The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-11-02

Young and old-thc whole town, In fact
were assembled yonder. Who was to
warn them Of coming danger IL none OF them
observed or knew what uow perccved3 !
became 50 alarmed, SO anxions, that i got
out of my bed, and crawled to the window.
was incaplc Of going further; but | put up
the window, and, ON looking out, could
see the people skating, and sliding, and rnn-
ming on the ice could see the gay ilags,
and hear tho boys shouting bnrrah, and the
girls and the young men singing in chorus.
All was jollity and mcrriment there. But
higher and higher rose the white cloud with
the black spot in it. l cried out as loud as
l could, but nobody heard. mel was too
far away from them. The wind would soon
break loose, the ice give way, and all upon
it sink, without chance OF rcscuc.-llear me
they could not, and for me to go to them
was impossible. Was there nothing could
do to bring them to land Then our Lord
inspired mo with the idea of setting fire to
nv bed, il would DO better that my house
were to DO burned down, thon that the many
should meet with such miserable death.
Then kindled the fire. / saw the red ilalncs
and gained tho outside Of the house, but |
remained lying there, could do no more,
for my strength was exhausted. The blaze
pursued mc--it burst from my window, aud
out upon the roof. Tho crowds upon the
Ice perceived it, and they came running as
fast us they could to help me poor wretch
whom they thought would bc burned up
in my bed. 1t was not one or two only that
came-they all came. heard them coming,
but also heard, all ut once, the shrill whs-
tie, the loud roar Of the wind. | heard it
thunder like the report of a gun. The spring
lifted the Ice, and shddculy II broke asunder;
but the crowd had reached the embankment,
where tho sparks were flying over me. ]
had been the means of saving them, but /
was not able to survive tho cOldand fright,
so have come here to the gate of the king
dom of heaven; but am told 1t is locked
against such poor creatures rs l. And now
have no longera home down yondcr on the
embanknent, though that docs not insure
nc any admittancc here.
At that moment the gate of heaven was
opened, and an angel took the old woman
in. She dropped u straw; it was one OF the
pieces of straw which had stuffed the bed to
which she had set fire to save the lives OF
many, and il had turned to pure gold, but
gold that was flexible, and turned itself into
pretty shapes.
"Seo the poor old woman has brought
this" said the angel. "What dost thou
bring! All! know well thou hast done
nothing-not evening so much US making q
brick. II thou couldst 60 back ag,in, and
bring only so much as that, il done with good
intentions, it would be of no avail. But
thou canst not go back, and can donothing
for thee"
Then the poor soul, the old woman from
the house on the embankment, begged Tor
him.
"IIis brother kindly gave mo all the stones
with which built my humble dwelling
They were great gift TO q poor creature
like ne. May not all these stones and fraS
mcnts be permitted to value rs one brick Tor
him? 1t was deed oi mercy. lie is now
in want, and this is Mercy's home"
"Thy brother, whom thou didst think the
most inferior to thyself-him whose honest
business thou didst despisc-shares with thee
his heavenly portion. Thou shalt not be or
dercd away; thou shalt have leave to remain
outside here to think over and to repent thy
life down yonder but within this gate thou
shalt not enter until, in good works, thou
hast performed Something"
III could have expressed that sentence hct-
ter" thought the conccitcd logician; but
he did not say this aloud, and that was sure.
ly-sOMETiIING.