Annals of our ancestors; one hundred and fifty years of history in the ...

CHANGES IN THE OLD HOME 193
burning roof they thought I was getting breakfast, but upon
looking out on the shed kitchen they discovered the whole
roof blazing and the flames driving toward the main building.
The season had been very dry, and there was no water in
either well or cistern.
Will sprang out of bed and awakened Ida, who hastened
into her red calico dress, getting it on wrong side before in her
haste and fright. She ran down the road crying, "Fire!
Fire! Fire!" If there had been but three pails of water when
Will discovered the fire, it could have been extinguished
and the dear home saved; but as it was they had to see it burn
down like tinder. Will tried to tear the shed kitchen away
from the main part of the house, but it was too late and he
could not. The good neighbors hastened to his help, and all
the furniture was saved excepting what was in the kitchen.
Will's powerful voice had sent the alarm of fire from one end
of the neighborhood to the other, and they came as rapidly as
possible and ripped off the shutters and dragged out the furni-
ture; but it was too late to save the house.
As we drove up to the place where our home once stood the
scene was one of ruin and desolation. The chimney and
cellar walls were standing, but the four walls of home had
vanished; our goods were piled under the dear old walnut tree.
I still recall the calm dignity of our brave mother as she at
once went to work to collect the scattered goods and pack
them in our carriage house near by, while our dear father sat
down at the foot of the walnut tree and wept out his heartbroken
grief. "The labors of a lifetime gone in an hour!"
were the words I heard him repeat while we were all wondering
what next. Father's lifelong friend. Uncle Jimmie Mc-
Cash, came forward and offered us some rooms at his house.
As we were now homeless, William and Julia thought of
the Green Tree, and so the next day they got in our market
wagon and took me with them off to Warren County to await
further developments. I was twenty years of age then and
felt my spirit strong for the battles of life. I was determined
to do something. It was a lovely autumn day, and as
we journeyed along our minds were full of our loss and we