The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-07-10


over the country wide. The children,
too, Joined their voices and shouted:
Freedom! Freedom! We are freel
We are free!"
They rang and they rang until their
arms ached. At last they sat down,
exhausted, on the top step.
"Say, Mat, am precious tired and
sleepy, Bob said. Lets take nap;
it's too hot to 60 home now, any way"
So the children, putting their curly
heads together, fell fast asleep. They
did not hear the distant bells answer
theirs, or the sounds of the cannon far
away, which were adding their notes
of deep rejoicing. The afternoon be-
gan to grow shorter. Still the children
slept on. A storm was sweeping up
the valley, and the distant rumbles of
the thunder seemed but echoes Of the
cannon's roars, which had long since
died away.
Martha awoke with a start, to find
the belfry quite dusky, and Bob stu
asleep. awake up, Bob," she said,
ga thunder storm is coming up. We
had better get home"
Bob sat up, rubbing his eyes and
saying: al say, Mat, why didn't you
call me beforeP 1t must be very late,
and father and mother will be coming
home, and will think we are lost, Let's
run as quick as we can"
Down the old ladder the two chill
dren flew as fast as they could. But
to their surprise they found the door
refused to open, no matter how they
tried.
"Pull, Mat, there, we must open IL
: The winds gone and played us a nice
trick, any way" Pulling, however,
did no good, the children were close
prisoners.
MAT" said Bob, would you DO
afraid to stay here all nightP''
+ "No, Bob" replied the little girl.
"God will take care of us. You know
we are only in His own house"
S Eyes, know that, but it's awful
lonesome"
Let get into one OF the pews when
l. the storm comes down, and lie on our
y faces 50 that we can't see the light
ming; it is bright enough to scare fell
low" They could hear the thunder
t. coming nearer and nearer, and the
r lightning grew more brilliant every
mn1nent, lighting up the dark re-
D cesses.
n Don't be afraid Matt what you
said about its being Gods house is all
d right, l guess, J." whispered Bob, as he
buried his face in the cushions beside
III, his little sister. Listen! Crash! Crash!
- What noise the storm makes. Growl,
growl.
'e Say, Bob," whispered a little
n making that noise?'
q At that moment a flash of vivid
t lightning made Bob look up, and close
IT, to him, coming gradually nearer and
nearer, he saw large black body. He
felt the breath of some living thing on
his face, and catching his little sister
II in his arms he jumped over the back OF
the cushioned seat and ran down the
h aisle, while something battered, pat
- tered after him.
u Where should he goP The door was
'e shut! He thought of the ladder. Up,
lie up he ran; patter, patter behind him
70 came the horrible shadow. The thing
vs could climb, too! He pressed his little
sister closer. Don't be afraid, Mat, y
AZ he said. Then he caught hold of the
"a bell-rope and jumped out of the
I'd window, still holding on. Could the
bear, for it was indeed one, follow him
n or not?
"a How the storm ragged! How the vino
- blew the drops of rain into the faces o.
=" the children! The growls of the beal
De were nearly lost in the roars of thun
n der, which shook the old building, anC
IN the rope swayed backward and for
ward; still the children held on.
- "Pray Mat" said Bob God viii
- take care of us and let us be safe"
o. "Hark! What is that noise! SCI
~ the smoke! Bob. the Westinghouse il
" on fire."
le The flames were away off now; woulC
they come creeping soon to where tn,
er children were? The lightning mus
X have struck the building. Crackle
LII crackle! The forks of lame darted her
and there. Can no one save theyounj
10 bell ringersP
o. Yes God was watching over the lii
lg tie patriots He would need to us
TO- them yet in the land He had that da
10 made free.
'eI They hear voices below.
10 bob! Martial are you up thcre?
>, Eyes, yes" shouted the children.
, The fire was near them; the flame
NJ famed their cheeks and scorched thei
VIC faces as they hung to the rope.
. jump" strong voice replied
- "jump, both of you!'
O. There were kind arms below to cate
~ a, the children; and there were eyes w,
rct with sears, andshaky voices that blesse
them.
.od Bob and Martha lived to see man,
.Ga many Fourths of July, but that first OF
lrb passed in the old meeting house.. the
." never forgot. The little hands whiC
,ob rang freedom through the country Vi
wv lage grew wrinkled and feeble, b
NM their hearts ever trusted in God,
upon that Fourth of July night
90 1776.-COrnelia N. Parsons, IN ~
ioh Examiner.