The Owosso times., 1881-07-22

onds she uttered horrible cry, half
groan, half yell, which made even the
most whiskey-hardened man shiver and
turn pale.
T." A hundred dollars for whoever'll
get that babyv shouted the major.
Nobody stirred. There were plenty
of impecnniOus men at Spurtip; but
none seemed inclined to earn money in
exactly this manner.
Two hundredp shouted the professor.
Three! roared the deacon It's a
little heather and it runs double
resk."
'Tain't no use tryin',' remarked Sew.
enteener, ex-member of an eastern fire
department. No feller cud live in
that there fire more'n half a mint
He'd hev ter breathe an then 'twould
be all up with him.
That you a-yelliQg over your loss
JimY pleasantly asked Joe Backsey
edging into the crowd, and patting the
unfortunate bar-keeper on the back.
It's Injin Mary; her baby's in the
loft. o Lord, just listen to the poor
devilp said Jim, as Mary uttered anoth.
er cry.
Joe picked up bucket of water and
poured it over himself, and in an in.
slant later dashed into the flames, and
up the blazing ladder which led to the
loft. Not a man spoke; it seemed that
no one breathed for a moment. The
deacon closed his eyes, and his lips
were seen to move rapidly, and many
men, though unused to such exercise,
followed the deacon's example.
Suddenly mighty roar broke from
the crowd as Joe Backsey. hatless, hair
less, beardless, and almost black,
emerged from the blazing building
with dirty bundle in his arms. He
had nearly crossed the street, when
suddenly he stopped, screamed, Catch
IL! threw the child, and dropped, face
downward, on the ground.
The deacon was by his side in an in
slant, shouting for water and oil, as he
tenderly turned the insensible form
over.
No CO. said the Seventeener, giving
Joe's face a critical glance. He's
breathed the fire; I know it by his lips
an nose; he won't never breathe moth
in else.'
Joe, Joev cried the deacon, while big
tears fell from his rugged face. God
hev mercy Oh yer sOulv
From beneath the cruelly-singed eye
brows and lashes, Joe's good-natured
eyes opened; his cracked lips parted
and smiled; he tried to speak; but sud
denly he gasped, shivered; and then the
deacon knew by the way Joe's head
hung over the kind old arm that sup
ported it, that bis partner had drawn
his last dividend.
For some moments the crowd stood
in respectful silence; then Jim Slipson
invited the crowd to open his few re-
naming bottles and drink deep to Joe's
good luck in the next world. A stretch
er was then improvised, and Joe was
carried to the Office of the Quickledge
company. There was no formal lying
in-state; there was not a single flower
placed on the rude catafalque; but men
of all degrees crowded to see what re-
mained of the hero; and many OF them
when they went away showed the first
indications of soul that had ever been
seen in their faces.
The three partners sat down to sup
per, and gazed sadly at the empty chair.
The major finally broke the silence.
"A Christian couldn't have died more
nobly,' he said.
Christian exclaimed the deacon.
The publicans and harlots shall 90 in
to the kingdom fore you and me! We
only offered our money; while he gave
We.'
Blessed be the PROMISE said the
professor Give and it shall be given
unto you." Joe gave his life; can we
believe that he will get anything less
in returnp
'Ef burnt offrin's IL make an atone
ment nowadays said the deacon,
'he's done his best; and nobody could
do more
The deacon took upon himself the
mournful duty and pleasure of making
a headboard for his deceased partner,
and of painting thereon a suitable in
scription. For hours did the deacon
rack his brain for passage of Scrip
ture which would be appropriate; and
he finally painted on the headboard the
verse;
Greater love hath no man than this,
that man lay down his life for his
friends
But while it was drying, and the
deacon was absent for few moments,
some heterodox person strolled in, read
the inscription, and seizing the paint
brush, wrote
How bout feller that saves Injin
babies that hain't his friends9
And thus reads the inscription to
this day.