Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1872-12-31
was il Chancei

by very beautiful daughter, who
working in flax mill in the neigh
borhood, toiled hard, and contented
herself with plain dress and simp c
fare, that she might help her moth
er. Before leaving the cottage for
her work she was in the habit of
heaping up the refuse of the mill
in the CRATE and lIindling it. She
placed her helpless mother in n
chair right before the fire. and as
the fuel burned slowly away the
old woman was kept comfortable
till her return.
II happened one day that | left
my manse, and skirting the walls of
the old church yard, and passing
the corn mill, with its busy sound
and flashing wheel, took my way
down the winding dell to the cot
tagc of the old woman, which stood
in its garden emhowcred among
trees. But having met par shon-
er with whom ] had some subject
of interest TO talk about, called
halt, and sitting down on a bank of
thyme, we entered into conversa-
ton. Ere the subject was half cx-
haustcd the widow arose to my re-
collection. ! felt, somehow, that ]
must cut it short, and hasten away
on my visit. But the idea was dis
missed and the conversation went
on. However, it occurred again
and again, till, with u feeling that |
had been ncglccting a call of duty,
as by an uncomfortable impulse, l
arose to my feet, and made haste to
the cottage. Opening the door, n
sight met my eye that for moment
nailed me to the spot.
The erection Of mill refuse which
had lecn built from the hearth
some feet mp the open, wide CHM
ncy. hlvinr its foundations catsl
away, had fallen, and precipitating
itself forward, surrounded the help
less pal'alytic with wall OF fire
The accident took place some min
utcs before ! entered. She had
cried ont, hat no ear was near, nor
hand to help. Catch g the loose
refuse about her, on and ON, nearer
aud nearer the flames crept. 1t
was terrible sight for the two
Wigtown wOmcn--martyrs, stakcd
far out on the sands Of s'olway Firth,
to mark The sen foam crawl nearer
AMI nearer them; it was more tcr-
lihlc still for this lone woman, j,
her lone cottage, without any great
cause to die for, to sit there and IT,
tie fre creeping closer, drawing
nearer and Eeare: 20 her feet. by
the time | had entered it had al
most rcacl,d her, where sic >at
motioulcss, speeches, and pale as
death, looking down on the fire Il.
il was about to seize her clOthc,
and burn her 20 cinder. Ere i
caught, l had time, and no more, It
make one bound from the door t
the hearthstone, and scizing her
chair and all, i'll my arms, to plucl
her from the jaws of cruel, fer.
death.
BY what law Of nature, when
fingered on the road, was ! moved
without the rcmotest idea of he
LANCER, to cut short, against all III.
inclinations, the interesting CONVEX
sation, and hurry on to the hous
which l reached just in the nick O
time; one or two minutes later, tn
flames had caught her clothes an
had found her in a blaze Of fire
Be it mine to live and die in the be
lief of present and presiding, o
we'll as IA personal God; in the faitI
which inspired my aged friend t
lanl Him for her wonderful deliv
~, and the boy t. exp in h
aim courage on the roaring decl
"a these simple bat grand words
My fathers at the helm"