Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-11-10

we had noehance Of saving anything
but cur lives. even had we cared to-
do so. I kept calling 70 my husband
to keep 10 sight. but poor fellow.
thers was no need of doing 30, Tor I
could see that mother was o great
worry to him, and that he had al
most to drag her along, She kept
looking from side to side, and trying
to break away from him; even then
i thought how terrible II would be II
she should become furious again.
What on earth could we do with
her?
We must have gone on In this way
for at least three miles, and / was
almost exhausted, for Louis wss o
boy six years old and large for his
age. and I had been carrying him ali
the way. The trees were compact.
and in some places the undergrowth
was close and stiff as wire. Mother
kept getting worse. and Mr.. Me-
chand. who was a short distance
ahead Of Louis and me had the great
est difficulty to make her obey
him. # Sshts
Presently he stopped, and evident.
ly was waiting for me to come up
So I put Louis down. and told him
to keep alongside Of me. ct the same
time taking him firmly by the hand.
The fire had come much alower than
we. and believe we must have been
at least two miles ahead Of 1t. al
though there was no telling. for I
could see nothing behind or far be-
fore me but smoke curling like .
mis-: In and out Of the trees. Be-
hind us, indeed, II was heavier, and
looked n sullen dirty white. liH
We could not have been six feet
from my husband when my mother
broke away from him. and with a
loud cry darted off into the woods,
and then I knew that what I had
dreaded had indeed come to pass,
and that excitement and danger had
brought back an old sickness upon
her. She was q maniac. Mr..
Mechand darted after her, and in the
terror Of the moment forgot all else
and followed him, leaving poor little
Louis behind. I. must have been
crazy to do so, but on / rushed, and
soon saw that mother was cunning
enough to attempt to escape by doub.
ling on her tracks, for ! saw her
dress dart past the bushes at my side
as she ran diagonally away from me-
I sprang after her. and after running
for about Ave minutes, found TO my
horror that had not only lost her,
but Louis and his father. Madly
tried to retrace my steps. but there
was nothing to guide NO path,
NO blazes on the trees. The wind
shook the trees and almost bent
them double; the sultry air filed
with smoke, and all the horrors of
my terrible condition made me fran
tic. ] rushed about helplessly, cry
ing and screaming. Louis Louis
Fathes!" But that last word made |
me calm for m instant. and I felt
that Was not alone--pot utterly lost
In the burning woods, for the spirit
Of my dead father was near aud there
were guardian angels. / knsit down,
took my crucifix from my neck. and
prayed. In kneeling down found
10 my great JOY that my dress was
wet. i had knelt near a spring. r
bathed my face and hands, and
soaked my hair and the upper part
Of my dress 4 sButthen my boy--my
little LouisI spring to my feet, and,
calling on the Virgin to direct me,
dashed on in the edfrection OF the fre.
I had not gone more than q quarter
Of q mile when found my darling,
with head erect, and fiashs
Ing eyes filled with angry tears, try
ing to beat away some wolves. which,
though they were, seemed
bent only on flight cried "Louis,
Louisi c'est mhi, to mere t' and |
clsspsd him TO my heart. 1t was my |
boy. and he was ssved. He had not |
seen his father. though once he heard |
> mans voice caiiing. but the voice
seemed 10 have come from an Inn
mense distances. 20. Louis.s said I, |
I'VE are lost unless we find him. -
We must run for our lives.n The
boy began to cry. and then was
ashamed Of what I had said, and
tried to cheer him up. The fire
must have been very near us then,
tor could not only feel lie heated |
breath, but abovS myshead, smopg |
the tree-tops. sparks and firebrands |
were whirling In the air. I took |
Louis In my sfms, determlned that |
never again should he DO sepxrated |
from me. and pressed onward with |
some vague idea that I should soon |
reath Wolf River.
Night WAS coming ON. and since |
noon we had had nothing to eat. I |
iid not feel hungry. but was tor.
with thoughts Of what might |
happen II We should not soon reach |
! place Of safsty. for I feared that
Louis would give out, and that was
,ns Of the rsasnns which made me |
sarry him. Ny arms ached, and my
limbs we're scratched, bruised, and |
Still made good head
way, and SOON came to natural |
clearing. on the thither side Of which
We sst down TO rest. BY this time
night had come on. and what 3
night No moon. no stars, but the
cloudy heavens lighted up afar with
The horrible fires Of the burning |
woods. The clearing In which we |
Sat was the dried up bed Of stream |
which for some unaccountable reason |
had not thickly wooded shores, and |
we were ct least two hundred feet
from the forest la flame. All this
time, Louis, manly little fellow that |
he was, had not even asked for food. |
nor had he cried aimee !. myself fool. |
lshly frightsnsd him.
We sat there : long time while I |
was trying to think vhsxs We were,