The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-04-29

Que az inc uOor OF IN tue strawberry
patch in front.
We got 10 be such friends at last,
that used to buy candy aud dough.
nuts, aud heave en- into tho garden
as went by, for the children to
scramble after, and that's what il was
ihat did it, aud this is how it was.
We wcro going comfortably along
ono afternoon, till, as we got near the
clearing where my friends, as [ called
them, we're located, [ began 10 fur,
ridge about in my pockets for
a couple Of papers of something that
I'd got, when my stokcr says; "llal.
10 what's that on the line 2"
Cow ~ says [.
"Cow; no" he SAYS "why-wby-
it's three children u
"Souud thc''-- | did not stop
to finish, but eued the little valve
myself, making the still afternoon air
culver with the hollow booming roar
it sent far aud wide.
"That's moved EN- - says my sto-
ker, laughing to see tho little distant
figures scamper away.
IL thought it would" I says and
then with my hand on the valve, |
made the thing scream and roar
again, for there was one of the little
ones still right in the middle Of the
track
In moment I'd forgotten all
about the stuff in the papers, for
curious sort of feeling came over me,
one that for few moments took all
the nerve fom my limbs, so that |
could not move aud then instead Of
reversing the engine | began to creep
forward while, as if from the same
feeling. my stoker stood staring with
all his might right at the poor little
child.
We we're too near for it to have
done any good, even if we had both
done our parts, aud it was with a
groan seeming to force itself out OF
my breast, that [ told myself il was
through my encouraging the poor lit
tie children with presents thet this
was going to happen, for there, see
ing no danger, was little bright
eyed, long haired thing dancing
about aud waving its hands as we
came swiftly on.
1t takes me somo time to tell il,
but it only took few moments and
there il all is now like a picture
that having once seen / can never
forget 1t was glorious. golden,
suushiny afternoon, with all looking
bright and mellow the hut, with its
patch of flowers the children by the
side of the line, and their mother
running out wild and frantic like, but
only to drop down in the track, half.
way between tho door and where her
little ono was dancing and waving its
little hands as VIC glided on.
| felt like man does in one of
those nieht>mare dreams, whcu the
will is there to do something, only a
dreadful kind of face holds you back
aud you can see danger coming near
er aud nearer, and yet not avoid IT.
We neither Of US spoke, but stood
there, one on each side, leaning for.
ward as helples as the poor child sin
front, till, with almost yell, fought
clear of the power that seemed to
hold me, aud with the feeling on me
that | was oto late, crept along the
side Of the engine, and lay down with
arms extended in front of the COW.
catcher.
Only moments, but moments that
seemed like hours, as with a strange,
hurrying, jumping motion, the engine
dashed down MS | told myself, to
crush out the life of that poor little
innocent; l wanted to shut my eyes
to keep out the horrible sight, but |
dared not and though now | seemed
to be doing what might save the
child's life l could not think it pos
sibe. There it was, just in front,
and yet we appeared to come no near
or. In an ordinary way, We should
have passed the shanty score of
tines but now the horror of those
morents acted so upon my imagina
tion that we seemed to crawl slowly
but surely, like the motion of some
vast machine that hardly seems to
move, and yet forces its way on with
power that there is no stopping.
Twenty yards ten yards-were we
never going to pass over that spot?
or would some miraculous power stop
the engine? l tried to shout, but
only a curious hoarse noise came
from my throat | wanted to wave
my hands, but they remained stretch
ed out obstinately towards the child
Five yords-fOur-three. There
was the little thing laughing in its
innocent glee, for it was expecting
some little present from me, who was
then calling myself its murderer, aud
lay there as motionless as a statute.
Two yards-ono-at last-all over
There was a shock as we dashed down
upon the little thing, who seemed to
strech out its hands to mine, and 10
leap, actually jump into my arms, and
then with it tightly gras2ed, We were
still going on aud on | with my
eyes shut, but feeling that had the
child tightly held to my breast, and
yet not able to look to see if it were
hurt.
Then l don't know how il was, but
| believe l must have got up, aud
crawled back to my place by the sto>
ker; but | don't know, | can't recol-
lcct doing it, only finding myself sit
ting down there, holding the fright
ened little child in my arms, and feel
ing stunned anl helpless as little
child myself
"What nm l doing of7' l said at
last, 70? my stoker had spoken to me