The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-09-26

!
. litc couldn't be saved Boo shame 10 us
. il VIC could sell Il. aud sec Il hael,ed Il
e pieces before our eyes. Nou lhjuk 80
. tool
| do; do, said Tiffany.
knew IT, she answered. with a sudden
glad look. Coming, father! aud she
sped away. Poor Delphy!
Must / add that bali an hour later
when the young men were on their way
to the forest Thany was rather glad
that they had len the Old inn behind
themf aud that, as nelphy ran 10 aud
fro, waiting on tired, hungry travellers
travellers all day, she asked herself Will
they ever come AGAIN. must add. that
when our travellers had walked mile,
perhaps, Tiffany slipped the carnciau
seal-ring, which he wore, from his hand
into his pocket, thinking OF Delpby's uu.
ringed fingers, which labor had done It's
best 10 unshape. Can you believe that,
young gentlemen2
Philip cane homo that day, and report
ad that fires were raging ia the woods
to the north aud cast; aud that, 10 conse-
quence of the long drought, everything
was being licked up by the flames. The
wind changing that night confirmed the
intelligence; the sky was heavily over
cast, and the air became an exasperating
/ burden.
II was southwest that Mr.. Tiffany and
Mr.. Lewis had turned their steps, Delphy
reminded herself, aud her thoughts found
| il more pleasant to follow them through
the woods than to penetrate tue region Of
fire and smoke. There were noighbors,
1t was true, who, If the fire kept ON,
might suffer from its rayages some
what--but, what, if the time lad come
when the heart Of the girl was to ascend
to high place among the mountains aud
was not to be hinderedy 1t was certain.
ly by no act OF her own will that she
assembled, aud by no action Of her own
win, probably could she have hindcred
herself from ascending.
The wind continuing to blow in the
same direction hour after hour, by noon
the next day the neighbors began to as
semble at the tavern their rallying place
in unusual emergencies, and by afternoon
| IL was thought advisable to send out men
to ascertain the advance the fire was
making. All the next day the sound OF
axes might have been heard in the woods
near by until wide space had been clear
cd. This road, it was thought, the fire
would not easily pass. And had not the
flames SO exalted themselves, the protec-
ton would have suiliced, but the air was
filled with brands tossed from the burn
ing; and the waving top-most boughs
caught the red tokens, as in the froic OF
madness, till the woodmnn leaned on
their axes, exhausted aud despairing;
and some Of them besought the Inyisi-
bic powers that the elements might no
longer be permitted to battle them.
Little suspicion had he Of the fact, but
the inn-kceper's day had come. From
lettering about and directing others after
his usual fashion, he found himself, al
most for the first time in his life, work
ing with frantic energy. During long
life, he had proved that very few things
in the way Of labor ever 'paidn but now
he was ready to risk life for his house
and home.
Three days of hard work and harder
drinking opened the door to death, and
though he had the tislaction of lying
down under what was left of his roof,
and of breathing his last on his own bed,
still if the choice Of life or Of property
had been offered him in that exgenee,
Bishop would have chosen to hear his
neighbors in the bar-room below discuss
his chances.
A month had scarcely elapsed since the
young timber-buyers came TO the house,
when he lay in the wing of the tavern
the only portion saved from the fire
and he was dying. II was said by true
prophets that he would not live the
night through.
Delphy was with her father and Phil.
his only son, and unquestionablc repre-
sentative, and the heart of the old man
soltened, looking on these two who had
borne the burden Of a dreary day.
The wind was blowing now from the
southwest, and the air, relieved Of It's
suflocating load, was sweet aud fresh
and balmy again. The little birds might
sing and relieve the awful stiffness.
Delphy sat beside her father, unmind-
ful now though many should come or go,
Such fare as the transient passenger
might need was prepared by Martha.
Never again would the ear Of the travel /
er hear the inn-kcepers loud, proud call
for Delphy; or behold the quick respon-
ding vision Of girl who seemed more
likely to have dropped from the skies,
than come up into being from that tay.
ern Of Bishops.
Yet there did come, az the twilight
deepcned, what proved TO be an author.
itatiye call for Dclphy. Since sunset
traveller had been making bis way to-
ward the ian which he had seen afar off
for it was now as city set on a BIN
in the midst Of desolation and on biz
face bad been deepening au expression
Of determination that said much more
than that be was hungry man hasting
toward refreshmeut aud shelter for Tie
night .......
lie had not walked on 10 this steady,
resolute manner from the moment when