The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-03-03
THE COLUMBIAN, VOL. y, NO.
COLUMBIA DEMOCRAT, vol. XII, NO.

coming yonder, or knew as / did, what il
meant2 was drcadfully alarmed, and felt
more lively than had done for a long time
crept out of bed and got TO the window
but could not crawl further | was 80 eN-
hausted. But | managed to open the window,
| saw the people outside running and jump
ing about the ice could see the beautiful
flags that waved in the wind. I heard the
boys shouting "hurrah |" and the servant
men and maids singing. There were all
kinds of mcrriment going on. But the white
cloud with the black spot | cried out as
loud as | could, but no one heard me. ] was
too far from the people. Soon the storm
would burst, and the ice would break, and
all who were upon it would be lost. They
could not hear me, and could not come out
to them. Oh if could only bring them
ashore Then kind heaven inspired me
with the thought Of setting fire to my bed,
and rather to let the house burn down, than
that all those people perish so miserably. l
succeeded in Ii. hting UP beacon for them.
The red flames bazed up on high, and es-
capped out of the door, but fell down ex-
hausted on the threshold, and could get no
| further. The flames rushed out toward me,
ilickerng through the window, and rose
high above the roof All the people on the
| ice yonder beheld it, and ran as fast as they
could, to give aid to poor old woman who
they thought, was being burned to death.
Not one remained behind | heard them
coming, but also became aware of rush
| ing sound in the air; | heard rumbling like
the sound of a heavy artillery; the spring
flood was lifting the covering of ice, which
presently cracked and burst into a thousand
| fragments. But the people succeeded in
reaching the sea wall-I saved them all /!
But fancy could not bear the cold and
fright, and so | came up here to the gates of
Paradise. am told they are open to poor
creatures like me--and now have no house
left down upon the rampant, ,-"not that I
think this will give me admission here"
Then the gates of heaven were opened
and the angel let the woman in. She left
straw behind her, straw that had been in
her bed when she set it on fire to saye the
lives Of many; and this straw had been
changed into the purest gold-and that grew
and grew,and spread into beautiful leaves
and flowers.
"Look, this is what the poor woman
brought" said the angel to the critic. "What
dost thou bring? | know that thou hast
accomplished nothing-thou hast not made
so much as single brick. All, if thou
couldst only return, and effect at least so
much as that Probably the brick, when
thou hast madeit, would not be worth much;
but, if it were made with good will, it
would at least be something. But thou
canst not go back and I can do nothing for
thee !"
Then the poor SOUL the old dame who
had lived on the dixie, put in petition for
him. She said: "His brother gave me the
bricks and the pieces out of which built
my house, and that was great deal for
poor woman like me- Could not all those
bricks and pieces be counted as n single brick
in his favor? 1t was an act of mercy. lie
wants it now and this is the very fountain
of mercy?"
Then the angel said: "Thy brother,
whom thou hast regarded as the least among
you ALL he whose honest industry seemed
to thee as the most humble, hath given thee
this heavenly gift. Thou shalt not be turned
away. 1t shall be vouchsafed to thee to
stand here without the gate, and to reflect
and repent of thy life down yonder; but
thou shalt not be admitted until thou hast
in real earnest accomplished something
81 could have said it in better words I"
thought the critic, but he did not find fault
aloud; and for him after all, that was "some-
thing"