The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-08
After the Fire.

The fire, from which we date in the
family, it being the great event therein
for years, seemed, at the time it oc-
CURED, the climax of a series of misfor-
tunes that had been falling for five
years upon our devoted heads.
First, We lost dear father, who left
the family already extraordinarily
mamma, Meta, Freddie and myself
Meta was but fourteen when father died,
l twelve, and Freddie but three years of
age. There was no money for us after
the business was closed, and mamma
thankfully accepted an offer of her Un-
Gle Gordon to be his house-keeper, and
so secure home for all of us.
Such a home! Uncle Gordon Crofts
was man nearly seventy, strong and
vigorous, with a most ungovernable
temper, miserly and suspicious, who
had lived alone for about forty years.
What sudden spasm of generosity made
him open the doors of his wretched,
tumble-down old house to us, we never
knew; but certainly he repented the ar
Tangement as soon as his proposal was
accepted.
Not one meal passed our lips that we
were not reminded of its cost; not an
article of our poor clothing was renewed
without deep grOans over our extrava-
gance; and we were put out at once
Meta and myself-to learn trades, be-
ing apprenticed to a milliner, Meta to a
bOOk-binder.
knew now that, scant as our wages
were, they really covered the expenses
of our poor food and worse lodging. As
for poor mamma, with all the house
work, sewing, washing, and cooking
upon her hands, surely she earned the
little she spent
But, in spite of our poverty and hard
work, Meta blossomed into a beautiful,
modest and tender girl. l was never
even pretty.
When Brent Ellis discovered Metals
attractions, she was eighteen, still work
ing as book-binder in place of busi-
ness which Brent's father owned. Old
John Ellis, after stOrming and raging
like maniac at the presumption of one
of the "hands' daring to be sufficiently
attractive to win the love of the son and
heir of his magnificence, dismissed Meta
at an hours notice. As he owned the
only book binding establishment in the
town, and Meta knew no other trade
affairs looked black enough for us.
Brent himself was true as steel, and
wanted Meta to marry him at once
But, in spite of her gentleneBs, Meta
had some pride, and refused to enter 8
family where she was not welcome
Mother, too, at this crisis, Informed
Brent that his visits had better cease, and
Meta did not speak one word of dissent
l stormed, of course; always do storm
when | am angry. But nobody evel
came round to my opinion, no matter
how l raved-and John Ellis certainly
did not. To be sure he did not hear me
or that might have made some differ
ence.
Mid-winter found us in this strait
Meta out of employment, helping
mother about the house, and patiently
bearing Uncle GOrdon's protests agains
her idleness and fine-lady airs; l trim
ming hats, and meekly handing owe
my wages to our uncle; Freddie still a
the town school, but with an appren
ticeship looming up in the spring.
In January Uncle Gordon was takeI
ill-the first serious sickness of his life
He would have no doctor until abso
lutely forced to call one in by increasing
pain and weakness, and when the long
delayed examination was over, it proved
to have been made too late.
In just one month from his first pail
our uncle died, leaving brief will, con
ferring all his property, the house in
cluded, upon our mother, "his well-be
loved niece, Sarah Morton"
But where was the property? Not
shilling was deposited in the bank; no
an inch of real estate was held in hi
name, save the miserable piece of lant
upon which the house stood, and whicl
barely yielded vegetables for the table
We turned the house upside down anC
inside out, but not coin rewarded Ou
search. Finally, We sadly concluded
that the misery we had seen, th
lamentations we had heard, were tn
result of real, downright poverty, ant
not the mere pretences of a miser. Ant
we struggled along somehow, mOthe
sewing little, Meta doing hOusework
and l still at the milliner's. We dit
not starve. That is the record of tn
next four months-a struggle for mer
bread, and the saving of actual exist
ence, nothing more. And, to cap th
climax, came the fire.
1t was a night in June-a clear, star
light highland ], though wear
enough, was sleepless. Meta lay by m
side, wakeful as myself, and told me, i
soft whispers, that she had met he
lover that day, when on some house
hold errand, and he had urged her sorel
to marry him, though his father ha
not relented.
81 don't know but I would" I said
"After all, he is a man, and must
able to care for you somehow. Thi
life is killing you"
And, as | spoke, Meta cried, ''I smel
smOkev
Smell itH' 1 cried, starting up. L"
see itu'
There it was, coming in at the crack
of the wOrn-out door, little threads a
first, but filling the room rapidly. w
caught up some clothing, and rushed t
the door. As we opened it, the flame
burst out on the landing and staircase
forcing us to retreat.
Mother and Freddie slept in room
beyond ours on the other side, and W
rushed across to them, and we all fou
scrambled, half-dressed, from Freddie
window to shed, and SO to the yard.
By this time the neighbors were wax
ened, and the houses about US wer
glowing in the flames shooting up froL
our old house to the sky. Fancy, if yo
can, the group we formed, as we stOo
huddled together in the yard, an
watched everything we owned upo
earth being licked up by greedy tongue
of flame, swallowed iu clouds of smoke
Meta and | could see our bed-rooI
closet and the scanty stock of clothin
there and count the dearly-purchase
articles as they were consumed.
"My poor black alpacar' Meta saiC