Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-06-07
LAPORTE Pa FRIDAY, Z 1885,

tolled out the hour Of midnight.
Sometimes it seemed to strike louder
than usual, and Hugh was awak-
ened by its clangor. While ly-
ing half awake, he fancied he
heard the sound of cracking flames
and strange roar filled his ears. He
sprang from his bed and opened the
door into the hall. The hall was filed
with smoke, and the lower story
seemed to be on Ere. Hugh ran first
to the nursery and reused Rose.
Wrapping the baby we'll upin blankets
and giving her to Rose he bade her
follow him. Returning to his room
he carefully wrapped his wife in a
blanket and, taking her in his arms,
fought his way through the smoke and
flames down the stairs and out into the
open air.
"By that time all the black people
from the Quarters were huddled, an
excited, frightened, frantic mass, in
ront of the house. The men were
confused and helpless, the women and
children crying and screaming. Old
Maum Dinah came Onward, and Hugh
gave his half-fainting wife into her
keeping, and though his face and hands
were blackened and blistered, he
started off to see if anything could be
done.
"'Attend to your mistress and the
baby, Maum Dinah, he had said, and
with Lillian in her motherly arms,
Maum Dinah called for the baby.
"The baby! There was Rose,
frightened, weeping creature, but no
baby!
Gillian suddenly grown strong in
her mother-love and anguish, rushed
toward her and caught her by the
shoulders. where is my baby? Rose,
where is my baby?' she cried.
"'There, there cried the girl,
pointing wildly toward the nurs-
cry windows. Il was SO fright
ened. o, mon Dieu! I laid her
back in re crib
"With cry of awful agony Lillian
rushed toward the burning house, but
before she could enter, her husband,
knowing nothing of their baby's peril,
caught and held her fast. He thought
her delirious from excitem ent when she
cried that the baby was burning; but
when he saw the horror on the faces
around him terror froze his heart and
paralyzed his brain.
"Before he recovered Maum Dinah
seized his arm and pointing to the
tree beneath the ursery|window, cried:
gNI, Mocon HY1~h. will
save the baby!' And then they saw
little, black figure, clad only in a
short, white gown, showing weirdly in
the red light of the flames, creeping
carefully along the slendess limb be-
meath the nursery window.
"Breathlessly they watched her.
She reached the window, and without
moments hesitation climbed into
the room. The throng below stood
with upturned faces, still and silent as
though turned to stone; tho horrible
roaring and cracking Of the flames
alone broke the silence. The minutes
seemed hours before she reappeared
with the beby. still wrapped in her
blankets in her arms.
''Firmly she held the baby in one
arm, and nimbly and with cat-like
care she climbed out of the window
and settled herself astride the limb,
then she slowly 'hitched' herself inch
by inch along the limb till she reached
the body of the tree. There Hugh
Porter's arms received both her and
the baby and bore them safely to the
ground, and while the old house
burned shout upon shout Of thanks.
giving arose to God. Penny. in her
little night, gown, did not look much
like the ideal heroines Of romance,
not those real ones made immortal by
history but children, think she was
one of the heroines God knows and
will mark for His own.
Notwithstanding the terrible
events OF that night, the baby's chris.
tening occurred on Easter morning
and Penny, proud and happy, carried
her into the church and stood near
among the tall, white lilies, while
the old minister baptiz I'd her in her
own name, Penelope, and prayed that
God might bless both the baby Pene-
lope and her brave little rescuer for
whom she was named.
"Hugh moved his wife and baby to
Charleston, and Maum Dinah and
Penny, who refused to accept their
proffered liberty, were given entire
charge of the baby and the nursery.
''Dear, faithful Penny! She it was
who, more friend than servant, cared
for her mistress tenderly oil the years
of her suffering life, for she
never recovered from the effects OF
that terrible night-she it was who
closed the tired, blue eyes at last, and
some time. when God wills. she will
close the eyes of the baby she SO brave
ly saved, for Penny at seventy-two is
hale and strong, while my race, as
you see, is nearly run"
sob! Was it our Maun Penny?"
asked Teddy, eagerly.
''Yes, dear, and the little baby"
"Was you, Grandma !" chroused the
children. n.--Sunbeams' Young People.
Mcasurin. Cannon. Ball Velocity.