The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-11-10
BRAVE DICKEY.

Dckey Seabright was only six years
old, when he did brave and thought
full thing. When his mamma was a
young lady, her dress caught fire and
she was badly burned. The burn left
scar ON her arm which will never 90
away. Dickey was kissing the hurt
place one day and plying poor mamma.
:" How did they put the bad fire out,
mammal
Papa was in the room at the time,
dear. and as quickly as he could he
snatched q large rug from the floor,
wrapped it about me, smothered the
fire, and put it out. But for that,
mamma might have burned to death,
instead of only being hurt on her arm.
Remember that, Dickey, and if you
should ever see a child with its dress on
fire, try to wrap some heavy wooden
thing about it, and the fire will go out,
because all the air will be shut from it. -"
Dickey looked thoughtfully from his
big blue eyes; 81 think [ can remember
that. mamma.
One windy day. Dickey and Kitty
were playing in the leaves with their
. little ueighbors next door, Neddy, Grace
and Willy Dean. With broom and rake,
Neddy and Dick got the leaves into a
great pile near the sidewalk, while
Grace carried leaves in her arms from
a sheltered spot where they lay in brown
heaps. Even the babies, Kitty and
Willy, helped with all their little might
and filled their chubby arms in the cor
ner, only to drop the leaves by the way,
until they usually reached the pile with
O. only two or three left.
@ Here's a pile for you!" said Neddy.
Lets have bonfire now. | say,
" Grace, you get some matches, will youP'
81 don't think we ought to, Neddy,"
= said Grace, for mamma is away, and
YOU know she said we must not light a
bonfire unless she was here here to watch
us"
''Oh, she won t care! lam big enough
to take care OF Willy, and you can take
care of yourself. Don't be a baby, Grace,
but get the matches"
Grace wanted to obey mamma, but,
unfortunately, she was always influenced
by her twin brother, whom she adored.
SO she got the matches and gave them
TO Ncddy, who soon had rousing fire,
blazing toward the sky. Such fun as it
was! The children nearly ran their little
legs off TO feed it all the nice dry leaves
it wanted. Twice. baby Willy, dar-
ling o-year-old fodder, nearly fell
into the fire in his eagerness to throw
his tiny handful of leaves on the bon
fire, but Neddy caught him in time
The wind grew very strong and blew
the fire in quick flashes first on one side
and then on the other of the pile of
leaves. Neddy and Grace had run
down to the corner for fresh supply Of
leaves, and Kitty was racing after them
Dickey was stirring up the fire with a
broom-handle to make it blaze more
fierceiy, when an angry burst of wind
swept up the street. In flash, the fire
burst out on the other side and threw
red, cruel arms about little Willy, who
was standing there. In an instant the
white dress was all ablaze, and cry of
terror went up from the baby lips.
Dickey turned at the sound, and, as he
saw the cruel fire, his heart seemed to
stop beating. What could he do! Across
the street stood Mrs. Baileys carriage,
with the pretty robe thrown upon the
seat. Dickey dashed across the street,
snatchcd the robe, and throwing it over
WHY'S head, pulled him to the ground
Was the dreadful fire out? He pulled
the robe aside, the flame flashed out, he
beat 1T frantically with his hands
All this was done in much less time
than it takes me to tell it. The cries of
the children brought Dickey's mamma
and nurse to the sidewalk, Just as WHY'S
mamma drove up. She sprang from
the carriage and threw off the robe
which covered her baby. The little
hands and face were scorched, the yell
low hair was singed and matted. the
white dress was burned nearly to pieces,
but her darling was alive! Thank God
for that!
Dickey's mother lIrelt beside him.
My crave, thoughtful boy, YOU have
saved Willy from terrible death. Are
you hurt, Dickeyp''
He held up his hands. They were
blistcred with fire The pain and ex-
'citement overcame him. He put his
head on his mammals shoulder and
burst into tears. She took him into the
house and tenderly bound up the poor
Ihtie hands, which were soon well
again.
heed not tell you how Neddy and
Grace felt when they knew that theil
'disohadience had nesrly been the cause
of their little brothers death. They
promised their mamma, with many
Tears. that they would never disobey hel
again.
Dickeys birthday came soon after
this, and when he went down to break
fast he found, among his other presents
a beautiful little silver watch. On the
inside of the cover was engraved
''For the brave boy who saved
haby's life from the baby's papa anC
mamma. ~ Elizabeth Barnett mn. i,
Yo'tbS Companion
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