Year: 1859

4


crowd, and succeeding, by her earnest
words, and her animated aud resolute de-
meanor, in inducing them to assist her. and
in this mann er she had soon organized a
systematic and regular line of water sup
/ ply, from the klar to that part of the con-
! nagration where Nordin and his men were
working. Already the fire began to abate.
1t was evident to all who were near that
this was the most important point, and that
! ii the fire could now be extinguished, any
further danger Of its progress was over.


Now for it, my lads ? said YHgTe.-
Some Of you must mount on yonder wall in
order to direct the water from that eleva-
tion upon the opposite house. If you can
extnguish the fire there all is right =


More ready or braver.hearted people, in
the hour Of danger, than the Swedish work.
ing-caSses, are nowhere to be met with
In moment the men were seen clambering
up the yet burning ruins. When they had
reached the top of tae wall ,they raised a
hUrrah Of triumph. The force of the wa
ter from this hight was very great.
| In half an honr the conaagration was
stayed; all danger from its further extern
sion was over. Again they hurrahed, stand
ing on their dangerous elevation, aud the
next moment the wall fell, with all its ar
ray of brave laborers. An hour afterward
Yngve was borne away from the smoking
ruins by his young comrades, with one knee
and his left arm greatly injured by the fall
| ing wall, the last achievement of the fire.
! But he would not consent to be removed
| from the spot before he had collected all his
men around him, and convinced himself that
no lives were lost of those who had scaled
the wall. He took counsel with the physi-
clan OF the place, respecting such as were
injured, and having arranged everything
for their comfort and well-being allowed
himself to be removed to the parsonage,
outside the town. where, during the time
that his works on the railway would keep
him in that neighborhood, he had his home.
Night came down; the conhdgratiOn was
stayed; the drum beat in joyous announce
ment; but more than two thousand persons,
whom the fire had ruined, or rendered home
less, wandered about the town or in the
| fields outside.


NIGHT IN THE KINGS FIELD.


The greater number of the fugitives were
assembled in the Kings field, because it lay
nearest to the portion Of the town in which
the fire had ragged, aud because its large al
though yet lea1eSS trees afforded some little
shelter.


Gloomy and Ieaden hung tie sky Of that
March night above the still burning ruins
of the town. Now and then flames were
seen to leap up from amid masses Of fallen
houses, which flung dreary illumination
over the desoation which lay within, and
the sorrowfnl spectacle in the field outside
There might the miserable Iugitives be seen
wandering about, not knowing what to do,
or sitting in groups keeping watch over
their rescued possessions, many with their
heads tied up, or with bandaged eyes or
limbs, testifying Of their too close contact
with the fire, aud all pale, detected, and
weared; the greater part Of them hopeless
and hewailing. The gloom of the night
seemed only to increase the misery. They
were perished with cold children cried,
and many mother had no means Of keep
ing her little ones warm but by clasping
them to her bosom. Many poor wretch
seemed perfectly stupeGed by dark and
gloomy despair. In vain Mimmi Svanberg
aud the young Countess went from one to
another, Offering them warm coffee and
bread, q comfortable freSide at either of
iheir houses; nobody was thirsty or hungry
nobody was willing or dared to leave their
cresued household stuff. They thanked the
kind ladies almost with Indifference, aud
continued TO sit staring on the ground, at
the reeking ruins, or ont into the darkness.
The wuiling of the children, now and then
Il cry of misery, and heavy sighs of deep
anguish alone broke the melancholy silence.


Here and there people were talking shout
the cause and origin of the fire dark sus-
pcons were uttered, and the words 1T was
done on purpose were whispered from one
to another. Here and there also people
were scheming how they best could take ad.
vantage Of the darkness and the confusion
and Mimm Svanberg heard mother say
reproachlully to her son. lad of ten years
old:


If yoa were only like fox and brought
home what you could get, then you would
be worth something ?


The lowest classes of the town'S pOpula-
tion, so long left neglected in their wretched'
ness and ignorance, had become dangerous
and the better classes, both OF the poor anC
the rich, were afraid of them, and not with
out reason.


Hertha had succeeded in placing hel
family in a certain degree of comfort. Tht
father and the invalid sister lay on mat
tresses at the foot of an old oak tree. The
younger sisters were also warmly clad; and
little Aunt Nella sat, not unlike a great
bundle of rags, restleSSly working her fingers
upon the precious portfolio in which lay
the papers Of the great lawsuit, and puz
cling her poor brain TO find out whether thi
,, fire would not deliver her from some of ii
I involved intricacies.


c Rudolph had been unwearyingly helpful
D to Hertha in arranging all in the best posi-
bic manner for the comfort of the whole
family; aud yet Hertha would not reward
him with one kind, nor even one glance.
e She spoke affectionatey to her little sisters
I she wrapped shawls around her fathers
, feet; she warmed Alma's hands in her bos
om and upon her checks; she looked after
4 the comfort of Aunt Nella aud old Anna
u