The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-03-09
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.
THREE LITTLE FlREMEN.

There's big fire along the railroad
track and the section men are hust'
ling to put it Quit" cried Ralph, all
GREATNESS and excited. What IL the
bridge should catch fire."
Il think there is no fear of that
happening" said Mrs. Kent with a
smile. "Your face is scarlet, dear. Sit
down and cool off little"
20, mamma, can't we go to see the
fire?" begged the twins. We'll be
awful careful"
"I'll take care of them, mamma, but
won't you come, too?' said Ralph
''The big clouds of smoke are rolling
over the tree tops and the blaze is
spreading everywhere"
my bread is in the oven, SO can't
go just now, but Rex and Rose may if
they promise to keep tight hold OF
your hands and not get near the fire.
I will come presently"
The eager little folks promised and
hurried away to the track across the
road. The men were working might
and main to save the fence and keep
the fire from reaching the bridge.
Their faces were sooty and their
clothes black from the smoke, but
they didn't mind that the least bit.
1t had been a dry spring and the old
grass burned like paper. Just on the
other side of the fence Mr.. Kent 8
orchard was brave with tender green
leaves and tiny apples and Mrs. Kent
feared the fire might reach it and in
jure the fruit.
"There!" screamed Rex. ITS in the
orchard!'
Sure enough. A dozen bright ton
CUES of fame were licking up the dry
grass and old leaves and the children
were soon guessing which row the fire
would reach before the men could put
it out. All at once thought struck
little Rose and she lay down in the
grass to weep. Our brush heap! Our
brush heap!" she walled. "The bird
les will all be killed"
Ralph lifted his sister from the
ground and tried to brush off the
clinging dirt. Just then the flames
leaped higher and he became fright
ened, too. The three children rushed
back to the house as fast as their feet
would carry them, screaming, NAM
ma! Mamma! Mammal" all the way.
You may be sure mamma came in a
hurry to see what was the matter.
"You can't carry enough water to
put out the fire, dearies," she said
when they told their story. Don't
you remember how Uncle Frank said
they used to fight fire out West by
making a broad clean path that the
flames could not CROSSE" Get some
hoes and rakes out of the brides
homes"
There was a large brush heap In
the orchard that Mr.. Kent had intend
ed to burn early in the season, but
the very day he started out with some
Goals on the fire shovel Rex's sharp
eyes had discovered tiny birds nest
among the dead twigs; so the pile of
trash had to be left till Mrs. Bird and
her family were ready to move. Since
that time four more families were liv-
ing in the brush pile and the children
were delighted to see the wide mouths
and hear the shrill little cries every
time they went to the big tenement
house.
They'll be smoked to death! I
know they will" cried little Rose,
coughing and weeping all together,
for her blue eyes were full of smoke.
mo, they won't" said sturdy Rex.
"The mamma birds won't let them.
They've got the babies all tucked
snugly under their wings nice and
SAFE"
The men came to help and soon
there was a nice broad path clear
around the brush heap. Not single
birdie had feather singed, for the
wind obligingly lifted the smoke high
in the air and soon nothing was left
of the fire but big bare patches Of
ground to tell how nearly the five
little homes were destroyed.
I'm the cities they give the brave
workers medals when they save lives"
said papa that night I think my
three little firemen all deserve gold
medals for keeping the fire away
from the dear little homes"
And I think SO, too, don't you?