The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-01-21

"'Drive, Adam crieL. for all the
horses are worth!' Down came the
whip, and the spirited team fairly flew.
We could soon see that it was indeed
our home. My wife was frantic. 1t
was all could do to hold her in the
carriage. The plantation gate fortu-
nately stood open. We dashed in and
were soon in front of the house.
''The building was old, though SUBJ
stantially built by my father many
years before. The flames were roar
ing like furnace. The first object
my wife's eyes fell on as she leaped
from the carriage was old Aunt Mimba.
Lilly! Lillyn' she screamed, Aunt
Mimba, poor old soul was on her
knees, wringing her hands, and calling
on the Lord, She's dar, good Lord.
up in de back chamber and she pointed
to the upper floor of the building, now
being rapidly consumed.
"The front part of the house was a
mass of flame. The parlor windows
had melted like wax, and we could see
the furniture beyond feeding the fire.
the front chambers and roof above
were sending their showers of embers
and sparks far up in the air, and the
basement and rear floor of the struct-
ure could not long support the totter-
ing livid mass above. The door of
the main hall was standing open.
Some of the negroes had burst it open.
but dared to go no farther. The ban
listers and stairs were burning freely.
l saw at once that Lilly was lost. My
wife, half crazed, screaming, Lilly,
L. 81 I'D E., 49,,
way. grasped her arms. 1t took all
my strength to hold her back.
"At this instant figure shot past
me into the sheet of flame, and out of
sight. recognized the shabby form
of Joe. Poor fellow thought, he's
gone to his DEATH
My wife had tainted, and 1 had Just
dragged her under the spreading
limbs of tree, away from the intense
heat, when out of the fiery furnace
bounded a figure covered with flame,
laid a bundle which he carried in his
arms at our feet, tore the flaming
blankets from her form, and there on
the ground lay Lilly. I grasped a
blanket from the carriage, and flung
it round him who had braved death
mid the flames to save my child. With
the help of Adam and the overseer,
who had arrived, we soon had the
flames extinguished. In fact there
was not much to extinguish; for his
ragged clothing had literally burned
from him. 1t was the flaming quilts
and blankets in his arms, in which
Lilly was rolled, that made him look
like pillar of fire.
'sThe smoke like to have strangled
Lilly but the fire had not touched her.
She lay unconscious of her danger
asleep in a rear chamber, to which the
fire had not penetrated, though the
outside was burning fiercely. Joe had
burst in the door, thrown the blankets
and quilts over her head. gathered her
up, blankets and all, and dashed down
the flaming stairway.
1--WE put Joe in the cabin and had
the best medical attendance the county
could afford. The next day L went
over and bought his wife and child,
and her faithful nursing and the
physicians together finally pulled him
through, though it was months before
he could walk.
"It seems that Aunt Mimba had put
Lilly to bed and gone over to some of
Illo CdUlnS W SoSSlp Will GHo ueSIOeS
there. The fire had broken out in the
basement and made such headway that
when it was discovered they dared not
enter the house. The overseer's house
being so far from my residence, he had
not got there when 1 arrived.
'Of one thing I am sure; had 1 not
bought Joe that day my Lilly would
have been food for the flames. Do
you wonder now that money wouldn't
buy him? I've offered him his freedom,
but he won't leave me. His wife is
our cook, and Joe is my messenger
and handy man. and the boy is a
bright little darky and Joe's pride, l
wouldn't let any of the neighbors
know it, but Lilly has taught him to
read and write. 1 suppose I'll die
some of these days, and when 1 do
there's provision in my will that
leaves Joe and his family free and pro-
vides for giving them start in life,
but 1 doubt if they'll leave Lilly"
"Oh, Joer' and in he came, "show
this gentleman to his room. III. E..
Scott