Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-02-13
THROUGH FIRE.

every other detail was known to Rush
bottom and the surrounding neighbor-
hood long before the ashes of the old
farm house had had time to COOL
AS Mrs. Blakey, for the hundredth
time, explained to the eager inquireIs,
Mark Cher husband) had left home Mon.
day to dispose of his corn crop, and she
wasn't expecting him back until Wednes-
day morning. On Tuesday afternoon,
at exactly $50, she had stepped into the
garden to take in a few towels from the
clothes line, leaving little Dicky and the
baby with their grandparents in the lat
ter's own room.
The old lady was very deaf, and her
husband confined to his arm chair with q
rheumatic attack. She had wearying
Gay, so she remained some time in the
& rden, resting on the green bench in the
hop arbor, when suddenly she observed
n man standing up in buggy in the
road, looking intently toward the house; {;
and at the same time Asa Davis came
tearing across the meadow field, shout
ing "Fire! Fire"
On this she ran into the house, where
she found her father quietly asleep in
his chair, and her mother vigorously
rocking the cradle with one foot, and
singing,
"Flee from the flames of wrath divine!n
while behind them, just two rooms off, q
tongue of flame was rising from the
kitchen-dresser, and sweeping out at the
open window. And after this, as Mrs.
Blakey declared, she hardly knew what
happened until she found herself and
family in the yard, in the midst of great
crowd, while their home was burning
down before their eyes.
The good woman did not tell to these
curious folk what it was that had kept
her so long in the hop-arbor. She did
hot tell how, before "Mark" went away
to the city, he had charged her not to
allow young Walter Healy, Ethe under
teacher in the Rushbottom Academy"
to meet their daughter Bessie at the gate
in the sunset, or to walk home with her
from the prayer-meeting on Tuesday
night.
"This thing must be put stop to,
Mark Blakey had sternly said; cor if
Bessie chose to marry man not able to
support her, she might do so, and never
expect any help from himself, unless"
he added, with the grim sarcasm with
which ne always alluded to the subject,
" they should have the good luck to find
the five hundred dollars and dozen silver
spoons which old Aunt Placev had always
said should belong to Bessie, and yet
had suddenly died without revealing
where she had kept them"
And so Mrs. Blakey had had a long
talk with her daughter, ending in sharp
lecture upon the folly of marrying poor
man, and contrasting her probable lot as
Mrs. Healy with what it would be as
the wife of Solon Winder, the richest
"store- keeper" in Rushbottom, whose
devoted attentions Bessie had persistently
snubbed. And the girl had shut herself
in her room and cried all day, while the
mothers heart was ill at ease, despite
the conviction that she was acting for
the best.
Still, mindful of her husbands direc-
ton, as the evening approached she sent
Bessie into the attic on some tedious
business which would keep her there be.
gond the hour when she was accustomed
to take her evening race with little
Dickey to the big gate, where of late The
young schoo! teacher, by some strange
chance, generally happened to be pass
ing at that time.
For some weeks he had not visited at
the farm house, where he had been clear
y enough given to understand that he
was not welcome, except to Bessie.
He was good looking, we'll behaved,
manly young fellow, whom everybody
liked, and this evening, Mrs. Blakey,
stepping into the garden for her towels,
had felt her conscience reproach her for
the part she was acting; and in the
screen of the hop vines had sat down
and cried, just as Bessie was at that
moment doing in the attic.
"Fire! Fire!' This was the alarm
which, spreading rapidly to Rushbottom,
about mile distant, aroused that peace
full settlement into state of unwonted
activity and excitement. The Rushbot-
tom fire brigade of course at once turned
out. Each man, leaving whatever bust
ucsS uc WAS aDOuI, IuSuCu 10 Jne spot
where the fire alarm bell was ringing to
ascertain for himself that it was done on
good authority. Then the captain of the
brigade assembled to the roof of the car.
riage- house in which the old engine was
kept, and, with glass earnestly sur.
veyed the point of bright flame at dis
tance, to be sure that it was really fire
Having satisfied himself on this point, he
gave orders. and the men fastened tc
don their waterproof coats and helmets
Some further time was consumed in hunt
Ing up the four horses from different
places, and then then the fire brigade
with engine, hose and ladders, ratified
out of the village, amid the wildes
enthusiasm and excitement. The popu
lace followed, some on foot and some or
horseback. Men left their business
places or their half-fnished suppers, and
rushed to the scene of the conhagration
and boys, wild with delight, tore ovel
fence and ditch to where the red beacon
light was now flaming through the trees
that surrounded the old Blakey farm
house. Young men hastily brushed ur
their hair, and called for their girls tc
go and see the fire, as though it ha6
been a picnic or circus; and the
matrons, after vainly endeavoring tC
crafty their curiosity by distant view
from garrst windows and haystRckSl