The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-09-19

aware. they saw the fanks of the battle
turned, and themselves almost sur
rounded by the flames.
Ward at last became alarmed for the
safety of his family, and returned home.
He found the greatest excitement pre-
vailing in the village. The fire had
attacked the other side of the mountain,
and they feared it would sweep over and
come down upon them.
Ward saw that the wind was still
carrying the flames in an opposite
direction; yet he told his wife to dress
the children in their thickest woolen
garments, 80 that they might be pre-
pared for any emergency. Then, COM
pletely exhausted, he lay down to rest.
He had slept but few hours when
Mrs. Stacey came running in, with a
report from the lower houses that the
fire was approaching from another
point. They were in danger of being
hemmed in, and must make their escape
at once.
Old Mrs. Ward begged her son to
leave her, urging that her life was
nearly ended, at best, and that she
would only retard their fight.
But he positively refused, and catch
ing up two of his children, while his
wife took the twins, they all started to
follow the rest of the inhabitants. Mrs.
Stacey had taken the baby, and with
her own little boy, was already in the
advance.
For over a mile the old mother
walked, aided as much as possible by
her son but of necessity, their prog ress
was slow. The exertion proved too
much for her. She sank to the ground
exhausted. Her son assisted her to rise,
and urged her to make an effort to keep
up a little longer; but she begged him
to leave her and save the rest of the
family.
The flames were drawing nearer and
nearer. They could hear the cracking
and the crash of the great trees as they
fell. He tried to persuade the children
to run on by his side; but terrified by
the awful scene, they clung screaming
to him, and refused to move. For a
time, in his desperation, he tried to
carry them all.
But the fire was advancing so rapidly,
he saw that he must abandon his mother,
or the whole family perish. She now
earnestly pleaded with him, for the
sake of the little ones, to put her down
and flee for his life. She was not
afraid to meet death. 1t would be but
moments pang, then heavenly joy
forever.
With groan of agony, he acguiesced,
yet drew her as far as possible out of
the direct line of the fire. Then, clasp
ing her in his arms, he cried, " Oh,
mother, how can / leave your
go, 60, my sonl As you have been
faithful to me, may God deal faithfully
with you and yours. Don't grieve that
you left me-"
am describing an actual occurrence.
1t seems almost impossible that gen.
erous, dutiful son could leave his aged
mother to die by the cruel torture of the
flames, but the safety of his own chill
dren and of his wife appealed to his
heart, and at the moment it seemed to
him better that one should be left,
rather than that the whole family should
perish.
Ward started forward, but before
passing out of sight, turned for one more
look.
His mother was kneeling, with hands
clasped and eyes raised in silent prayer.
The approaching flames illumined her
pale face, but it was calm and peaceful
He stood like one in trance till his
wife, who had pushed ahead, besought
him to hasten on. She didn't know
which way to go, for the fire seemed tc
be everywhere. His mother also saw
his hesitation, and motioned him away
Ward could hardly endure that sight
He turned desperately away, came
rapidly to his wife's side, AMI placing
the children at her feet, flung himself
into a tree to obtain more extended
view.
After glance round, he sprang down
and told her there was but one chance
of escape. That was to climb to tn,
top of the mountain, where there wer'
some barren lodges on which there wa
nothing to burn. 9
1t was a desperate struggle up tn,
steep rocks, over fallen trees and through
the brush. But the children had be
come more accustomed to the scene
and as they got further from the fire
their courage returned, and their owl
practice in Notwithstanding aidet
their parents. At last they reached tn
summit in safety.
But it was a sad, exhausted group tina
gathered there. The little ones crie'
with hunger and thirst; and on tina
barren rock the parents had no mean
to satisfy either. Ali day long the
looked down from their high perch int
what appeared like gulf of fire. No'
it ran along the ground, now leape
from tree to tree, then, as if driven b
tornado, it came on in one broad shee
of flame the roar increasing, till
terror the children covered their eye
and stopped their ears.
The parents also felt as if the awfl
} grandeur of sight and sound was mol
than they could bear; for they hard
dared to hope that they were safe abo1
it.
From this position, they were arouse
by the oldest boy shouting
ooh, father, the sky is on fire, too
Ward looked up and saw broad flas
? of lightning dart out of dark clou
S that was rising rapidly in the West.
e "Thank God r' he cried; "the rain
coming at last"
8 Soon the heavens were overcast. T.
6 lightning darted back and forth, hea,
thunder rolled overhead, and the
k creasing wind famed the flames belt
7, till they ragged with redoubled fury,
e if seeming to realize that their pew
!. would soon be gone. Then came t
g blessed rain; not in gentle showers, b
in heavy torrents, that poured ince
le antiy on the kissing, steaming fores
IL till they lay drenched beneath it.
John Ward drew his family eli
IL under the rocks to keep them dry,
caught in his hat the cool drops
in quench their thirst. As the night w
r. on and the violence of the storm pass
by, they all found some resi- save
at father, who mourned for his mother
I'd he kept watch over his poor little hor
,h less flock.
Id The next day dawned clear and be
nd tiful, the air washed pure from
Is, binding smoke, and as soon as they
l IL (s1J ,oao