The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-19

the soul of a good man lives and is happy ia,
out of sight,
al know! l know +" and she clapped he,
hands again.
But on our return to the house she astonish
ed Nancy, who came to put her to bed, with
the information that her papa's Singing soul D
had gone up into the white clouds aud she va:
going to T" bark for it all the next day"
Heaven save us, Missy. Your mas crazi
ness is turning your head!" was the maid,
only reply to such heresy.
Il was painful thought that the child must
be taken from her mother. when | saw hel
nestle lovingly into that mothers lap, kiss hel
passive lips, and sink conteniedly to Sleep with
the rocking of the eyer-swaying chair Again
tried, but hope,essly as before, to win one
word of remembrance and love from those in.
different lips.
Mother one good night Blessing !" plead
bending my face to hers.
q Hush the baby sleeps They ell sleep
well-well!"
Oh, what is the wreck of mortality to the
wreck Of reason Thank God the soul is i'm
mortal; and in some hours of its endless exist
ence must burst these letters in which bodily
feebleness has bound it With this conviction
| at last closed my eyes, after hours of painful
thinking.
It must have been two o'clock, when started
from halfformed dream, at the sound of a
low chuckling laugh not far from me, SO pecu-
Lar that it would have aroused me at once, even
had not the long streamers of smoke which
poured through the assures of my door warned
me Of our imminent danger. ] threw open the
door, and saw, to my horror my mother stand
ing opposite the threshold OF the room which
had held my fathers remains. She held a
IL -, IL nc
dim beside the fearful conhagration it had
kindled The room was q sheet of flame! Bed.
hangings, window curtains, and the papers OF
a large library at the farther end, blazing az
though fired at the same instant A volume
of smoke turned upon and nearly stfled me-
"Mother, for Heavens sake !" | cried seiz-
ing her arm.
"Ha, ha!n she laughed, "Pve warmed
the room! 1t was SO cold and dark in there! .
The maid, aroused by this time few scream
ing in. But she was bereft OF all presence OF
mind, and added to instead of relieving my
perplexity. | dared not leave ny maniac
mother by the blaze she had kindled, to summon
the help that must soon be at hand, to avail
anything. To calm her into the proper use Of
her muscles, and despatch her screaming to the
village, was my first task /; my second, quick
as thought, was to drag my half sufocated
mother OUTSIDE the gate ana lay her upon the
damp grass with the halfswakened child al
her side. Holding her there, listened il
agony for the footsteps that should come, with
my eyes fixed on tho glare that crept every
moment higher.
1t burst through the low roof wedge o
solid flame, at the same instant that the trebleC
cry of Fire Fire!" close at hand, told O
succor.
A crowd of neighbors were soon at my door
Organisation in that crowd would have saved
the burning building But every mans hand
was turned to the work his own head hat
planned, and every head seemed equally con
fused. As day dawn looked over the hills, tn,
walls fell in with crash The furniture, il
general had been saved; but heap of rec
and black embers was all now left me of 90 the
home " had toiled to give my parents
TO BE CONIINUED