The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-11-07
THE DEVILS FIRE.

THE DEVILS FIRE.
There was once man who took irtue
how from the poor house. It was not because
he pitied him, but because he wanted some
one 10 save him the trouble Of getting up
early on frosty mornings, and Of going Out
after the paper-blacking his shoes, and sun
dry disaoreeabIe things The child had been
born and brought up in the Poor-honse, and
he was, emphaticay, poor in every sense oil
the word. His joints were large, and his
muscles small; his face was thin, his eyes
boIlow. his shoulders narrow, and there was
very little Of him, any way, except the feeling,
or which his master was entirely destitute
This man had neither wife nor child. of course
or, he might have laid in bed To his hearts
content and had somebody to swear ut, and
possibly beat-but rs it was, he exercised all
his venom on the back and the limbs Of this
poor, unoifending child.
II he lost dollar in trade, there was poor
Jenny all ready to be kicked, and though
lie was hardly as large MS an ordinary foot
ball, vet he was scarcely ~ insensibe. II the
fire did not burn, owing to wet wood, this
noble, generous man would pull his hair, and
pinch aud strike the child ill his body and
his face were full of huises. Poor, spri;less
boy! God help the lambs without fold or
shepherd He used to 60 skulking about the
house with face rs pale rs a shrond, the
tears always ready 20 iall-and the hopeless,
helpless, yearning look he east towards n
well.dressed chid-or us he stood gazing
with his heart in his eyes wherever the scent
Of food came up, was pitiful 10 see.
One day the broker lost five hundred dol
lara. Alas! poor Jemmy--it stormed that
night, and his grcvous cries Mingled with
the signing blast that raved through the
streets. If anybody heard the shrieks of the
hap!ess pauper.boy, it was so wild storm he
faf.cied II the wind; and in that cheerless
home, while the rain was driving and the
blinds slammed to and fro, and the very
houses rocked, poor, desolate Jcmmydied in
his bed!
1t was we'll, the broker said with n sheer
when he found him cold in the morning.
And he gazed at the bruised forehead, the
swollen lip, the tangled hair, the distorted
features, the body all drawn up, and the eyes
open, white and CHASTITY, staring at him. The
broker turned with shudder, saying "nobody
to help me make the fire now, unless the
devil does" And he kinded the sticks, aud |
the fire roared into sudden blaze and snap.
ped and crackled-when, horror! great
burning cinder flew into his eye. Oh, heaven
the anguish, the agony, the pair that burnt
his very brain. Blinded and crazed, he saw
not that the fame had caught the carpet and |
his cotton dressng.gown. The house stood |
alone, the door was ocked-the key in
pocket, the pocket he knew not where. He |
yelled and shrieked, but the yelling wind |
Knocked lin rs il had done his victims agony. |
lie sought the door, but in his agony fell
over the cold body of the pauperboy. The
smoke thckenrd, the flames grew hot, means,
nor curses, nor wild ascending prayers awaited
him now. God have mercy upon him!-the
fire winds about and above, and Iicks him like
q serpent before il destroys.
In the next mornings paper there was only
n paragraph about fire and an accident, and
two persons burned to death. Where the
soul of that broker went am unable to tell,
but am certain that poor, broken.hearted
little Jenny went right up to the angels.