The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-09-29

ct5tIeS Hau dungeons DcleatH tAtAi
His wife was to be an angel, gl0ri-
fed into womanhood! She was q
woman, pulled down by petty, sci
fish faneies, and a creature Of common
clay
| would have given all that had
rather than see his life thus broken
but could Go nothing He came ID
me that night, and saw that he
knew the worst But men Go uOteui
their faces and pour ashes on theiI
heads, because their hearts ara burst
ing. They do not mourn through
highways and byways, calling attea-
tion to their wretchedness. They
merely live and suffer He helped
himself to e cigar, lit it, and then SAT
down il his customary manner Af-
ter few puifs at the cigar, be said:
Maria was here to-day, chr
''Yes."
Surprise your"
Yes"
I'm to have the bOy, you knowg"
"Yes.'
TITS pretty hard on Maria
7 | did not answer.
Il am afraid she viii be very uo-
happy without the boy
II was like him 10 feel sorry for
her, and it never entered his head
that she should dislike her own
child.
Il feel Ike an old man, Ed, since
her father told me. I know / must
have been to blame, and vet l tried
to DO all that man could doto make
her life happy
III had said anything It would
ha been highly unconlplimentlry
to Maria, so | kept silent
Il am afraid you were hard on Ma
ria, to-day, Ed; her father says you
were. You ought not to blame her.
She has tried to be contented, ard is
not to blame because she cannot
change her nature. l want you 10
look after her, Ed
Il WON'T" l broke in savagelg; Il
Eil not have anything TO DO WIKI
this unhappy affair"
Il an sorry YOU feel that way, Ed.
| wanted to have you feel differently.
Come home with me; Maria has gone
to her fathers"
l went home with him, and could
hardly keep ny eyes dry at the pic
ture Of desolation that reigned there.
[ was glad TO get away in the morn
ing, aud began to plan how his life
might be frightened. I wes unable
to DO anything for him lie and the
boy were comfortable as they were,
be said, and he could not change.
In few days formal separation
was drawn up between himself aud
his wife, and be settled upon her 3
sum that was much too liberal, /
thought, but be would not listea 10
my advice. When this was done be
took up his dreary life; dreary but
for his little boy. II was cur custom
to take a stroll down the main street
Of the city, when the boy was sent 70
bed, and we started out ct nigh. at
slow pace as was usual with Us: but
before we had gone many squares,
We began to hurry with others
towards a bright light that was
ahead Of rs. A handsome mansion
was on fire. The owner bad filed
bis house with invited guests, and
the orders of the danci1g-master had
been rudeIy interrupted by the ser
wants cries that the house was on
ire.
High breeding is not much differ
snt from no breeding when life is in
danger. The upper-;en in the parlors
we're not less selfshly anxious for
number one, than were the servants
10 kitchens and halls. The fire had
broken out in the lower rooms, and
the stairways were first to be cboked
with flames. From the second story
the people were released by ladders
until the fire had become master
there. \ few people We're still in
the upper rooms when We reached
the scene, and a long ladder was
raised to them One after another
they were helped down until there
we're but two to come, and just as
they were preparingto step on the
ladder it was licked By the flames,
and in breath was burning in two.
4 great shout went up from the
ihrong, and We looked for some one
to 90 to the woman's assistance, with
the expectancy that some one in the
crowd would surely be equal TO the
occasion. Just then q man came
near Us who seemed to know the
women. | caught the names, and
hoped Tom did not; but be had
He turned to NE: Ny God, Ed! it's
Mariain
Before l could say a word, he had
thrown his coat into my arms and
was lost in the crowd. | heard a
cheer, and saw him climbing up the
waterspout at the corner to leeward
Of the FIRE. God. how | watched him.
How | prayed for him! Up, up, up
he went; reached the floor the women
were Oh; dashed into the smoke and
flames; reappeared atanother Window;
disappeared in the smoke again, and
then. was seen with the womsni
How the crowd cheered! But | could /
not eheer-I could only pray. The
ire was very near them. Tom low
cred q small string he had carried .
with him, and with it raised a strong
rope. They had to climb to another
part of the house, and then | saw /
Maria being lowered. She was Ian
ded safely and the rope went back
again. The two up in the flames had
to crawl up on the roof, and Tom ar /
ranged the rope around the chimney, !
and then the other woman was land !
ed in safety. | saw that much !
though | was some distance from the
FIRE. / had taken charge of Maria
for Toms sake. She was in a deadly
faint, and [ was helping the physi-
elan to bring her out Of as we
drove her to her fathers
II was late in the night before her
father would permit me to go to my
room. and be was after me at al
early in the morning | bought a |
paper as We rode along, aud my heart