, 1873-06-01

| lEIL LQe IOU1u- AT Tug uOQf HNe turned bREk.
"The Lord ha mercy On us ALL" ahe aaid
so1emnly, and was gone.
~ shouldn't wonder,'' said Aunt Hannah, in
a low voice, "n Grace Was going to die"
sat up 1ate that night reading, while Aunt
Hannah slept. The house was very still, as
houses in the country are. T heard Uncle Dash
lock up the house-lle always carried the key to
his study. Twelve o'clock struck; Aunt Hannah
still slept. fell into doze by the side Of the
bed. How long had been asleep cannot tell
II had to shake you, dear" said Aunt Han.
nah; .tthere's trouble-I heard frightful
scream: What shall We do 2"..
1sprang up; the cry was repeated; it was the
My dear, there's an unusual light; it's not
| the -1oon-its dre!" screamed Aunt Han
nah, sitting bolt upright. "The Lord have
| mercy on US! and We so far from the town.
s.ia;ae ! aew i9to the ball; The atmosphere ' wss
| dressed, her eyes wild aud glittering.
"lts on the study y-hoor!" she .gasped,. 'a1l
that wing is on fire; it has just broken out IN my
room. Don't for the love Of Heaven open the
| mo stupid. Il hadn't heard Grace! Q
Anne, poor old Grace!" ehe sobbed. "What
shall We do7 how shall wo get your
aunt out7 and where is your uncle? o
and VIC have not heard him yet. Surely il be
had escaped he would have warned us. Hark
hear the flames roar! God help us! Quick.
Anne, We must take your aunt down before the
fire gets through. 0 my God ! what night ;"
We hurried into my aunt's room nearly fran
tic, Blanche shouting 50 Fire all the way
It seemed to mo as il they must hear it at the
town when her voice sounded loud and ahriu
from the open window. We helped poor, be-
following us, undid the fastanings Of the par
1or-windows, and we're soon outside:
dear old house goi" cried Blanche, white
With terror. 'Ana poor old Grace burned to
death, and your uncle she caught her
breath.
I few round to the wing where the study was,
half delirious with apprehension. The awful,
horrible sight! The whole interior Of that part
OF the house WAS mass of whirling red flame:
have gone for help, leaying US in danger. was
almost paralyzed with dread-it had all come 40
suddenly. Aunt Hannah ciuug to me half faint
ing, moaning her brothers. name.
At that moment the clang OF the church,
bell gInote, upon the night. ,
s'They know it now" cried Blanche. "Too
late! too late Hear the fire roar! Oh, what
pitiless demons the flames arc and sec how the
sparks and brands are falling! Garry your aunt
to the field yondor; poor soul. all Is lost!"
Aunt Hannah at these words seemed suddenly
to lose what little strength abe had between ua,
Blanche and bore her out Of danger and laid
her upon the ground.
whose great fearless eyes we're strained and
bloodehot. "See. how the people are coming
How it lights their faces up!" she added, shud-
dering. "They can't save anything-the whole
house is in fames-see them work. can't ne DO
something, Anne? I shall go mad il don't.
Oh Anne where is he?"
"Don't, Blanche" said, ahuddering, and h1d
my face; ,,4 ~, .or .h,+ =. ;.
noble creature God ever made. Oh Anne, Anne,
only God knows how loved him!" and, with
CIV that embodied ali the bitter agony OF her
soul, ahe fell into my arms sobbing and NOAH
ing.
that sent shuador and thrill through every vein
OF my heart. turned; there stood the rector,
and Aunt Hannah was sobbing like child.
"Blanche, he is he1e!" I cried, joytully
"1ook up. dear, he is sayedi" but she did not
her in his arms, and he held her close to his
heart, his 1ashes wet, his lips quivering Is from
the fnlnesa Of his heart, he gave thanks to GOD,
and he told me-, holding her still till more help
somewhere near the hour Of midnight, and gone
over to the churct-study to look for
some missing papers how, after long
search, he had found them, and
then tie w},im took him to write, and he wrote
till the clock in the tower struck and then he
left the church for home, and when he had gone
| few steps he saw the fire, and thought it WAS
| in the direction of the parsonage; that he ran
back long enough to give the fre-alarm and then
! hurried home.
| "Did you hear what Blanche said ?" whis-
pered. had no need to ask; his face was .
revelation. learned then that he had loved
her always-had struggled in vain to overcome
the love which, to him, seemed almost sin, be-
cause, apparently. she was go different from his
| ideal-so valn and worldly, so far away in heart
| and mind Oh, how little he had known OF the
| Sweetness, strength, and purity OF the merry and
| ttue-hearted girl!
Amt Hannah was carried to Daisy Lclge !;
Blance recovered sufficiently to walk there, lean
ing upon the arm OF Uncle Dash. -:
Thare's another parsonage now, and Aunt
Hannah, who ia an Invalid still, stays at Daisy
Lodge with me. She ia very fond Of Blanche,
and tells everybody, who will listen, that her
brother has found a prize in his wife. But
who would ever have thought" she adds, f" that
girl so full Of mischief would make such an
excellent woman 7"-Appleton's Journal.