"Here we called over the names of the children; some were here, some
in another house, sitting over the stove with bare legs and only
their little shirts on. Soon little Robbie was found missing, but
Philips had lifted him out, and he had been seen running with the
others; we suppose that the poor child, blinded with smoke, ran to
the front door, and then went through into the schoolroom, the place
he knew best, where he must soon have been suffocated. It was all
over in a few minutes, all around was fearfully bright and lurid. The
engine came, but was of course too late, the fire spread with such
terrible rapidity.
"We sat almost stunned with fright and cold. Soon the Shearings and
Elliotts came, bringing clothes, &c., and we went to dear Mrs.
Elliott's house in a sleigh. It was not four A.M., and the fire was
almost out, burning round the verandah and the window-sills.
"Oh, how our hearts went up in thankfulness to God for sparing
mercies! A few moments more, and we dread to think of what might have
been. Miss Baylis' door being ajar, the smoke got in; mine was shut,
my room was free, but I saw the light on the window. Miss Moore was
in Miss Lowe's bedroom; she could not realise it, and, after being
first roused, was going to bed again.
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