Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-23


A mere touch Of flame, and ibea Il aoes
on the hearth. first a mere fringe Of asme
on the the edges of-a dense smoke. bat In
minute the smoke is gone, snd the fame
is running merrily through every creyics
of the wOodi This. is the fire in is
amieble mood.
Sometimes it sulks. It win not be
coaxed. The whole house is cold. Tae
sliyering children are crying. The wood
is green. There are no kindliEgs. The
| poor widowed mother lays the green oak
wood upon the few gathered embers, ard
/ stopping to the Goals, blows with her own
scant breath to bring the fire to a flame.
| The sickly blaze hOvers a minute, seems
not to like the prospect, and vanshes.
All, the cold winter mornings in Tao
houses of the poOrl Like all other things,
fire seems to be d0cile to those who hsFe
enough, and fractions to all who suffer
lack.
But what a generous and frank way q
good fire of wOod-the royal hickory
hasl The space above is all flame; tue
space below, solid Goals Of fire; while The
middle space is filed with network OF .
brilliant effects, ON which one migbs gaze
for hours with delight. We DO EOs IN
dervalue the artificial fireworks, and enjoy
as much as any other boy Cf cur years
the grand display of emulOUs pyTOiech-
nists. But, after all, there is more hOmeiv
pleasure in gazing into trausmutatiOns,
the figures in the Goals, the showers of
sparks, the cOquetting flames, that wink
and blink along the edges Of the ire,
than in all the transient glory of wheels
and rockets. a fire is so domestic, 1t
is so obliging, so benevolent, so 0bedient,
so Open-heartedl
Don't trust to appearance Tae maid
has Just carried forth a bucket OF ashes.
Only yesterday you said to the husband,
''Be sure and bring home an iron pail for
ashes Bridget has nothing but the
wooden pail" Il was forgotten The
ashes were cold. There was 70 fr5--at
least only mere spark. That lay near
the wooden bottom. It got hold of the
wood. II was not in haste. a whole
hour it was in persuading the wood to g
partnership. Littlelby little it ate through
to the air. Then it took courage, got .
out upon the floor, ran into the base
board, and crept up the Partition. Al
night it mined and wrought; and too late,
when the Outcry was raised, 1t had gained
a victory. Down went the roof. Down
went the wall. Away went the small
household treasures.
If thou art poor, here is a f7e-years'
blow. 1t may be set back for life. If
thou art rich, money viii rebuild. Yeg
there are some things that money can not
do. It can not make a cradle in which
your children laid. Il can not bring bsck
the little couch on which your boy lay
divinely before the dust returned % dustl
1t can not give you back the little sOJiUe-
Mrs of friendship, nor the pictures that
you have looked at in joy and sorOw, till
they seemed TO become pSriIer7 Of your
inward life. A home is not built by
money, but by the heart Money can
build house, but where is your hOml}
What will lring back from the ashes the
sacred associations of sorrow, hope, WOT-
ship, courage and love
We once heard plain man express his
feelings when he stood over against his
house and saw it burning. ''JUst as soon
as knew that everything was out OF it,
l didn't care farthiDg. just slapped
my hands, and said: See her burll Size
burns as well as any rich mans house
But when saw the blaze shoot through
the bed room, and thought Of how the
children's cradle was there, and Of how
many times | had kueeled down there in
prayer, couldn't help it, the tears would
GOMEZ" There was a generous touch of
nature.
Better be insured! Better yet, don't let
your house burn! There are some things
in every house that no insurance can
cover.