The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1875-01-07

hhA AAE safety NAiNt Nah Atf it&Nt+ rN
that 81 I could DO was 10 be thankful foF
the accident happening at dinner lime,
and also for my own sonderful eseape.
Aud then, though / wasn't hurt, some
thing seemed TO come over me ike g
hash, and struck me to the ground in an
Z instant.
When came 70, felt horribly sick
aud deaihly ike, and looked about
+ from face TO face, wondering what was
. the matter; for | couldn't make Il out
Why should be lying on my back, with
( people round me 10 the yard--oue hold
7 ing up my head, another sprinkling my
I face with waterp
{ Then il all came back at once9 aud
/ shuddered as turned my head aud look
ed at the ruined works; for knew what
/ il was struck me down to the earth. /
said before II was like fash, and II was
lit was one quick thought which came
across my brain, for knew that, being
/ dining time, my golden-haired gal would
have brought my 'lowance tied hp IN fl
basin; and something told me that she
bad gone iuto the stoke-hole 10 find me
when bad gone into the yard.
/ Let me go up, says; and ran to-
ward the ruins, and began tearing away
at the leap of brick rubbish, while the
crowd now gathered together, hearing
/ that there was some one underneath
began tearing away at the rubbish like
/ fury.
I BY and by the police came, and some
gentlemen, aud something like order was
got at, and people worked well TO get
down to where the stoke.hole had been,
! bad said that there was some one there,
bat couldn't shape my mouth to say
who 1t was; and some said il was one
aud some said it was another; but who
ever they named seemed TO come directly
back from his dinner, or because he had
heard the explosion. So, by and by,
( people began to look from one 10 another
aud ask who 1t was.
Ask'Wilum, says some one, he was
here at the time; aud some. one asked
me. But had no occasion to speak, for
just then, alarmed at the child not going
back as usual, the little gals mother came
shrieking out, aud crying:
/ Where's little Patty? where's little
Patty2 and then, when no one spoke,
she gave a sort of pitful moan, aud sank
slowly down-frst on her knees, and
then sideways, on 10 a heap Of bricks !;
and remember thinking it was best for
| could not find it in my heart to 90 to
her help, but kept on tearing away at the
hot bricks and rubbish.
II was puzzling and worriling; for
one could not seem to be sure OF where
anything had once stood, in the horrible
confusion before us. One said the stoke
hole had been here, and another there
but even !, who had worked there two
years, could not be sure amidst the con-
fusion.
Hour after hour went by, and still we
worked on; while, as every big rafter or
beam was lifted and dragged away,
was obliged to turn my head, for felt
sick, and the place seemed to swim; for
| expected to see Patty's little bright
curls torn out and hanging to the jagged
wood, and that underneath there would
be some thing horrible and crushed.
know it wasn't manly; but wnat can
| say, when there was a little, bright,
blue-eyed child in the case-one of those
little things whose look will make your
great rough hand fall to your side when
raised in anger, while the tiny thing can
lead you about and do what she likes
with you; Perhaps amt manly; but
somehow, children always seems to gel
the upper hand of me.
Aud so on we worked, hour after hour
men getting tired aud dropping off, but
always plenty leady to take their places
while IL never thought of it, but kept
on tearing away lill my hands blcd, aud
the sweat rolled down my face; but |
turned away every time there was some.
thing large lifted, for said to myself
She must be under that! Aud then again
aud again, in my mind, seemed TO sec
the torn aud crushed face of my darling
aud her long curs dabbed in blood
10 1t 7F a l..
ruins bricks, mortar, tiles, lead, and
ragged aud toru beams, huge pieces Of
wood snapped aud torn like matches
we toiIed on, hour after hour, tin the
dark night came, when the gas-pipei
that had been laid bare aud plugged
were unstopped. aud the gas lit, so that
it fared aud bazed and east strange
wild light over the ruined place. There
bad been flames burst forth two or three
times from parts OF the ruins, but a few
sprinklings from the fre-engine in at.
tendance had put them out; and, as wC
worked on, the rubbish grew cooler and
cooler.
some said that The child could not have
been there, but the sight Of her mother
tearing ont was sufficient, when once sht
got away from the people, who had hcl
in their bouse-s house where but par
Of the windows had been broken by th,
eIpIosi0n-aud came running 20 where
was at work, suaiching at the bricks ang
wood tin got two or three to take he
back, for I couldn't have lefl the spot
where / was 10 have saved my life Bn
. remember, 50 we'll, asking myself wb,
it was women will let down their bacI
hair when they're in q state Of exeiIemen
and make 'emselyes iook 30 Wild