The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-08-20

90 all tnat maj could Go 10 make her
life happy
If | had said any thing it would have
been highly uncomplimentary to Maria,
: so | kept silent.
81 am afraid YOU We're hard on Ma
ria, to-day, Ed: her father says You
were. You ought not to blame her.
She has tried to be contented, and is
not to blame because She cannot change
her nature. want You to look after
her, Ed
81 WON'T" broke in savagely; 81
will not have any thing to do with this
unhappy affair"
81 am sorry you feel that way, Ed.
I wanted to have You feel differently.
Come home with me Maria has gone
to her father's.'
| went home with him, and could
hardly keep my eyes dry at the picture
of desolation that reigned there. Twas
glad to get away in the morning, and
began to plan how his life might be
frightened. | was unable to do any
thing for him. He and the boy We're
comfortable as they We're. he said, and
he could not change.
In a few days Il formal separation wa
drawn up between himself and his wife,
and he settled upon her 4 sum that was
much too liberal, | thought, but he
would not listen I o my advice. When
this was done he took up his dreary life;
dreary but for his little boy. 1t was
our custom to take q stroll down the
main street of the city, when the boy
was sent to bed, and we started out one
night at q slow pace as was usual with
us; but before We had gone many
squares, we began to hurry with others
towards q bright light that was ahead
of Us. A handsome mansion was on
fire. The owner had filled his house
with invited guests, and the orders of
the dancing-maSter had been rudclv in
terrupted by the servants cries that the
house was on fire.
High breeding is not much different
from no breeding when life is in dan
ger. The upper-tcn inthe p~arlorS We're
not less scliishly anxious for number
one, than We're the s~cryant> in kitchens
and halls. The fire had broken out in
the lower rooms, and the stairways We're
first to be chokcd with flames. From
the second story the people were re-
leased by ladders until the fire had be-
come master there. \ few people We're
still in the upper rooms when we reach
ed the scene, and a long ladder
was raised to them. One
after another they were helped
down until there were but two
to come, and just as they were prepar-
ing to step on the ladder it was licked
by the flames, and in Il breath was burn
ed in two.
\ great shout Went up from the
throng, and we looked for some II to
90 to the women's assistance, with the
expectancy that some one i'll the crowd
would surely be equal to the occasion.
just then Il man came near Is who
seemed to know the omen caught
the names, and hoped Tom did not;
but he had. He turned to me-: My
God, Ed! it's Maria"
Before | could say 4 word, he had
thrown his coat into my arms and was
lost in the crowd. | heard Il cheer, and
saw him climbing up the water->pout 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 on; dashed
into the smoke and flames; r~eappcared
at another window; disappeared in the
smoke again, and then vas seen with
the women, How the crowd cheered,
Bat | could not chccr-I could only
pray. The fire vas Very near them.
Tom lowered Il small string he had ear
ricd up with him, and with it raised a
strong rope. They had to climb to an
other part of the house, and then | saw
Maria being lowered. She was landed
safely and the rope went back again.
The two up in the flames had to crawl
up on the roof, and Tom arranged the
rope around the chimney, and then the
other woman was landed in safety. L
saw that much though I was some dis
lance from the fire. | had taken charge
of Maria for Toms sake. She was in a
deathly faint, and l was helping the
physician to bring her out of it as We
J.o-o hon. IN hor fatbor'C