He had done
the greatest thing a man can do,--had offered
his life for his friends.
It is pleasant to know that this sacrifice was
averted. A quarter of a minute or so before the
second and terrible explosion, Devanny and his
men came staggering from the building. Then it
was that Merron fell, and McArthur checked his
fight to save him. Then it was, but not until
then, that Bill Brown left Engine 29 to her fate
(she was crushed by the falling walls), and ran
for his life with his comrades. He had waited for
them, he had stood the great test.
COLUMBUS DAY
(OCTOBER 12)
COLUMBUS AND THE EGG
BY JAMES BALDWIN (ADAPTED)[8]
[8] From Thirty More Famous Stories Retold. Copyright, 1903, by
American Book Company.
One day Columbus was at a dinner which a
Spanish gentleman had given in his honor, and
several persons were present who were jealous of
the great admiral's success. They were proud,
conceited fellows, and they very soon began to
try to make Columbus uncomfortable.
``You have discovered strange lands beyond
the seas,'' they said, ``but what of that? We do
not see why there should be so much said about
it. Anybody can sail across the ocean; and
anybody can coast along the islands on the other
side, just as you have done. It is the simplest
thing in the world.''
Columbus made no answer; but after a while
he took an egg from a dish and said to the company:--
``Who among you, gentlemen, can make this
egg stand on end?''
One by one those at the table tried the
experiment.
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