The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-06-01
bounded across the glowing assure and
snatched up the child in my arms.
fign for the Arst time she began to cry

bounded across the blowing assure and
snatched up the child in my arms.
TN, Il'sn for the sfst time she began to cry
ooh, mamma, mamma, help me!'
Hastily did my best to sooth her, and
the sound of the familiar English words
and voice, and my assurance that l had
come to take her to her mother, quoted
her; but as turned to retrace my steps q
| dense cloud of suffocating smoke arose,
cutting off all view at the. plateau, and
when Ii dispersed:1 found the chasih bad
widened to an extent such as precluded all
hope of striding or leaping across it, while
another roar, and shower of hot ashes
mixed with blocks Of pumice stone,
warned me that to linger was as perilous
as to fly. Only one mode Of escape
seemed practicable, and accordingly l
skirted the chasm, making for a spot
some 800 yards away, where rock ap-'
peared to form natural bridge over the
red-hot assure. Wrapping my shaggy
sailors jacket around the child TO screen
her as tar as possible from the hot ashes
that tell at intervals, pushed resolutely
on.
I shall never, to my dying day, forget
what underwent in the passage of those
three hundred yards. Gasping and half
sutfocated by the pestilential vapors,
blinded by the smoke, aud with eyes
scared by the glare, and feet scorched by
the almost intolcrable heat of the earth,
staggered on with my burden in my arms.
Twice the thin crust that heaved beneath
me seemed to be breaking under our
weight, and gave myself up for lost; but
at length, dizzy and breathless, l reached
the rock, and saw beyond it broad space
cleared by woodcutters, probably, for
protruded from the soil. As did so,
with crash the rock fell in, and the
flames leaped up like splashing water;
but managed to plant one foot upon
corner of the great stone, and, with q
desperate bound, cleared the chasm, with
the child in my arms, and fell exhausted
on the turf beyond. :
1t was late at night when, spent and
worn, I descended the mountain road, and
passed the Catania, still carrying the
child, who had some time since fallen
asleep with her fair little head upon my
shoulder. All that she could tell me was
that her name was Emma Harding, and
that her. family were lodged ina large
hotel fronting the sea, and which from
the description I conjectured to be the
Albergo Reale. So it proved to be, and
had the satisfaction of restoring the lost
lamb to her sOrrOwing relatives, who had
mourned her asdead, 80 utterly certain had
her fate appeared when she was known to
have been left on the burning mountain.
While the child's mother, weeping,
caught her darling to her heart, Mr.. Hard
ing approached the spot where stood,
footsore and weary, with hair and gar
ments singed, and shoes that had crum-
bled away piecemeal from the scorched
feet they had sheltered, and wrung my
hand.
II am not man of many Words" he
said, "but you have laid me under very
deep debt of gratitude, Mr.. Clemens,
and"
did not hear the rest, save as a con-
fused hum like that Of hive of bees, for
now the floor seemed to slide away from
under my feet, and the walls tn revolve,
and then all grew dark. They laid me on
a bed-for had fainted-and sprinkled
water on my forehead, and gave me cor
dials and wine, and gradually my strength
came back to me; but for weeks was too
lame to be able to walk without the sup
port of a crutch.
am we'll enough now, and they call
me Capt. Clements, for am not CON-
mander of fine ship in the Australia
trade, to which Mr.. Harding, her owner,
gave the name of the Emma, in honor of
the dear little thing that hid beneath my
rough, pea-coat, when the! fiery rain of
Etna fell fast and thick around us?
I have children of my own now, blithe-
ly sporting in the garden of a pretty cot
tage near the Mersey, and pausing in their
ea."-Cassetks Magazine.