Year: 1872

drop before its blaze caught upon the surrounding woodwork but, held to It's place, perhaps by the wind, 1t kindled brighter and brighter till it was plain that unless some human hand could pluck It down, the spire and all that would be involved in its destruction were doomed. The helpless crowd looked up and watch ed the burning brand, but among them all there was not one man fearless enough or active enough to attempt to scale the giddy height. Rhe Mayor and Council stood in the square below DOW erless and despairing like the rest, but offering large reward to any one who would attempt the daring feat of dislodp- ing that speck of flame that flickered in the gale at the very summit of the steeple, and grew each moment brighter and would not fall.

 But presently man appeared in the belfry of the church, and leaning over the railing looked upward, as if measur- ing with his eyes the distance of tbe many feet of almost perpendicular as- cent that still lay between him and the spot of hame above him. Then he mounted upon the railing and stretched his hands above him upon the steeple. From the crowd of thousands below went up one single mighty shout that almost shook the air about him then a great silence fell upon the multitude as they held their breaths, and their upturn- ed faces grew white in the ruddy light as they watched his progress. Slowly, painfully, carefully end steadily he crept up and up.. raising himself from one slight projection to another, invisible to those below, but which served hlm for foothold and which his hands could grasp. All around for many squares the fire ragged unheeded, and men forgot their blazing homes as by the light of their burning they watched this solitary figure creeping hundreds of feet above them up St. Michael's steeple. At length the brand was within his reach, and holding on with one hand only he seized the blazing mass with the other and hurled it clear into the square below, and the spire stood out black once more against the sky with no light upon it except the reflection of the burning houses.

 But not yet did the crowd dare to shout out their exultation that St. Mi chaePs was saved, for it's savior still chung, 8 moving speck beneath the gol- den ball, the sight which the sailors greeted so far out to sea. Slowly, pain fully, carefully, steadily he began the more difficult descent, and not till he had stepped safely and firmly over the railing and into the belfry of the church did the mighty shout of men who hailed a great deliverance, and recognized an act of daring heroism, rise above the roar of the surrounding fire. St Mi chaels was saved and the man was saved.

 At the church door, the Mayor and corporation and surging crowd of people met him. Who he was that had performed that fearful feat none knew they could only see that it was a man who climbed the spire, but in the lurid light so many feet above them in the air they had not seen that he was black. He stood at the church door, and they saw not only that he was black he was slave.

 But none the less had he saved St. Michael's and, as the burgesses of Aix ordered their last measures of wine to be given to the good horse Roland, who brought the good news from Ghent, so the Mayor of Charleston gave on the spot. his freedom to the negro slave who had plucked the burning brand from the very summit of St Michael's spire and saved the city and church. - ". r Post.