The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-07-12
MIS- GEL & a ARlE0 Us

= SJIttAl 11TifS'ONOOOlOiSs,rl
Isl t'ssnot often o Inan loosos any
Thing by kindness. lsdow "a little
matter of that sastst tlsed my life, and
AIS tlss itves Of many others at
Same timo." 8
81 How was that?n asked no of our
friend Rawlings, the model conduo.
tor.
Why, We had an Irishman on
thisSroad watching a tunnel. It was
warm weather, SO he used'to 90 into
the tunnel to keep cool. rather
think he used to take little liouor
when he was lonesome; any way, he
Slaid down on the tract, one day to
listen for the cars. He fell asleep,
and very imprudently got his head
cut off blythe express train. Well
there was the last of that Irishman.
There was the DEVILS own row in
his shanty when we took the poor
ellowsup, and we got away as soon
as we decently could, for you know
notlagreeable to be surrounded
with asdistracted family when you're
neither q doctor nor a nurse, nor a
preacher. Somehow I was always
sorry when passed that place; Of
course 1 felt as if-not exactly the
same think--but just as bad might
happen to me some day, aud then
athere' d be another row in family.
oldimylwifc about it, and she sent
the family some little things. The
widow Of the dead Irishlnan was a
Catholic, and, as I was on a very
fast train,I would sometimes take
Sup the old woman on Sunday and
& carry. her to church at NIartinsburg.
q somehow thought it was satslac-
sSStions to her to go to church, for she
had but little chance in the world
any how. certainly did not expect
to get any thing for it in this world,
and IoxPccted they had SO much
scored against me in the other, that
itswoulkn't amount to any thing
8there.
That was during the sumner
One night the next winter it was
very cold, and the mountains were
covered with snow; we were running
to; make time, when, on turning a
curve, the engineer saw a waving
slighton the track, and we soon
8heard some one ahead shouting. !
WAS then out on the platform. The
Sen ngineer Stacked up and stopped the
engine, and we got out and went
ahead in the dark to see what was
Sthe matter. There twas. A large
landslide had fallen across the track,
near the shanty of that old Irish wo.
man She had butt up large fire
and watched for the train, for the
Iss'tI curves were SO sharp that We might
have been upon the slide before we
could see it. So, when we run up,
there was the old lady, with her cal.
5ico cap, swinging tho chunk of fire
like q revolving lighthouse, and
there were the little Irish carrying
brush, like so many little beavers
She had watched all that night in
the cold. But for her, in another
minute we should have run into
tpileof dirt and stone as big as Barn
Enm's Hotel. I should have got
ss.spit ticket" certain, for l was on
ithe platform. What would have be-
come of the passengers and train
you can guess as we'll as I can.
We expressed hope that the old
widow had been properly rewarded.
.sIhe passengers made up about
eighty dollars, the company after.
wards gave her shanty free, the
#brakemen and engineers bought her
30 COW, and she made out very we'll.
But when I handed the money to her
that night, sh said: 'Gintelemcn and
sladies, I'm thankful, and may ye
sniyer know the want of what ye give
me. But what | did was mostly on
account of him, there. He was
kind and thoughtful to the poor and
the afflicted. and I'd watched till
81 froze before harrum should have
come to him, if could ha helped it,
.sD--n the thing, it made ne ehok
right up"
Passen jars for the Rcla a ~"
$0e+Don't forget your umbrella, sir
there might be an explosion4 and
you'd want it to keep off the cinders.
.Let me pass your banbox, miss"
flake care Of your little boy, mad.
am, no insurance on him" All
right go ahead!' Washington he.
ap't6Ae.
~~~-o1~~~>..-oees-..>~o
M AN UNREASONABLE SHERIFF. =