The story of Rasmus Author:Julia McNair Wright Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. POPULAR APPLAUSE. " When I remember something which I had, But which is gone, and I must do without, I wonder sometimes how I can be glad, ... more »Even in cowslip time, when hedges sprout." That cry of fire was a tocsin dear to the soul of Rasmus. The love of destruction that seems horn in every human heart, had not in him been tempered by the toil of acquisition. As do children, he regarded property rather as a spontaneous growth, than a result of painful processes. A fire gave scope for his herculean strength and rampant energies. Contending against the river, he had thought of his luggage, but challenged by the cry of fire, he flung himself out of the state-room, oblivious alike of bags or " pardner." " Forward—forward all! We are quite safe!" shouted the captain to the crowd of passengers, who were already running wildly about, calling for their friends, snatching after their scattered possessions, or lamenting theirfates: women and children screaming, and men giving useless and contradictory directions. " If the passengers were told to go forward," thought Rasmus, "then the fire must be aft"; and thither he rushed. The steamer was already heading for shore, and a cloud of smoke was rising from the lower deck, near the stern, where the luggage of some of the poorer deck passengers had taken fire. Not far from the blazing beds and bundles stood a score of blue barrels containing kerosene. One of these was already flaming outside, when Rasmus appeared above the scene, hanging by one hand and one foot to the railing of the boiler deck. He had thrown off his coat as he came through the saloon, and balancing above the fire he saw that the burning luggage might be thrown overboard, and so possibly render effective the use of the water which the boat hands in ...« less