The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-08-04

| FLAME.
termined to find a field of labor-and hs
| found it. Found it in the dirt begrimed re
gion of Ironvale, where thousand mer
with dependent families earned their bread
! by the sweat of their brows-men who
worked like horses six days each week anC
| loafed away their Sundays-men who said
so much that was black and dirty and I'M
pleasant that most of them came very neal
forgetting that they were men. And that
by the way, was one thing which Arthur
May never proposed to overlook. He had
started out to do his life-work as a preacher
and teacher, but he never intended to forget
that he was also man.
Arthur May made his first public bow to
| the lronvale population under rather favor.
able, If risky, circumstances. While in
Johnstown he had heard of the place, and
| sauntered over (amatter of ten-mile walk
one day in the fall. The more of dirt
squalor, misery and degradation he beheld
in the streets and homes, the more he be.
came convinced tat it was the very place
Tor practical Christian Work-a place where
few simple sanitary and hygienic lessons
would bemore to the point than Hypothetical
discussions on such questions as conditional
immortality and the personality of the
devil So he decided to stay, and estab
lished his headquarters at the none toe
sweet and clean hostelry dignified by the
name of the Ironworkers' Exchange.
Opposite to the hotel was a three-story
frame building, apparently rented out in
flats. On the first night of his advent to
Ironvale, Arthur May was about to retire
when he noticed smoke entering his own
half-open window. He peered out into the
night and beheid small fame slowly spread
ing itself over the front of the dingy tene-
ment house across the street. Without
waiting to don his coat and vest, he hastily
ran down stairs and gave the alarm. All
the inmates of the tenement were soon in
the street, but as there was not even the
pretence of a fire department in Ironvale,
the meager furniture of the house was
doomed and the building itself was soon
enwrapped in flames. Suddenly small,
slender figure in white night-dress ap-
peared at window on the top-story 1t
was apparently a little girl of seven or eight
years, and, although not word that she
said could be heard in the crowd it was
easy to see that she was greatly terrified and
crying for help.
"Great God!' said a woman, ''it's Tim
Doolan's little En-! She's all alone, poor
young'un-her mother dead three weeks
ago, an jim, the night Waterman, over to
the sheet iron mill ~
Other women in the crowd screamed and
wrung their hands; some of the men be-
moaned the lack of hook and ladder, while
others, with hands in pockets and gaping
mouths, watched with lazy unconcern or
idle curiosity the fate of the helpless child.
But while the crowd talked, cried and
gaped, Arthur May hastily endeavored to
comprehend the plan of the burning house
and it's stairways. Then, Needless of the
scorching heat, the binding and suffocating
smoke, and deaf to the warning cries of the
men, he rushed into the Inflated building
With great difficulty he found the child and
wrapped her in an old shawl which he saw
lying in the room. Then, dashing again
through the smoke and flames, he emerged
once more on to the street, where he was
greeted with loud hurrah and almost deaf
ening hand-clapping. Arthur gave up the
motherless girl to some of the women and
quietly returned to his lodgings. But sew
eral of the Ironvale people followed him,
and in the Office of the hotel-his sleeves
rolled up, his hair and mustache singed, and
his face, hands and arms blackened by the
smoke-Arthur May held quite reception,
in the course of which he took occasion to
introduce himself and explain his object in
coming to Ironvale. When he said he was
a preacher and wanted the men to come and
hear him talk to thom next Sunday, they all
promised to be on hand, for they thought
man who wasn't afraid to risk his life, as
Arthur had done, was worthy hearing,
whatever he might have to say. One thing
was assured-Arthur's popularity with the
fzI1-
Ironvale, as indeed it is in any community.
Another method was necessary in Iron
vale to secure the lasting regard and esteem
of the men, and the opportunity to bid for
the respect of the Ironvale masculine popu-
lation came in Arthur's way on the first
Sunday in the smoky town.
There was no church in Ironvale; there
was not even hall, so on Sunday afternoon
Arthur took up position just outside OF the
big mills belonging to Spriggs and Company
Somehow or other he had managed to make
it pretty well known chat he was going to
preach, and quite crowd assembled to hear
the young fellow who had so calamity
rescued "Jim Doolan's little EN-"
Arthur was fascinating speaker and be-
ing good judge of human nature and pos
sessed of his full share Of common sense
| he made himself more than interesting tC
|
these rough men, who gave him a respect
full hearing. There was one man in the
crowd, howeveSwho objected to the preach
ing. This was Jerry Burke, a big loafing
bully, who worked very little and drank q
great deal. He was chpnic grumbler and
especially objected, on general principles, tc
any thing like an innovation likely to bettei
the moral condition OF things in Ironvale
This same Burke was sharp thorn in the
side Of Spriggs and Company, who only toler
Grated the fellow about their works, fearful
of possible mischief which he might per
petrate should they discharge him. Physic
ally, Burke was a powerful fellow, stand
ing six feet high and tipping the scale al
two hundred pounds. He was never salts
fed with either the wages or the hours o.
work, though as a matter of fact he haC
small cause for being disconnected. II
| short, he was bully u sneak, and uncon