A GIRL'S BRAVERY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13891, 1 May 1907, Page 7

A GIRL'S BRAVERY.

(FnflM Oue Own Corrbspondeni.)

, MELBOURNE, April 24. A convent boarding school was'destroyed by firo at Hunter's Hill, Sydney, on Saturday morning. It was duo 'to tlio lino courage and presence' of mind of a 16-ycar-old schoolgirl that. a shocking mortality did not mark the fire. It, was some timo afto r midnight when Jessie Barrett., tlio girl in question, was awakened by lli t . smell and choking sensation of smoke. Slio jumped 'out of bed and, looking out tho dormitory door, sho saw tho flames coming fiom tho schoolroom. The school was a one-storoy group of weatherboard build-, ings, and the flames were making great ]ioad>vay r ' Miss Barrett ran back to the dormitory, and, picking up a seven-year-old child, proceeded to alarm tho household. Carrying tho child, she rushed first to the room wliero four Sisters were 6loeping. and roused them by screaming "l'irel" Then she ran to the room of tlio Mother Superior and roused her. Still carrying tlio child, site went back to the dormitory, wrapped a blanket around her, and threw her out of tho French window 011 to the lawn. Then in turn she roused up and pushed oulside fire stupefied children, tho flames having actually burst into tho dormitory before she got tho last of them out. Not content with this, she returned to the building, and' was almost overcome in an attempt to savo tho sacred vessels. "Wo would all have' been burnt in our beds but for this young girl," said the Mother Superior aftorwards. " Another two minutes would have made all tlio difference. She did not soem to care a bit for herself, and what sho did for tlio others was dono so quickly,' coolly, and intelligently that I cannot holp wondering how sho kept herself in hand so well. We ow c our lives to her prcscnco of "mind. Tlio nuns only got out in their nightdrcs>cs, and sho liad.saved all the girls by the timo I had got my habit on."