The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-11-03
A LITTLE HERO.

Dickey Seabright was only six years
old, when he did brave and thought
full thing. When his mamma was
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 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 l can remember
that, mamma"
The beautiful autumn time came soon.
Yellow, brown and scarlet leaves fell
from the trees, and lay in heaped-up
ridges in the shelter of the fences. The
children loved to run up and down
through them, scattering them to left
and right with restless little feet AT
night, the air was blue with the smoke
of leaf bonlires, which cleaned at every
street corner.
One windy day, Dckey and Kitty
were playing in the leaves with their
little neighbors next door, Neddy, Grace
! and Willy Dean. With broom and rake.
4, al i,1- hn intn n
| 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
only two or three left.
Here's pile for your said Neddy.
Lets have a bonfire now. l 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 carel am big enough
to take care OF Willy, and you can take
care of yourself Don't be 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 Neddy, who soon had rousing fire,
blazing toward the sky. Such fun as it
wasl The children nearly ran their little
legs off to feed it all the nice dry leaves
it wanted. Twice, baby Willy, a dar-
ling two-vear-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 rur
down to the corner for fresh supply o
leaves, and Kitty was racing after them
Dickey was stirring up the fire with ;
broom-handle to make it blaze more
tiercely, when an angry burst of wine
swept up the street. In "A flash, the fir
burst out on the other side and threw
red, cruel arms about little Willy, whit
was standing there. In an instant TIN
white dress was all ablaze, and cry o
terror went up from the baby lips
Dickey turned at the sound, and, as h
! saw the cruel fire, his heart seemed t.
stop beating. What could he do! Acros
the street stood Mrs. Bailey's carriage
+ with the pretty robe thrown upon tn
, seat. Dickey dashed across the street
snatched the robe, and throwing it owe
WHY'S head, pulled him to the ground
liaS the dreadful fire out? He pulle
the robe aside, the flame flashed out, h
, beat 1t frantically with his hands.
a All this was done in much less tim
; than it takes me to tell it. The cries {
the children brought Dickey's MANN
= and nurse to the sidewalk, just as Willy
o mamma drove up. She sprang frol
n the carriage and threw off the rot
q which covered her baby. The lit
O hands and face were scorched, the We
,. low hair was singed and matted, IL
v white dress was burned nearly to piece
J. but her darling was alive! Thank &c
;. for that!
,e Dickey's mother krelt beside hir
d "My hrave, thoughtful boy, you ha'
Al saved Willy from terrible death. A
4, yon hurt, Dickey?"
# He held up his hands. They we
ar blistered with fire The pain and e
al element overcame him. He put
head on his mammals shoulder al