Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-08-01

with a family of small children, settled
in this county something more thar
year ago. They were poor and afteI
many hardships erected small dwelling
and cleared few acres Of land, bu
they were in the wilderness ten miles
from neighbors. A few weeks ago the
father and mother left their family, con
sisting of a girl aged twelve years, one
aged nine years, and two other children
aged respectively three years and thir'
teen months, on trip to the settlement
to get COW and bring in some potatoes
to plant. After the parents had been
gone few hours the house took fire, and
the oldest girl Immediately rushed to
the roof with water, but not being able
to remove the shingles she could do moth
ing to stay the flames, which gained rap
idly, spreading on the inside of the roof,
until, bursting through, they drove her
from her work. She then turned her at
tention to saving her brothers and sis
tiers. Coming to the door of the build
ing, she found that the child next to her
own age had got out of the house, bring
ing the baby with her, but the little
three-year-old had crouched under a
shaving-horse in the further corner OF
the room. There being no chamber
floor, the fire was dropping from the
burning roof between the child and the
door, and when asked to come out it re-
fused to do so saying 81 am safe here,
the fire don't drop here" The brave
girl hesitated only moment, but rush
ing through the falling embers brought
the little one to safe place, both hav-
ing their clothes somewhat burnt. But
now comes the hardest part of the task
before her. Scantily clothed and with
no food, she took the babe in her arms
and with the other children started up.
on the trail for the settlement. After
going few miles she encountered rap
i'd stream, swollen by the spring rains
SO that in fording it the water came up
to her armpits. She carried first the
babe across, and then the three-year-old
and lastly half lead and half carried
her next younger sister through the wa
ter to the other bank. Three times du.
ring the remainder of the day she strug.
gled across the swollen streams in her
way until night set in, the deep forest
surrounding her. Cold, wet and hungry,
she sought place to camp, and by good
fortune found an old camp, left by the
Indians, upon which about one-half Of
the roof still remained. Under this she
placed her little flock and then collected
pine boughs and made rude bed. Plac
ing the little one in the middle, the he
roic girl stripped off her dress and spread
1t over the children, then covered them
with boughs to keep them from the chill
ly night air, and sat down beside then
to watch them through that long colo
night, comforting the little one when i
cried, and speaking words of cheer tc
the older one. The long, dreary hours
of night dragged slowly by, and at thu
first peep of day she resumed her toll
come march and had nearly reached Thu
first settler when she met her parent
returning. An older and wiser heat
might have found an easier way out 0
the dilemma, but we feel certain that N
one could have acted drawer or have en-
dured more than the little daughter c
Thomas Velfe.-- Wis. River Pilot.