The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-04-08
How John Wesley Vas Saved.

The repose of the quiet market-town
of Epworth, in the Lindsey division OF
Lincolnshire, was disturbed toward
midnight, on w Idnesday, February 8,
100, by the alarming cry of /" Fire! J"
The rectory, an old building largely
composed Of wood, was in flames.
Tie calamity was discovered in the
house by one of the rector's children,
whose feet had been burned by sparks
from the roof falling upon her bed
She ran from her domitory to arouse
the family, Meantime hearing the cry
of I" Fire!n from the streets, the rector
had started from his couch, little imag-
lining that his own residence was the
cause of alarm; but on opening his
door he found 1t full of smoke, and tn ,
roof already burnt through. His wife,
being then i'll, slept in q seperate apart
ment, to which he flew, and bade her
and ner two eldest girls shit for their
lives. Then, bursting open the nursery
door, be reused the maid, and told her
to bring the children out. She snatch-
cd up the youngest and bade the rest
to follow. When they got into the
hall, and saw themselves surrounded
by flames, they thought their fate seal
ed, for i'm his fright the rector had for
gotten the key of the doors. Not an
instant was to be lost; he rushed up
stairs and recovered them scarce min
ute before the staircase took fire. When
the street door was opened, the flames
were driven in by strong east wind,
with such violence that none could
stand against them. The garden door
was the next resort, out of which the
rector helped some of his children,
while the rest got through the win
dows; but his wife was in no condition
to climb to the windows, neither could
she get to the garden door. Three
times she attempted to force her way
to the street, but was as often beaten
back |by the fury of the flames; in a
fourth attempt, after invoking the Sa-
viour to preserve her from death by the
terrible element, to use her own ex-
preston, she acaded through the fire,
naked as she was, receiving no further
harm than slight scorching OF the
hands and face.
While the rector was carrying his
children into the garden, he heard with
deep emotion the miserable cry for help
of child in the nursery, a boy not yet
six wears of age, who to that moment
had been overlooked. He rushed to
the burning stairs, but found them to
be so far consumed rs to be incapable
of sustaining his weight. Nothing re-
mained but to commenced the soul OF
his boy to God, which the good man
did, kneeling in the smoking hall.
"Man's extremity is Gods opportu-
nity.n The little fellow, seeing the
room Illuminated with the flames, end
supposing it to be daylight, had called
TO the maid to take him up; but none
answering, he put his head out of the
curtain, and saw streaks of fire en- the
ceiling. He ran to the door, but the
door outside being ablaze, he returned,
and mounting a chest which stood neal
the window, he was seen by the crowd
i'm the yard. One proposed running fol
a ladder; another answered there was
no time, but proposed 10 fix himself
against the wall that light man might
be lifted on his shoulders. They did SO
and rescued the child in the instant be-
fore the roof fell i'm, which must have
buried him i'm its burning wreck. He
was carried in triumph to his father,
whe now, overwhelmed with gratitude,
cried out, 'Come, neighbors, let us
kneel down; let us give thanks to
God. He has given me all my eight
children; let the house go, | am rich
enough. .m-Mcttodist World.