Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-03-18


Chatting upon the various little items
of gossip which we had heard we drove
on until we had nearly reached the top
OF the hill, when, turning to make some
remark to my husband, l saw change
come over his face, which struck me
with a sudden terror. He was as pale as
corpse.
"Look!' he said, with voice hoarse
with emotion pointing in the direction
of our home.
My heart gave sudden bound, then
fell like lump of lead in my bosom. A
cloud of thick, dense smoke, distinctly
defined against the clear sky beyond,
rose above the tree-tops. l tried to
speak, but could not utter word.
At last | said, steadying my voice:
81 think it must be the Morrisons
Isn't it to the left of our house?"
"No," he said quickly, as he seized the
whip and urged old Whitley to his utmost
speed. "Don't you remember that when
we are at the top of the hill the smoke
from our chimney rises just over the cen
ter of that little group of cedars?"
Alas! | did remember; and as he
spoke we reached the summit and saw
enough to change our fears to certainty
Neither spoke, but each turned and
looked at the other with quivering lips
and d1ating eyes.
"My heavens! and I have locked them
I'M"
| was fairly beside myself with terror.
/ felt as if | must leap from the vehicle
and fly to their rescue. Old Whitley
seemed to understand that life or death
depended on his efforts, and he exerted
himself nobly.
On we flew, down the hill, dashing
through the little stony brook that
crossed the road over the tumbled-down
bridge, whose rotten boards ratified and
started up from their places, past the
hedgerows, that looked like one continu-
Gus mass of flying green; past little cot
tages with the children staring from the
doors; thinking of nothing, caring for
nothing but to rescue our darlings. |
buried my face in my hands, and rocked
to and fro in my seat, almost bereft of
reason, as | thought of the scene that
might be awaiting US Imagination con-
iured up all the dreadful tales had
heard or read to add to my horror
Once only raised my head, and saw, or
fanCied | saw, slender tongues of fame
Cleaving the mass Of smoke, which had
by this time increased fearfully in vol
ume and density.
At last, after what seemed an age, but
was in reality only a few minutes, we
reached the bottom of the lane which
led to our cottage. The angle was a
sharp one, and we turned with such a
speed as to send the hind wheel of the
old phaeton high in the air.
How / got out [ never knew. [ am
sure did not wait for the horse to be
stopped. Rushing to the door l threw
myself against it with such force as to
break it in. The room was full of smoke,
but as the opened door dissipated it a
little / saw that it was empty! Then,
suffocated with the smoke and overpow-
cred by excitement, l fell fainting to the
floor.
When consciousness returned found
| myself in the house of neighbor, with
the children all about me, pretty we'll
| frightened, of course, but entirely I'M
| hurt.
How the fire originated is a mystery
which we could never unravel. Grace,
sitting with her back to the stove, and
| with her attention entirely absorbed by
the pictures in the family Bible, did not
see it until Rover, the Newfoundland
dog, who had been quietly doing by her
side, attracted her notice by his evident
uneasiness, after which he sprang through
the window, fortunately taking the whole
sash bodily with him, and running at full
speed to the nearest house soon returned
with some of it's inmates.
Grace, in the meantime, bravely letting
down the two elder children through the
window, which was only about four feet
from the ground, took the baby from the
cradle and was about to follow, when
the neighbors arrived. The house being
of the most combustible materials, not
withstanding all efforts, soon became a
blackened, smoking ruin.
Rover and Whitley lived to a good old
age and were ever afterward held in af-
fectionate remembrance for their services
on that occasion.
One evening, about year afterward,
| as we sat in our new house, built on the
site of the old one, but more commo-
| dious and comfortable in every respect,
| remarked that the fire had bene
| flied us in at least one way, for I'M
less the old house had been actually con-
sumed we should never have had the new
one"
81 have felt the benefit of it in another
way" said my husband, gravely; cit
has taught me never to put off doing any
thing which should be done at once un-
til a more convenient season If the
harness had given way on that day,