The Allis Family | Page 4

just now it does not seem possible for me to

spare the time."
One day, not long after, a long line of fire appeared on the prairie,
several miles distant. It was, however, so distant that Mrs. Allis and the
children did not feel alarmed, as the evening was still; and they were
watching it with interest, as the flames assumed various fantastic
shapes, now darting upwards like tongues of fire, and now weltering
and bubbling like a sea of melted lava. Mr. Allis had not yet returned
from town, where he had been engaged all that day, entirely
unsuspicious of any approaching calamity; and Mrs. Allis was not
aware how rapidly the flames were approaching her home, until she
was startled by seeing a horseman ride rapidly to her door and hastily
dismount, inquiring for Mr. Allis.
"He is at ----. I expect him home in the course of an hour or so. But
what is the matter, Mr. Jenkins? Is anybody sick?"
"Matter, woman! Don't you see that prairie-fire yonder? You'll be burnt
out if you don't stir round lively."
"Burnt out, Mr. Jenkins! What do you mean? What shall we do?"
"Do? Why, we must go to work right away and set a _back-fire_,--as
quick as we can, too. Call your girl there, and come out both of you as
soon as possible!"
Not many minutes passed before Mr. Allis reached home. He had seen
the fire at a distance, and, understanding the danger far better than his
wife, hurried home as rapidly as possible.
Poor Annie and Susie were sadly frightened. When they saw the smoke
and fire so near the house and stacks of grain, they cried as if their little
hearts would break; but there was no one to hear them, for their mother
could not be spared a moment until the danger was past. Poor children!
They soon had enough of prairie-fires, and they thought they would be
very thankful if ever they could see their father and mother and Mary
alive again. Sometimes they were almost suffocated by the smoke
which the rising wind drove into the house, and then they thought they
should surely be burned to death. Still, lonely and frightened as they
were, they did not attempt to go out. They remembered that their
mother had told them not on any account to leave the house, and, like
obedient children, they did as she had told them.
It was two hours--but it seemed much longer to the poor little girls--
before their mother came in; and then they scarcely knew her, for her

face was blackened with smoke and dust, her hands were burned sadly,
and the skirt of her dress torn and burned in many places. Although
they were excited and curious, yet these good children undressed and
went to bed, helping themselves all they could, that their mother might
rest, and trying to wait until morning for all they wished to know.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Allis busied herself, weary as she was, in providing a
comfortable supper for her husband, who had eaten nothing since
dinner-time. It was past midnight when Mr. Allis and Mary came to the
house, and they too were tired enough, as we may suppose.
But, above all, they were grateful to that kind heavenly Father who had
so mercifully preserved and protected them from harm amid such
dangers. Little did any of them sleep that night; and it was not strange
that the morning, which came on wet and showery, found them but
little refreshed after the unusual fatigue of the preceding night. But the
children were awake with the first light, and eagerly asking questions
about the fire.
"But what is a _back-fire?_" said Annie, when her father had finished
telling them about the matter. "How do you set a back-fire?"
"Well, Annie, we light _another fire_, nearer the house or fence which
we are trying to save, and then, with a brush or broom, or sometimes a
little stick, _whip it out_, so that it cannot burn very fast. When the
grass is burnt off in this way there is nothing left for what we call the
'prairie-fire' to burn, you see. If we can do this in season, the house or
stacks are generally safe."
* * * * *

THE BABY.
How tired every one was all day after the prairie-fire! Well would it
have been if the matter had terminated in fatigue. Early in the day the
feeble mother had to betake herself to her bed; and on the following
morning Mr. Allis, to his great surprise, found himself rudely shaken
by the ague. Not many days passed ere Mrs. Allis and Mary found
themselves at the mercy of the same annoying visitor. Sometimes the
three shook in concert;