The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-10-17

mother, quieted her; but % turned
to retrace my steps, dense cloud OF
suffocsting smoke arose, cutting of
all view OF the plateau, and when it
dispersed 1 :ound the chasm had wild
ened to such an extent ~ precluded
the possibility Of striding or leaping
across it, while another roar, and q
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 prsctica-
BILE, and accordingly 1 skirted the
chasm, making for a spot some three
hundred yards away, where rock
appeared to form q natural bridge over
the red hot fissure. Wrapping my
shaggy sailors jacket around the child
to screen her as far as possible from
the hot ashes that fell at intervals, I
pushed resolutely ON.
shall never, to my dying day, for
get what 1 underwent in the passage
of that three hundred yards. Gasping
and half suffocated by the pestilential
vapors, blinded by the smoke, and
with eyes scared by the glare, and feet
scorched by the almost intolerable heat
of the earth, staggered on with my
burden in my arms. Twice tho thin
crust that heaved beneath me seemed
to be bres king under our weight, and
gave myself up for lost; but at
length, dizzy and breathless, l reach
ed the rock, and saw beneath it q
broad space cleared by wood.cutters.
probably, or only the stumps of trees
long since felled protruded from the
soil. As did so, with q crash the
rock fell in, and the flames leaped up
like aplashing water; but managed
to plant one foot upon the corner Of
the great stone, and, with 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, L dsseended the mountain road,
and passed the Cantania, still carrying
the child, who had 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 in large
hotel fronting the sea, and which, from
the description, conjectured to be
the Albergo Reale. So it proved to
be, and 1 had the satisfaction of res
toring the lost lamb to her sorrowing
relatives, who had mourned her as
dead, so utterly certain had her fate
appeared when she was known to
have been left on the burning noun
tain.
While the child's mother, weeping,
caught her darling to her heart, Mr..
Harding approached the spot where 1
stood. footsore and weary, with hair
and garments singed and shoes that
had crumbled away plecemeal from
the scorched feet they had sheltered
and wrung my hand.
Il am not man of many Words"
he said, but you have laid me under
q very deep debt of gratitude Mr..
Clements, and-'
1 did not hear the res, save as con-
fused hum like that of hive Of bees,
for now the floor seemed to slide away
from under my feet, and the walls to
revolve, and then sll grew dark. They
laid me on . bed-for l had tainted
and sprinkled water on my forehead,
and gave me cordials and wine, and
gradually my strength came back to
me; but for weeks was too lame to
be able to walk without the support
Of crutch.
am we'll enough now, and they
call me Captain Clements, for am not
I commander of . fine ship in the Aus,
tralian trade, to which Mr.. Harding,
her owner, gave the name of Emma,
in honor of the dear little thing that I
hid beneath my rough coat. when the
fiery rain of Etna fell fast and thick
around us?
have children of my own now,
blithely sporting in the garden of q
pretty cottage near the Mersey, and
pausing in their play now and again
as tall ships pass, to ask when papa
is coming back from sea.-(Cassell's
Magazine.