Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-09-14
A BENEVOLENT INCENDIARY.

A farmer awoke suddenly one night
amid the cracking of flames, A friendly
stranger who had forced his way into
the burning farm house to arouse him
stood beside his bed and called on him
to escape at once before it was too late.
He did so, and reached the open air in
safety, though bewildered and daZed by
the fire and smoke. Suddenly he thought
he heard his children calling for help.
Selling his rescuer's hand with mingled
sensations of gratitude and terror, he
pointed to an attic window round whose
matched caves the flames were already
playing
They shall be rescued" said the
brave but unknown friend. IL have a
ladder ready; provided it beforehand.
With the farmers help he raised this
ladder to the window, where girl was
screaming to the distracted father to
save her from the terrible flames. The
benevolent stranger was the first to
ascend. He took the girl in his arms
and brought her down in fainting con-
diton. The farmer now rushed up the
ladder, but no sign of his boys or of
their mother could he behold amidst the
blazing mass of fire that filed the upper
rooms and drove him back scorched,
blinded and sick Of heart. He sought
| the noble stranger, who, for some rea-
son or other, was dragging a blazing
fagot across the farmyard, and cried
| out to him in despair, "What must | do,
| man. to save them Z"
Gan is over" coolly replied the
stranger; their time is past. Be thank
full for your own safety"
SIS there naught | can do?"
Take this brand from the burning"
answered the stranger solemnly, land
set fire to yonder haystacks while l fire
the wheat ricks and the barn and
stables"
What !" exclaimed the farmer, al
most paralyzed with astonishment,
"burn the whole farm down."
| "Yea," said the benevolent stranger;
"for what shall it profit man if he
| gain the whole W orld and lose his own
soul:"
''Art thou mad - cried the bewildered
farmer.
"The world has always called me So,
said the stranger with fanatical smile
of calm assurance and infinite superior
ity Illuminating his benignant counte-
nance, "but it is the world itself that is
mad to take thought for the morrow as
it does. For verify | say unto you, ye
shall not lay up treasures upon earth,
but in heaven only; for where your
treasure is, there is your heart also.
Only by losing this world can We win in
the next"
Good Cod" exclaimed the farmer,
struck by a horrible suspicion, "have /
been in the hands of lunatc all this
time? Was it you that set fire to the
house,"
eyes" replied the lunatic calmly. II
burnt your family that might show
forth my mercy by saving one of them. :"
"You Internal villain"
"Nay," said the lunatic lis there not
more Joy in heaven over one person
saved than over ninety and nine that
need no saving"
, The farmer, able to restrain himself
no longer, here felled the lunatic to the
ground with tremendous blow of his
l fist.
Next day he handed the incendiary
= over to the police, and lamented as he
gazed at the ashes of his home, that SO
dangerous a person had ever been let
loose. Enough of his corn ricks had
: been saved to preserve him from abso-
y lutte starvation, but his losses were ter
, rible, and some of them were so utterly
irreparable that the tears ran down his
. rugged face and his voice was choked
i with sobs as he thought of them. His
s daughter indeed was saved, but she
, never entirely recovered from the shock
of that dreadful night. The circum-
stances of her rescue are indelibly
stamped upon her imagination, and are
often repeated in her dreams. She still
s speaks of the stranger in terms of the
q most ardent gratitude and admiration,
and cannot bear to hear anything said
v against him, Any attempt to depict
r the beloved hero of her Imagination in
e his true colors results in such violent
8 symptoms of hysteria that no one ven
3 lures to approach so dangerous a sub
l ject in her hearing.
n Mora-Making a hell in order to
y save a few from it's fiery torments does
not not deserve very special gratitude
> towards the maker and ordainer of such
> an everlasting confiagration. Play.