Year: 1875




as well as the merits of a new churn to
discuss,and just as we had settled every
thing to our satisfaclion,a neighbor who
we had not seen for some time came in,
which detained us longer, 30 that when
we turned our horses head homeward,
l saw with some surprise, as we'll as a
slight feeling of alarm, that the sun had
set, and the soft gray twilight was steal
ing up the valley.


Our load was heavy one, my hus-
band having purchased several agricul-
tural implements, of no great weight in.
dividually, but collectively making no
small weight for one horse, so that,
though we we're necessarily anxious to
get home,w we were obliged to drive mod
erately, particularly SIS the road was not
only billy, but rough.


Chatting upon the various little items
of gossip we had heard, we drove on
until we had nearly reached the top of
the hill. when, turning to make some re-
mark to my husband, saw change
come over his face which struck me with
sudden terror. He was as pale as a
corpse.


"Look!' he said in voice hoarse
with emotion, pointing in the direction
of our home


My heart gave sudden bound, then
fell like lump of lead in my bosom. A
cloud of thick, dense smoke distinctly
defined against the clear sky beyond,
rose above the tree-tops. l tried to
speak, but not word could ] utter


At last / said, steadying my voice, 81
think it must be the Morrison's. Isn't
it to the left Of our house ?"


"No," he said, az he seized the whip
and urged old Whitley to his utmost
speed. don't you remember that when
we are at the top of the hill the smoke
from our chimney rises just over the
center of that little group of cedars ?"


Alas! l did remember; and as he
spoke we reached the summit and saw
enough to change our fears to certainty.
Neither spoke, but each turned and look
ed at the other with quivering lip and
dilating eyes.


"My heavens and have locked them
in!" -....,.


l was fairly beside myself with terror
felt as if l must leap from the vehicle
and fly to their rescue. Old Whitley
seemed to understand that life or death
depended on bis efforts, and he exerted
himself nobly.


On we flew, down the hill through the
stony brook that crossed the road, over
the tumble-down bridge, whose rotten
boards ratified and started up from their
places, past the hedge-rows that looked
| like one continuous mass of living
green; past little cottages with the chill
dren staring from the doors !; thinking of
nothing, caring for nothing, but to res
cue our darlings hid my face in my
hands, and rocked to and fro in my seat,
almost bereft of reason, as l thought of
the scene that ght be awaiting US
Imagination conjured MP all the dread
ful tales / had heard or read to add to
my horror Once l raised my head and
saw, or fancied l saw, slender tongues of
flame cleaving the mass of smoke, which
had by this time increased fearfully in
volume and density.


/ At last, after what seemed an age, but
was in reality only few minutes, we
reached the bottom of the lane which
led to our cottage. The angle was q
sharp one, and we made the turn with
such speed as to send the hind wheel OF
the old ph@ton high in the air.


How 1 got out I never knew l am
sure did not wait for the horse to be
stopped. Rushing to the door I threw
myself against it with such force as tc
break it in. The ro ON was full of smoke
but when the open door dissipated it 9
little, saw that it was empty! Then
suffocated by smoke and overpowered
by excitement, fell fainting to the
floor.


When consciousness returned, found
myself in the house of neighbor, witt
the children all about me, pretty wei
frightened, of course, but entirely un
hurt.


| How the fire originated was a myste
ry which we could never unravel. Grace
sitting with her back to the stove, and
with her attention entirely absorbed by
the pictures in the family bible, cid no
see it until Rover, the Newfoundland
dog,who had been quietly doing by hel
side, attracted her notice by his eviden
uneasiness after which he sprana
through the window. fortunately taking
the whole sash with him, and running al
full speed to the nearest house, soon re
turned with some OF its inmates.


Grace, in the meantime ,bravely letting
down the two elder children through the
window, which was but four feet from
the ground, took the baby from the era
die and was about to follow when the
neighbor arrived The house being old
and built as such houses usually are, of
the most combustible material, notwith
standing all efforts, soon became black
ened, smoking ruin.


Rover and Whitley lived to a good ole
age, and were afterward held in affec
tionate remembrance for their services
on that occasion


One evening, about year afterward
as we sat in our new house, built on thu
site of the old one, but more comforta
bic and commodious in every respect,
remarked "that the fire had benefited u:
in at least one way, for unless the ole
house had been actually consumed, WI
should never have had the new one


81 have felt the benefit of it in anothe
way" said my husband gravely; sit ha.
taught me never to put off doing any
thing which should be done at once
until a more convenient season. If tn
harness had given way on that day
where / repaired it so slightly before W
set out, although it would not have in
terfered with the safety of the children
it would have added len-fold to our anx
iety, because it would have DELAYED GU
reaching them. | made vow then tina
if we were permitted to reach HON
without accident, would use nv utmos
endeavor to overcome the habit of pre-
cras,inalion; and l think that you wi
allow that i have been pretty successful
so that, in more than one respect. "
have reason to regard that as "a 'memc
: rabe ride