The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-12-19

without quarreling; suppose we drop
itW
"And you are not going to finish
EnidY" He reached TOR the closed
book, "Do you ever read Maud p"
Yes but why do you like such senti.
mental nonsense ?"
He turned to il, and read the part
commencing
Come into the garden, Maud.
Fio TIC blIcS bat, night, has flown"
She had never heard him read before,
and glad pleasure filled her heart to hear
her iavorite poet so correctly and finely
rendered as he went on
There has IA len a splendid tear
From the passion flower at the gate,
she 60 ming, my dove, my tear
she is.c ming my life my fate "
Frederetta cOmprehended that this
man understood more fully than she this
equisitely wrought description of the
grand passion that sways the world as
the rich, mellow voice gIided over the
Stanzas, and hear vibration quivered in
the words rs he ended.
'She is coming, my own. my sweet
Were It ever 20 airya tread,
My heart would hear r and heIt
were II earth in an earthly bet
My heart would hear her and beat,
Had II lain for Clntdry dead;
Would start and trcmb'c under her r. t.
And blossom in purple and rel"
"There," he sail, "fnd me finer
piece of sentiment than that. You know
the sudden transition the poem makes
from this highly-wrought ecstasy of pas
sion to the depth OF wild despair. One
catches a rare glympse of the extremes
OF Happiness and misery ina human soul.
But can never fully describe the feel.
ings which some parts of this poem stir
within me-"
His face WAS flushed row; she had
never seen him moved to thi. enthusiasm
She did not know that, apart from the
inspiration of the poem, the wine of love
had made summer in his veins. y X
Day had mellowed into twilight which
in turn mad darkened into cool dewy
night Calm and pure the moon shed
her silvery light upon hushed nature.
The house of Frederetta was hushed to
repOse. The flowers slept with dro0p
ing heads under the soothing influence
of the goddess OF night, froI which the
the OdOrOus kiss OF the sun should
awaken them on the morrow. NOsOund
broke the stiffness, save the chirp OF the
cricket and the occasional notes of a
night bird.
Just AZ the clock in the hall strikes
the midnight hour, bright lurid square
of light suddenly flames out in the
darkened space where the houses throw
their shadow. The windows of large
rom on the second floor are one broad
sheet of flame.
Next to the room on fire was the one
occupied by Everett Reynolds.
A premOnition of danger, such as often
comes to us in peril, awakened him sud.
denly from his sumbers, and, springing
from the bed, he glanced out of the win
dow.
Hastily dressing, he rushed into the
hall crying;
"Fire fire !"
AT once all were aroused, and the Gus
tomary wild confusion ensued, the serv
ants and ;amily rushing about to ascer-
tain the locality and extent of the fire.
it WAS soon found that no earthly
power could stay its course All that
could be done was to hurry and save the
most valuable articles.
Frederetta, in loose white wrapper
and unbound hair, was with the rest,
acting under the calm dire ction OF
Eyerett-'or even the master of the house
seemed psralyzsd and the servants had
commenced to carry on. the things OF
least value, with the strange inc)n-
sistency 80 often displayed in such
cases.
The fire gained rapidly, but so active
had all been under the direction o. the
indolent, careless man, now for the first
time showing his superiority, that nearly
every thing had been removed.
They stood gazing sadly upon the
burning MACS which shot up red flames
to the calm, pure sky, rendering pale the
moonlight, and defacing the fair lane
scape with hdeous blot.
Suddenly Il sharp, wild cry, a wall OF
terror, sounded above the cracking of the
flames.
Heavens y exclaimed Frederetta
Sarah sleeps in the attic. 1t is she; she
will be burned to death = And she
covered her face with her hants as a
white ROBBED figure appeared ut the win
dow, shrlekiug Ior help, aud then sank
from sight.
Everett Reynolds began to make
,ra n In ia, usn.t,l tul thu
rose very near the window where the
girl had fallen 1t was blackeued by the
searching flames
at will be sure death to attempt to
enter said several voices "rhe ROOT is
Just falling in. You will both lose your
lives"
He paid no attention, but a.cended the
tree until on level with the window
which Sarah had raised when she found
out her peril. He vsulted into the
room. He almost stumbled over her in
sensible form, Tor the blirding smoke
nearly suh0cated him. Tongues Of flames
were already darling through the ROOT,
anu the anxious watcher. below held
their breaths until he reapPeared al the
window with his burden. lie seemed To
have the strength OF three men amt the
agility of cat, as with one hand he
aided his descent and place his burden
on the ground.
The cheers changed to anxious inquiry
as he reeled over insensible. He had the
bravery of a lion, had never known fear,
but his physical strength was not equal