.. Somerzille
If rushed out of his house, followed by hi:
e. wife and servants, and he was the per.oni
Is fcation of despair as he pointed his trem
is bling finger up to an open window anc
at shrieked "my daughter she is Locke i
n her room y! my daughter %
ly Jacques snatched a ladder from the hand
r of lazy fireman, leaned it against tb
burning wall, and, with the ao;l;tv q
S a cat, mounted it, and in few momsut
C. descended with the half faintinc 0ne
I'd Somerville, a handsome maiden. in his ann,
n Jacques had sustained no injury in tbo g,
n except having his hair and compaet S,bi
is kers nearly singed off, and nearly los;ng
p breath in the dense smoke that 6lIoJ 4
lie room. When he had reached the .-or sro-,r
ed and had set Miss Agnes down amono 4
K, gaping multitude, a plaudit Of g aRessr
s. intrepid fellow p rang up in a long che,
,ht shout from the hundreds there asssn,hI, UhI,
IN and Jacques felt proud in his heart .
he Church property that was yalpablo .
as saved from the burning house thronob ,
'et daring Of Jacques; but, in spite Of tba
IN forts of the fremen, Someryilie's larre o,S :.
ac, sion was soon bed of glowing cosIs :. |.
lad the next morning pile Of white and :
Icy ashes. -Hu !