The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-03-24
Grandmother S
Story.
By MRS. CHRISTINE STEPHENS.

1T was in December, the third win
ter after we moved into it, and just
about such a night as this, only colder,
if anything. Grandfather was away
| logging again; he used to go every
winter, for your Uncle Jerry had got
old enough to help me about the chores
a good deal then.
1T was Sunday night, I remember,
and had gone to bed in pretty good
season, for I always got up before
daylight to so to washing. Along
about eleven o'clock I walked, with
my eyes smarting and feeling all
choked up.
II tell you, children, it didn't take
long to make up my mind what was
the matter, and sprang out Of bed
and ran from room to room to find
where the fire was, with the baby un-
der my arm.
/ ''On opening the door into the kit
chen, I saw that the partition next
the shed was all ablaze and ready to
drop. The stairway leading to the
chamber where the children slept ran
up out Of the kitchen, and the fire had
crept round nearly to it,
"But what made you think that the
ashes set the fire." interrupted Eben.
Because I'd taken them up Sunday
morning and set them just outside in
the open shed in an iron kettle-I
hadn't calculated on the winds blow
ing so hard-and forgot them, and
that's where the fire caught. So you
see it was the ashes fast enough.
Shaking and dragging the children
out of bed, got on to them, somehow,
| what clothes I could lay my hands on,
and, throwing blankets over their
heads, told them to run downstairs
and out Of doors as fast as they were
ready; but being walked So sudden and
the fear Of the fire fairly dazed them.
"Your Aunt Ann. next older than
the baby, was the last one, and some
| how I was so fustered I couldn't find
| anything to put onto her, for now the.
fire was roaring down in the kitchen
| even above the roar Of the wind. and
I was afraid it would cut me off en-
tirely.
| "At last felt out coat that be-
longcd to one Of the boys, and I had
scarcely buttoned her into it when a
sudden light burst into the dark cham
Der.
"Ay heart leaped into my throat as I
! thought of the great bunches Of tow
! and liner-yarn-more than two hun
dred skeins. which I had just finished
spinning-hanging round the sides Of
the stairway. They had taken fire.
But you didn't go down through
| that, grandma?" cried Nell.
"There was no other way, ny dear.
And there were the babies in my arms,
besides those who had gone down be-
fore.
But I couldn't stop long to con-
slider. On the beds were big woolen
coverlets, and, throwing one of these
over my head. I dashed down the
stairs, with Ann under one arm and
| the baby under the other, for hadn't
put the little thing down once, for
fear she would crawl away in the con-
fusion and darkness. and should
never find her again.
THE hot flames burned my hands
and feet as 1 went through them. The
way was completely cut of out Of
doors, as I had feared, except through
north window, and the smoke in the
kitchen was so thick that it almost
stopped my breath.
II can't remember how I got across
the room to that window. But found
myself before it, and trying in vain to
open it, for it had ben fastened down
securely to keep the snow and wind
from driving in. A. light stand stood
near, and with that broke the win
dow through, sash and all, and leaped
out!' =
And, in her eaYnestness, the old lady
half rose from her chair and thrust
energetically with her cane at an in,'
aginary window in the bright depths
Of the big fireplace.
Ann says I fell down, and perhaps
! I did; don't remember" she added,
subsidins into her chair and rocking
gently.
! After a little SPELL" continued
grandma. Il got breath enough to
wallow through the snow around the
house, bat I couldn't fad eHe OF the
children. I was about to give up IN
despair, thinking that, in their be-
wilderment. they might have got into
the fire, when heard shouts from the
/ hog-hoase out by the barn. They bad
. driven the pigs up and had all had
died together in their warm beds.
well. l knew We coaldH't stay ther<
all night, for the children wasn't Eal1
: dressed, and noRe af Us had an any
shoes. aHl It xas bttsr csaG Il