Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

234 RAMBLES ABOUT PORTSMOUTH.
To the children of thirty to thirty-five years ago, it was
a theme that was ever new, and never tired. Let us take a
backward look to a time, when, to all but the more youthful generation, the great conflagration was an affair of yesterday. It is Christmas eve. A merry group of juveniles,
a dozen in number, after an afternoon of unbounded enjoyment in the spacious attic, succeeded by a bountiful repast,
are gathered in semi-circular array, around the hearth-stone.
An oak-wood fire throws out its genial heat, for the owner
of the mansion loves to see the fire-light reflected upon the
massive andirons and shining fender, and will admit into,
the sanctum sanctorurm, the family sitting-room, no such
modern innovation upon ol-ti4me comfort as a stove, though
it may do very well for the kitchen, whose arctic frigidity
nothing else would ever warm. When the entire catalogue of youthful romances, the'"Cinderillas," the "Riobin
HIoods, etc. have become exhausted, the young lady, to
honor whose birthday the little party were assembled, suggested to " mother7' to " tell them the story about the
great fire." "Mother" thinks it is more than a "thrice-told
tale;" but it is repeated, and listened to with eager ears by
her youthful auditors; and the same story, in substance,
has been told again and again, on many others than
Christmas eve, and formed the theme of many a winter
fireside chat.'Aunty " has a passage of her own experience to relate,,
and we will let her tell her own story in her own way.' The china tea-set you saw upon the table, to-night, was
among the last articles saved from my father's house, andits rescue nearly cost me, my life. It was in a back room
closet, whose contents amid the excitement were forgotten,
when nearly all else of value had been removed to a place of
safety. While I was engaged in removing the china from
the shelves, some men were tearing. away an out building,
into which the closet projected, in the rear of the house,