The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-03-05


but none seemed IN clined to earn
money /, q exactly this manner.
Two hundred ! cried the profes.
sor.
Three! roared the deacon. It's q
. little heather, an it runs q double
risk.
Taint no use tryin', remarked Sew.
~enteener, ex.member Of an eastern
fire-department. No TELLER cud live
in that there Ere more'n halt q mint.
He'd hev to breath, an then't would
be all up with him.
That you a,yellin' i've yer loss,
Jim? pleasantly asked Joe Backssy,
edging into the crowd, aud patting
the unfortunate bar.keeper on the
back.
US lnjin Mary: her bahy's in the
loft. Os1,osds Nm if5ts' 70 Cue poor
devil! said Jim, a. Mary uttered an.
other cry.
Joe picked up q bucket of water,
and poured it over himself, and an
instant later dished into the flames,
and up the blazing ladder which led
to the loft. Not . mar spoke; it
seemed that no one breath.d for q
moment. The deacon closed his
eyes; and his lips were seen to move
rapidly; and many men, though
unused to such exercise, followed the
deacon's example.
Suddenly a mighty roar broke from
the crowd as Joe Backsey, hatless,
hairless, beardless, and almost black,
emerged from the blazing building
with q dirty bundle in his arms. He
had nearly crossed the street, when
suddenly he stopped, screamed, Catch
it! threw the child, and dropped face
downwards, on the ground.
The deacon was by his side in a
instant, shouting for water and oil,
q. he tenderly turned the insensible
form over.
No 60, said Seventeener, giving
Joe's face q critical glance. He's
breathed the fire: I know it by his
lips and nm nose: he won't EVE
breathe nothin' else.
Joe, Joe! cried the deacon, while
big tears fell from his rugged face
God hev mercy on yer souli
From beneath the cruelly.siuged
eyebrowf opeuta,sare Inea .o,aya.ne,
but suddenly he gasped, shivered ;
aud then the deacon knew by the
way Joe's head hung over tho kind
Did arm that supported it, that his
partner had drawn his last dividend.
For some moments the crowd
'tood in respectful silence; then Jim
Slipsun invited tho crowd to open
lis few remaining bottles, and drink
leep to Joe's good luck in the next
A stretcher was then i'm
,rovised and Joe was carried to the
,fics Of the Quickledge Company 49,
There was no formal lying in.state
here was not a single flower placed
IN the rude c~atafalque: but mon OF
III degrees crowed to see what re.
of the hero; and many Of
hem when they went away showed
he first indications Of srul that had
,ver been seen in their faces.
The three partners sat do wn to
and gazed sadly st the empty
,hair. The major finally broke the
A Christian could MT have died
more nobly, said he.
Christian! exclaimed the deacon,
The publioans and harlots shall 60
INTO the kindom fore ~you-an'Ine -
only offered our money while he
gave his life.
Blessed DO the promises, said the
professor.
Give, and it shall DO given unto
you. Joe gave bis lite: . we be-
lieve he will get anything less in re-
Fl burnt off'rin'sIl make al atone.
nent nowadays, said the deacon, he's
done his best an nobody could do
more.
The deacon took upon himself the
m%ournful duty and pleasure OF max.
ing . headboard for his deceased part.
ucr, and Of painting thereon . suita.
BILE INSCRIPTION. For hours did the
deacon rack bis brain for . passage OF
Scripture which would be appropri.
ate ; and finally painted on tho head,
board the verse;
Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his
friends.
But while it was drying, and the
deacon was absent for a few moments,
some heterodox person strolled in,
read the inscription, and, seszine the
naint brush. wrote