Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-07-02
A VILLAGE FIRE.
Correspondence of the Lewisburg Chronicle.)
Down EAST, June I'd, 1885.

town =? IL you have not, you have miss
ed much that goes to make lifesmenor-
able. Probably you have been to the
circus, to see the animals, or, may be,
you are an open and avowed sinner and
went to see the show, and stayed to see
the concert thereafter, and didn't care
who knew it. But no man. experience
can be counted completetill he has seen
New England village fire. He may
have been to the circus, he may haye
gone to the theatre when he was in the
city that time, he may have participant
ed in Decoration day services, been at
a Sunday school celebration when
tEuncer shower came up, or, even as
was once my high privilege he may have
seen riot between two or three hun
dred Irish and Italian railroad natives.
These things are all very well in their
way, but lump them all up and they
will not make shadow to the hurrrah
that surrounds fire "down East"
The town was as quiet as grave
yard. 1t always is. The irregular
street is fringed with elms, and the
green window shutters on the white
cottages set in the apple trees, looked
as pretty as picture. at Amasa
Gray's house all was quiet and serene.
Hannah. his wife, was in the garden
planting onions. The two small chill
dren were making mud pies in the loan.
Amasa, himself,w mile away build
ing stone fence. Hannah had been
in the garden sticking onions, in that
graceful position one must necessarily
assume when you stand up to it, and
she was facing the white-washed barn.
Presently she rose up slowly, and
thought she smelled something. 1t
wasn't onions, though they were pres
ent. She looked around, and her heart
leaped into her throat. Out Of every
crack and chink in the neat white
painted kitchen, black smoke was pour
ing. She ran to the house just as a
window burst out and the red flames
swept up. Nobody will ever know how
it happened,
Hannah screamed Fire The neigh
bors heard it and the yell became gen.
eral. If there is anything that can put
more vitality into a country town than
the cry of fire l want to know it.
There was no mistake in location the
smoke, black and rank, curled up over
head. The first on the ground was
Aunt Betsy Sawyer, of the general
shape and build of an ordinary shock of
cornfodder. Aunt Betsy was doing
some preparation in the kitchen when
she heard the cry. and she rushed out
with huge iron spoon in her hand ,and
she did not lay 1t down until two hours
Liter, when she allowed ,as she sat down
at home, that she was all done up One
of the sights of the hour was that spoon
being flourished around. Deacon Jas.
Johnson had been reading the Weekly
Clarion and Farmers Friend on the
back porch, with his iron bowed specta-
cleS on his nose. He threw bis paper
down, upset the chair, and lit OUT for
the scene of action In his shirt sleeves.
When he got there he tried to get in at
the front door, and seiZing the glisten-
ing brass knob tried to open it outward.
He struggled and twisted and pulled
but it wouldn't come. Finally he gave
one mighty pull, and, as the knob came
off, the door opened itself. 1t is curren-
tly reported by people who were there,
and had personal knowledge of the fact,
that Deacon James actually swore at
the door. There was never anything
done about it in the church, although
it was talked over. The sisters often
referred to it at the 'teas' as an evidence
of the possible blackness of mans
heart though he does occupy shining
places in the chuich. 1t was too well
established for denial that Bro. johnson
did say, just as he gave the knob the
last mighty yank that brought it OFF,
and burst his vest down the back at the
same time, 'dod gast it, and those who
heard it said that he said it as If he
meantit. Miss Mehitable Ann Jones,
the village dress maker,wa in the very
act of putting herself together when
she heard the cry. She has meyer been
known to appear en- dishabille before,
never; but she started 20 the fire with
that wiggle-waggle run that nobody on
earth has but an old maid. She had or
her wrapper, but all her fixtures we're
back in her room, and she looked like a
pillow slip with lath inside. She had
on odd slippers and red stockings, land
carpet rag garters. This valuable piece
of information is due to the fact that
en- route Miss Mehitable fell down. Ar.
riying she did signal service by squeal-
ing Fire at the top of her voice.
The storekeeper was counting eggs
when he heard the yell of Fire. He
dropped the two handsfull of eggs on
the floor and, as he afterward graphi-
cally expressed it, let them and the
store 90 to thunder and tore down the
street.
A countryman coming into town in a
two horse wagon saw, from the .end OF