Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-06


she refused to listen, and went on enumeratins
sundry disastrous results, which rsshe lust
wished would happen; she did sou and giving
vent to various amusing, if unchristian, de,
nunciatlons Suddenly she stopped, and at
the same instant we raised our head and lis.
tened. 1t was deep, grinding. crashing sound.
a., as OF rocks sliding over and past each other
Ihere was Q cracking, as Of roots and branches
twisted and wrenched from their pases-tben
jar, heavy and terrible, that reverberated
through the forest, making the earth quake
our feet, and all the leafy branches tremble
We knew it instantly; there had been a
| heavy fall Of rock not far from us, and instan-
| taneously We started in the direction Of the
sound. The place was soon reached An enor-
nous mass Of rock and earth, in which many
small trees were growing, had fallen directly
upon the railroad track, and that, too, at the
point where the stream wound nearest and
| its bank made steep descent upon the other
side.
After moment of gazing, in horror struck
silence, the thought started to our lips-What
| is to be done? 1t appeared We were sole wit
nesses Of tho accident; and though the crash
might have been heard and tho jar felt at the
upon the railroad, Ten minutes at least must
elapse before we could give the alarm, and in
half that time the train was due
In that speechless, breathless moment be
fore my duller ear perceived it, Betsy caught
the sound OF the approaching train muffled as
1t was by the hill that lay between. 1t was
advancing at fearful speed; rushing on-alI
that freight Of joyous human lifs-on to Ger
tain destruction; into the terrible jaws of death.
was utterly paralyzed. Not 50 with Mrs
Walkers Betsy.
I'm goin' to run and yeH," she cried. and
was OF upon the instant. Screaming at the
top OF her voice, keeping near the edge of the
frnn ~hi ioh ch l.
from the approaching train, plunging through
underbrush, and leaping like chamois among
the rocks, she dashed on, and sounded her
warning cry as she went.
Fire! Fire! Murder, Hello the house
Head the horses! Thieves, Thieves. Mad
dogs Get out of the way old Dan Tucker
were few Of the changes improvised as she
ran. 30
followed as / could seemingly in sort of
nightmare, wondering why did not Shrek.
yet incapable of making a sound; expecting
every moment to fall upon the rocks, yet pick.
Ing my steps with sureness and rapidity that
sstonished me even then.
Betsy's next movement was to bend down a
small Saplipg, and, calling to me to throw my
red scarf around it, she allowed it to rebound.
Then she bid me shake it, which did vigor-
0usly. 1t stood at an angle upon the bank,
and, commanding long stretch of the rail
road, 1t was most appropriate place to erect
signal Then leaping upon the track, she
bounded on like deer, shouting and gesticu-
iaIing with redouoied energy, now that the
train appeared in sight 1t soon became evil
dent that the engineer was neither blind nor
deaf, tor the brakes were speedily applied and
the engine reversed. Still it dashed on with
fearful velocity, and Betsy turned and ran
back toward the obstructed place in an agony
of excitement
Gradually the speed lessened, the wheels
Uha
came to a full stop, the cow-catcher was within
four feet of the rock. Many, seeing the dan
ger, had already leaped off; many, more terri
fed, and unconscious of the real nature of the
danger, crowded the platform, and pushed off
those before them. 1t was q scene Of the Wild
est confusion in which my heart sent up only
the quivering cry Of fjoy-''Saved. saved"
/. Betsey had climbed half way up the bank,
and thrown herself, exhausted. upon the grsv-
ell, With her apron drawn over her head.
picked my way down to the train to assist the
frightened children. Mr.. Price, the principal,
was handing out his own three, and teachers
and pupils followed like swarms Of bees from
a hive. ......
Now, Miss Burke, said the principal, in 3
voice that grew tremulous, as he looked at the
frightful mass before, II wish to hear who it
was that gave the alarm, and saved us from
this hideous fate. Was it yoN'"
1 think 1 never felt glow of truer pleasure
l.
nothing to do with saving your lives, and take
credit in the matter. The person to whom
your thanks are due sits on the bank wonder,
Mrs. Walkers Betsy
Every eye wandered towards the crouchinr
figure, who, with head closely covered. ap-
peared Indifferent to all that was passing Mr.
Price opened his portmOnnaie. "Here are
two dollars he said, 81 which wish to give
the girl for myself and children Tell her, as
a school, she will hear from again"
L went to Betsy's side, put the money in her
hand, and begged her to uncover her face.
But she resolutely refused to do more than
peep through one Of the holes in her apron, a.
the whole school singly and slowly deffled past
her in the narrow space between the train and
the bank. A more crest-fallen multitude |
never saw, and the eyes that ventured to turn
toward the PROSTATE figure, as they passed
within few feet of her, had shame and con-
triton In their glances. Only once she whis-
pered, as a haughty-looking boy went past,
. That's the one that kicked over my basket
l wish ia a let him gone to smash L dc so'''
The children climbed over the rocks, and
went to their homes, sadder and wiser for their
awful lesson; and in twenty-fcur hours the
track was cleared from obstruction
The principal, though q man but little in
clined to look for the angel side'' of such un-
prepossessing humanity as Mrs Walkers
Betsy, had too strong a sense of Justice and
lives, not to make very affecting appeal to
the assembled school on the following day
vote to consider Betsy o member of the school,
and entitled to all its privileges, met with no
opposition; and u card Of thanks, couched in
feeling terms, received the signature Of every
pupil and teacher. A purse wes next made
up for her by voluntary contributions amount
ing to twenty dollars; and to this was added
an entire new suit Of clothes, quantity of
books, and handsome red haicl, in which
her brunette skin, carefully washed, and her
neatly .combed, jetty hair appeared to excel
lent advantage. '....
Betsy bore her honors meekly, and no longer
feeling that she was scOrned as an intruder,
came regularly to school. learned rapidly, and
In her new dress and improved IN amer became
gradually As attractive as she had always been
most intelligent child. OF her own accord she
went to the teachers and confessed sundry mis-
chievOus pranks and absurdities formerly CON-
mitted, but firmly denied any participation in
the more serious msdemeanors which had been
attributed to her; and, strange to say, no one
doubted her story. .,-t.s.
In less than year her mother died. and her
miserable step-father removed to the far est,
ieaving her as domestic in worthy and
wealthy family in Cliff Spring The priyileoe