The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-06-15
Bedtime Stories
For Little Folks

crouched in the box in an old shed in
vacant lot.
Charlie was dirty, black rs a COAL
His face and clothing were covered
with the SCOT from the chimney, and
after it was we'll soaked with rain, he
looked as if he had waded into an ink
well. But he curled up around in the
dry box and went to sleep, snoring
safely till morning, and when he woke
the sun was already high in the sky.
A woman was crossing the lot when
he stepped out of the shed.
you are the very one I need said
| the woman. 81 was just going out to
get a sweep-the chimney at our
| house is so foul the fire will not
| burn"
Il will be glad to get the job,'' said
Charlie. perhaps l can get some
| thing to eat when have finished"
go to that big stone house in the
park on the right hand side" said the
woman pointing. Lady Gray Dand-
ridge lives there. Inquire at the
kitchen about your work"
So the lad swept out the big kitchen
chimney, where the smoke from the
baking and roasting had blackened
the bricks for years, then he had a
good breakfast. After eating, a maid
told him to sweep the chimneys for
the rest of the house. One by one he
cleaned them until he reached that
belonging to the library. This was a
beautiful chamber, full of handsome
| portraits, books and old armor, and
when the boy stepped down out of the
dirt and on the hearth of the room
| he was astonished by its beauty. But
| the prettiest thing in the place was a
golden-haired baby, who Jay asleep on
a rug made of tigers skin. Her curls
hung over the dead animals stuffed
head and her little hands chung even
in sleep to a tiny doll.
But Charlie did not stop long In a
few moments he was up the chimney,
whistling as he swept the SCOT into a
bag. Black, dirty, he was happy at
| his work. But presently he smelt an
odor as if Of smoke.
Like a stone Charlie dropped back
into the room. 1t was filled with
smoke. Rushing to the door, he looked
out into the hall to see that the stair
case was a roaring mass of flames
that were licking up the steps and
making escape that way impossible
Charlie ran to where the baby still
calmly lay asleep. How was he to
save her? The room was in wing
of the house and on the third floor. It
would not be possible to go down the
steps, which were a bed of fire, and
it would means death to leap from the
window, for below the pavement was
of stone. But he seized the baby in
his arms and leaped to the window
sill. Below he could see the men and
women of the family gazing up toward
him in horror and the ha!f-crazy
mother imploring someone TO save
the child.
The boy saw the wall was covered
with very old grapevine, which was
strong enough to bear his weight
Already the flames were creeping into
the room, the smoke binding him and
the heat burning his face. The baby
began to cry. At the first wall the
mother below, who was Lady Dand-
ridge, screamed with fear.
Holding the child close in his arms.
the lad slowly climbed over the sill
of the window and grabbed the vine.
Step by step feeling his way carefully,
he went downward. Out from the
window above burst the flames. but
they swept far out over his head
Down, down, inch by inch, he came,
while the people below held their
breath in suspense, and the mother
lay faiting in her husbands arms.
Soon the whole of the upper floor
was a roaring mass of fire. But now
Charlie was almost on the ground.
Before his foot could touch the earth
the mother had seized the baby and
Rugged it to her breast, while Lord
cambridge, the husband, lifted the lad
and sat him on his shoulders. In
triumph the people ran back into the
house, for only the wing had been
burned
''In gratitude for saving my only
Il.