Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1870-11-26
MistEllaug.
THE SWITCH.TEyBER's sFORY.

man, anu II had stuck 10 1t | might
hev bin conductor by this time-i0r
my character was good, and I've al
ways been steady man; but YOU see
It wasn't 10 be; Ny old woman al-
ways objected 10 my running or The
train, it kept me away 50 much from
home, not to speak OF the danger, and
so at the end of the third year, when
our little boy was born, she begged
me so hard to give It up that | con-
sented, and the company put me in
this place where I've been ever since.
"lts not hard, I've only got TO tend
one switch and TO do odd Jobs about
the depot the pay is just as good as
what ] got before, only there is no
chance Of promotion; but then I'm
always at home, which makes it up.
| live alone little ways across the
bridge on the outskirts of the town,
yonder on the other side Of the river
"a small white house with an elm
tree in the yard-you can see it from
the other end Of the switch.
80 you think The river is very
beautiful at this season Of the wear:
Well, sir, l dare say it isl thought
so once myself; but | don't take any
pleasure in looking at it now, nor
have done so for many q day. It's
green banks and its clear water, with
the sunshine sparkling on It, only
makes it seem the crueler TO me, az if
it laughed over the misery it had
caused to human beings but my
opinions hayn't got anything to do
with what you came to ask me about,
30 I'll Try TO get to the point at once.
ii will be three years come Mon
day, the 18th of next month, which is
May, that after eatin' my breakfast
and smokin' my pipe, which latter
operation ] ginerally gifts through
about seven O'Clock, started across
the bride, taking with me my little
boy Willie, who was at this time lust
rising Of five years. lie was awful.
tichcled at the idea Of being allowed
to 60 out with NE, as his mother kept
him mostly around the house, having
like all women, great fear Of the
trains. don't think, sir, | ever see 4
finer morning-the sun we'll nigh up,
but not too warm. with white clond
here and there in the blue sky, the
trees and grass green and fresh, and
glistening with the dew. and under
meath Us the river flowing bright and
clear just as you see il now, sir.
"My heart felt light, and having
nothing on my miud-I had Just I'M.
ished paying for my house the week
beforc-I began to think OF compar-
ing my troubles with my blessings :;
that after all it would be hard 10 lind
better place than this same much
abused world TO live in.
The time table was q little differ
ent then from what it is now. The
freight train came down at 80 q. m,
switched of and waited for the ex-
press 10 go by, which followed fifteen
minutes later, | reached the switch
about ten minutes ahead of timu-I
always do--nnd sitting down Oh the
tie, ! filled fresh pipe aud smoked
away, while little Willie gathered
pebbles, and throwing them into the
water. laughed and shouted at the
splashes they made
"Finally, growing boider. lie ven.
tUred to the rivers edge, and picking
one Of the lilies that grew thtre in
abundance, he came with great glee
and laid itat my feet. Iput the flow
cr in my pocket carefully, SO as not
to burst it, intending to show il to
his mother. He ligpGd cut that pret-
ty blue ones grow further down, and
begged to GO and get one Of them;
but as it was almost time for the train
| refused my permission, and ten or
fifteen wards from the track, sat him
down at the foot Of a tree-the maple
Wonder and bade him remain there
until | called him.
The time for the train came and
passed and still no signs Of it, Igrew
nervous aud did not notice my boy.
Minute after minute passed away, and
at last when | began to be certain
thtt some accident had occurred, it
hove in sight just five minute before
the express was due, which | knew
could not be more than two miles be-
hind. saw at once the cause Of the
delay; the train was unusually long
and heavy, and the engine number
forty.two, which the fireman had
christened odd Rickety,' was the
worst on the road. The switch was
all ready, but the train moved so slow
ly that the last car had barely left the
main track, when heard the whistle
OF the express, and the next she
rounded the bend at full speed. |
knew that | didn't have too much
time to get the switch in position, and
went at my work with a will, when
suddenly | heard q child's scream, and
turning round | saw little Willie
struggling in the water For an instant
the sight of my child's danger over
powered every other consideration
and sprang for the river; but before
Id got half the distance the hoarse
whistle ofthe approaching train rang
in my cars like a trumpet, and
thoughts Of my duty, hundreds OF
lives that would be sacrificed II |
deserted my post went like flash OF
lightning through my brain, while
ali the time there was q feeling about
nv heart | can't tell in word-l only
knew IL was worse than death--5c-
seeching me TO save my boy.
"The whole thing couldn't have
lasted more than two seconds; and
how the one feeling got the better Of
the other | never knew. | have no
recollection of:urning back, but tho
next thing remember WAS at the
switch working away like mad. l
never had such strength, | felt that
| could have wrenched up the rails in
nv agony, and bent them like a straw
and Yet | did not seem 10 see any
thing distinctly, neither rails or ties
but timly and vaguely, as ii IN a
dream, or at a great distance.
"Whai I did see as plainly rs do
,o,, .ithouoI II WAS behind me, was