Many hearts stopped beating as the time drew near
To bid good-bye to their children dear.

"The babies and children all did shriek,
And now their voices grew very weak.
The staunch big men grew white with fear,
At the thought of death that was so near.

"But all at once the winds did cease,
The waves stopped tossing, and there was peace,
The children stopped crying; with joy they all laughed,
And gladness prevailed on that safe little craft."

There was more applause, mingled with laughter, and Elsie whispered to
Carol, quite loud enough to be heard by several others:

"Did you ever hear anything so silly? Even the meter is wrong; there are
too many words in some lines, and not enough in others."

"Read yours next, Lulu," said Winifred, before her friend could make
another announcement. "Lulu writes beautiful poetry," she added in a
lower tone to Jack Randall; "I'm crazy to know what she's written this
time."

Lulu protested that as hostess her turn should come last, but several
other girls joined their entreaties to Winifred's, and she was forced to
yield. Blushing and smiling, she took a sheet of paper from her pocket,
and began to read:

"THE FIRE.

"The forest trees were waving in the wind;
The sun was slowly sinking o'er the hill,
The clouds in purple, gold and blue outlined,
Were mirrored in the still pond by the mill.

"The birds were twittering their last good-night;
The dainty flow'rets closing up their eyes,
When all at once a fearful lurid light
Shone in the many-colored sunset skies.

"Quickly that awe-inspiring fire spread,
And many a tall and stately tree there fell.
The timid animals and birds all fled,
And naught but charred remains were left the tale to tell.

"At morn when in his glory rose the sun,
Over the blackened, devastated hill,
The scene that there the traveler looked upon
Seemed to his inmost heart to send a chill."

"Isn't she wonderful?" whispered Winifred excitedly to Jack. "I told you
hers would be the best."

"It's very pretty," Jack admitted, "but I think I like the one about Ria
and the Bear the best of all."

"The next poem," announced Lulu, when the applause had subside