Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-07-11

On III CHn1o III INC long sHuIe
have since learned to know so well.
The head-fire, the point of the V, a
rushing tongue of flames, leaping into
the air sixteen or eighteeen feet, and,
like fends ravenous for their prey,
springing forward, so that their sum-
nit was some feet in advance of their
base. From this apex, which with n
furious wind will out.travel fast
horse, the side.iire stretched far away.
The cracking roar and the dense
smoke thick with cinders, were appall-
ing; while soon the intense heat smoto
our faces like blast from furnace.
Small were our hopes, yet we deter
mined TO battle to the last. We little
knew the mad strength of our foe, and
with the bravery OF desperation with.
stood the fierce heat, and it was not
till the dense smoke seemed almost over.
hanging us thatiwe fled from our posts.
We ran as fast rs our wearied limbs
would carry us. The horses were all
out, we led out the calf from the barn,
and dragged everything movable to the
plowed ground, In the midst of which
the house stood.
The fire was upon us almost before
we finished. 1t was evident that the
stable was devoted to destruction, as
well as the oats which were stacked
within few feet of it. All our fears
were now for our whcat-rick, which
stood little aside The grass wa,
tramped around it. and it seemed that
we might save that. We four stood
guard, beating the fire down as IL
reached the low grass.
1t was desperate struggle, the flames
leaped up in our very faces, singeing
eyebrows and hair; and but for moth
er's precaution in the matter of dress,
we must certainly have been enveloped
in flames. Our shoes became so thai
they burned our feet. Yet nearor and
nearer the greedy fire ate its way. We
quelled it in one direction only to have
it steal upon us from another, while the
tears from our swollen eyes ran ovei
our moke-begrimmed faces, which,
like our hands, were burned almost tC
blistcring. But when the fire had sub,
sided our stack still stood, though sur.
rounded by blackened line which al
most touched it.
When the need of exertion was over,
mother sank on the ground nearly faint.
ing, and we all dropped beside her,
breathless, scorched and utterly ex-
hausted.
al am thankful that our home and
children are spared" she sighed;
"thcre is little else left, and must 60
to my babies now," she added. '.Poor
father, this will be sad homecoming"
"Ah, how sad we little dreamed!
We opened the door upon pitiful
picture. Baby Nell had cried herself
to sleep, and on the floor beside her
crib, lay Tommy with his little troubled,
tear-stained face. Our entrance reused
him, and he sat up in drowsy bewilder.
ment.
"You poor children!" mother cried,
''you have had II lonely time; but where
is SadieP'
Il don't know. mamma" he an.
swered, his lip quivering. "She ruined
too. 1couldn't lock the door, and SO
she went.'
"Where did she go, child, and when?"
cried mother.
"She went towards the stable. O
mamma! you don't s'pose she's got
burned up, do you?" he added, asking
with childish frankness the question
which was knocking at all our hearts.
AS he spoke, mothers overtaxed
strength gave way, and with wailing
cry she sank fainting to the floor. The
cry awoke the baby, and she and Tom
my burst into dolcful chorus of wall
ing, in which we older ones silently
joined.
We laid mother on the lounge and
applied water to her face, and in few
minutes she opened her heavy eyes and
sprang to her feet, but sank back from
utver exhaustion.
"Oh, don't stop for me, children
rum search everywhere!" she cried
wildly. $50! gol"
AS she stopped speaking, heard til,
thud of hoofs. Father had seen thu
smoke, and leaving the wagon and one
horse, had galloped home on the other
THANK God, you are all safen' hi
exclaimed as he entered.
No one told him. Who could tellp
"What ails you ALP" he asked
huskily: ''Is it worse than see?"
We told him then. He shivcred will
horror, and groaning, "Please Heaven
we will find her yetn' rushed from the
house.
Suddenly we heard cry of agony
and looking out, | saw that father was
standing in a swale where the fire hat
ragged the liercest, fed by resin-weeds
which shot up nine and ten feet high
Almost benumbed with dread, dragged
myself to the spot.
1t was one of those sights it will take
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downward, lay what had been ou
Sadie. Nearly all of her clothing hat
been burned, and the sweet, dimple,
flesh and bright curls were now dis
colored and burned
What death for our darling Fathe
bore her homeward, sending me befor,
to break the news to mother but m
face told the story before my tremblin,
lips.
"ls she much disfgured?" she fal
tered.
"No," | answered. "the fire spare,
her face The smoke was very dens
there" added, bringing forth scant
grain of comfort, ''and we thought sh
must have suffocated before the fir,
reached her; for there had been NJ
struggle"
"Thank God for that"' she calculated
fervently. heard steps, and the mex
instant father entered with his precious
burden.
She gave one shuddering glance, ar,
then again came the blessing of uncon
sciousness; and for n few hours she for
got her anguish.
scarcely remember how the mex
few days passed. 1 know that friend
came, that they were very kind; en-
that before they left little Sadie wa
laid to sleep beneath the white | lac tha
had been brought from the old home il
the East.
Our neighbors showed their sympath,
in our desolaton with the hearty good
will that is characteristic of settlers i
a new country. And but for the los
that nothing could replace, we woul
have felt that their strong, earnest OK
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