River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-09-11
Shall 1 ever forget the sight that mss

Shall | ever forget the sight that mss
my frightened eyes? The room was q
blaze of light, and the soft white our
tains not only, but the bed and the l.,,ls
stand beside { were in flames. On tho
floor Just under the window was oue of
those great balls blazing away with all
its might, and looking like nothing SO
much as an awful eye of fire glarirg at
me.
What did do? hardly know. Yes,
| shut the window on the opposite side
of the room; | remember that, because
a light breeze was blowing, and knew
it would fan the flames. brought the
water pitcher and poured its contents
on the blazing bed: for the rest l
yelled with all the strength of my
strong young lungs: Fire. fret firer'--
yelled to such good purpose that in less
time than it takes me TO tell it the
room was filed with people, with voices,
with water. with smoke. with confusion,
and the FIRE was out
If it had not been discovered inn
mediately," said my father, mot only
the house but the whole street would
have gone: the wind is rising rapidly
and the fire. balls would have helped
along: as it is, | don't see how we es-
capped.
How did you happen to come into
the room, Isabella? What We're you
doing in the house, any way? L
thought you came over To Mrs. Frank
Inns 1t was my sister Mary who
asked the question. Mother had not
questioned me at all; she stood with
both arms wrapped around me and one
hand smoothing back my hair. She saw
that the fire had frightened me very
much
] burst into tears and sobs, and tried
70 talk at the same time. Il didn't go
to Mrs. Franklin's; ! ran away mean
meant to- | was never coming back
until ] was gray, and had had some
teeth pulled. / was goiug 10 live in the
attic always, all alone, but l don't mean
to, don't want TO; l don't want ever to
go away from you one minute"
/ sobbed out this remarkable story in
jerks, with many tears between, and at
its close burrowed my head into my
mothers breast, as though ! could hide
it forever from view, and cried as have
never cried since. Ii seemed to me that
/ had almost lost that blessed mother.
We'll, if ever | hoard any thing like
that in all my life" Mary said; but
mother smoothed my hair and MUIR
INJURED: Poor little grill did she want
to run away from mother?"
1t was perhaps nearly an hour after
wards that | went to the attic for some
needful things. father going ahead hold
ing the light. l close behind with my
hands ciasped in mothers and the re-
mainder of the family bringing up the
rear. How well / remember their faces
as they looked around upon my prepar-
atoms for housekeeping. How well |
remember the intense shame felt II
almost ought 10 say that you must sleep
here tonight, on the bed which you
have made for yourself said my IA
Their
chung close to mother. 20. mother,
no. ! almost shrieked, you never
will. neyer!'
NO" said my mother, holding me
close, I'VE never will; father does NOT
mean that: but tomorrow we will run
away together as much as this; we must
live, you and /, while these things last
on the provision you made for the flu
ture. You shall try how you like so
much of running away, but mother viii
run with you
tried to make il seem an unpleasant
thing to do, but the cake and pies
looked nice, and | honestly could not.
The next day we tried them. How
like an idiot | felt, sitting with my
mother in the attic, munching stale
cake and preserves. and thinking of the
good bread and butter and fresh eggs
and new milk which were being eaten
downstairs, and mothers cup of coffee.
1t was a disagreeable breakfast, and
the dinner was worse. At supper-timo
| said to my mother, with tears in my
ewes: Couldn't Just run and get you
cup of tea?'
NV mother shook her head. ''Of
course not she said; I'VE have run
away"
Two miserable days the cake and pies
and preserves lasted; on the evening OF
the third we went to supper. Shall L
ever forget how the bread and butter
and warmed-up potatoes tasted? We
are never going to run away again"
said my mother, gravely
I'm sure | never want to-" ] said;
'sbut father. if | hadn't. what would
have become OF our house and all our
things?'
1t was years afterwards before | I'M
derstood why they all went into shouts
of laughter over that earnestly-put
question.