The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-26

ing in the leaves with their little nighbors 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 shell
tered spot where they lay in brown heaps. Even
the babies, Kitty and Wiley, helped with all
their little nights, and filed their chubby arms
in the corner, only to drop the leaves by the way
until they usually reached the pile with only two
or three left.
Heres a pile for you" said Neddy.
Lets have a bonfire now; say, Grace, you
get some matches, will you!"
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 to watch us"
30, she wont carei am 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, unfortu-
nately, she was always influenced by her twin
brother, whom she adored.
So she got the matches and gave them to Ned
dy, who soon had a 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, a darling two-year-old tod
der, nearly fell into the fire in his eagerness to
throw his tiny handful of leaves ON the bonfire,
but Neddy caught him in time.
The wine 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 a fresh supply of leaves, and Kitty was rae
ing after them. Dickey was stirring up the fire
with a broonl-handle to make it blaze more
fiercely, when an angry burst of wind swept up
the street. In a flash the fire burst out on the
other side, and threw red, cruel arms about lit
tie Willy, who was standing there.
In an instant the white dress was all ablaze,
and a 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 dol
Across the street stood Mrs. Bailey's. carriage,
with the pretty robe thrown upon the seat.
Dickey dashed across the street, snatched the
robe, and, throwing it over WHY'S head, pulled
him to the ground.
Was the dreadful fire out2
He pulled the robe aside, the flame flashed out;
he beat it 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 Dickeys mamma and nurse to the side
walk, 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
| yellow hair was singed and matted, the white
dress was burned nearly to pieces, but her dar-
ling was alivei
Thank God for that!
Diekey's mamma knelt beside him. my brave,
thoughtful boy, you have saved Willy from a
terrible death. Are you hurt, Dickey!'
He held up his hands. They were blistered
with fire. The pain and excitement 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 little hands, which were soon
well again.
need not tell you how Neddy and Grace felt
when they knew that their disobedienee had
nearly been the cause of their little brothers
death. They promised their mamma, with
many tears, that they would never disobey her
again.
Dickey's birthday came soon after this, and
when he went down to breakfast, he found,
among his other presents, d beautiful little silver
! watch.
On the inside of the cover was engraved:
For the brave boy who saved a baby's life
from the baby's papa and mamma