Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-02-09

W hltney 10 bis utmost speed
don't you remember that when
we were at the top of the hill, the
smoke from the chimney Of our
house rises just above the centre Of
that little group of cedars I"
Alasl / did remember; and as he
spoke, we reached the summit, and
saw enough to change orr fears TO
certainty. Neither spoke, but
each turned and looked at the 9TH
er with quiyering lips and di!ated
ewes.
my heavens. and have locked
them in -
was fairly beside myself with
terror. l felt as IL / must leap
from the vehicle and fy to their
rescue. Old Whitney seemed to
understand that life or death de-
pended on bis efforts, and exerted
himself nobly.
On we few, down the hill, dash
ing through the little stony brook
that crossed the road, over the tum-
ble-down bridge, whose rotten
boards ratified and started up from
their place, past the hedge-rows,
chat looked like one mass Of green;
past little cottages with the child
ren starting from the doors; think
ing CT nothing but to rescue our
darIings. l buried my face in my
hands and rocked to and fro in my
seat, almost bereft of reason, and |
thought Of the scene that might be
awaiting Us. Imagination conjur-
ed Up all the dreadful tales | had
read or heard, to add to my horror.
Once only / raised my head and
saw, or fancied l saw, slender
tongues of fame cleaving the mass
Of smoke, which had by this time
increased in volume and density.
At last, after what seemed an age,
but was in reality only few min
utes, we reached the bottom of the
lane which led to our cottage. The
angle was sharp one, and we turn
ed with snch speed as to send the
hind wheel of the old phaeton high
in air.
How l got out I never knew. l
am sure l 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 little, l
saw that IT Was empty. Then, suffo-
Gated by the smoke and overpow-
cred by excitement, | fell fainting
to the floor.
When consciousness returned, /
found myself in the house Of a
neighbor, with the children all
about her, pretty well frightened,
of course, but entirely unhurt.
How the fire originated was
mystery we could never unravel.
Grace, sitting with her back to the
stove and her attention entirely alb
sorbed by the pictures in the fami-
ly Bible, did not see it until Rover,
the Newfoundland dog, who bad
been quietly doing by her side, at
tracted her notice by his evident
uneasiness; after which he sprang
suddenly through the window, for
tunately taking the whole sash bod
lily with him, and running at full
speed to the nearest house, soon re-
turned with some of its 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 neigbbors arrived. The
house being old, and built as such
houses usually are, of the most
combustible materials, notwith-
standing all our efforts, soon be-
came blackened, smoking ruin.
Rover and old Whitley lived to
good old age and were ever after
ward held in affectionate remem-
brance for their services on that
occasion.
One evening about year after
ward, as we sat in our new house,
built on the site of the old one, but
more commodious and comforta-
BILE in every respect, / remarked
that the fire benefited US in one
way, for unless the old one had
been actually consumed, we never
should have had the new one.
81 have felt the benefit of it in