Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-03-23
The Law Of Kindness.
By ELruU BuRRITr.

The Law Of Kindness.
By ELTTIU BURRTTT.
The most effective working force in the
world in which we live is the law of kind
ness. For it is the only moral force that
operates with the same effect upon man.
kind, beastkind, and birdkind. From time
immemOrial, music has wonderfully
affected all beings, reasoning or nnreason
ing, that have ears to hear. The prettiest
idea and smile Of ancient literature relate
to Orpheus playing his Tyre to animals
listening in intoxicating silence to its
strains WE'LL Kindness is the spontane-
GUS music Of good will to men and beasts.
And both listen to it with their hearts in
stead of their ears and the hearts Of both
are affected by it in the same way, if not to
the same degree. Volumes might be writ
ten filled with beautiful illustrations of its
effects upon both. The music of kindness
has not only the power to charm, but to
transform both the savage heart of man
and beast and on this harp the smallest
fingers in the world may play heavens
sweetest tunes on earth. a
Some time ago we read of an accident
that will serve as an illustration of this
beautiful law. 1t was substantially to this
effect: A poor, coarse featured old woman
lived on the line of the Baltimore 81 Ohio
Railway, where it passes through wild
unpeopled district Of Western Virginia.
She was widow, with only one daughter
living with her In log hut near
a deep, precipitous gorge, crossed by
the railway bridge. Here she con
trived to support themselves by
raising and selling poultry and eggs, add
ing berries in their season, and other little
articles for the market. She had to make
a long, weary walk Of many miles to a
town where she could sell her basket Of
produce. The railway passed by her cabin
to this town but the ride would cost too
much of the profits of her small sales, so
she trudged on generally to the market on
foot. The conductor came finally to no
tice her walking by the side Of the line or
between the rails; and, being good ma
tured, benevolent man, he would often
give her a ride to and fro without charge
The enginemen and brakemen were also
good to the old woman, and felt they were
not wrOnging the interests Of the railway
company by giving her these free rides.
And soon an accident occurred that proved
that they were quite right in this view of
the matter.
In the wild month Of March, the rain
descended and the mountains sent down
their rolling, roaring torrents Of melted
snow and ice into this gorge near the old
woman's hut The food arose with the
darkness Of the night, until she heard the
crash of the railway bridge, as it was
swept from its butments, and dashed its
broken timbers against the craggy sides of
the precipice on either side. 1t was nearly
midnight The rain fell in flood, and the
darkness was deep and bowling with the
storm. In another half hour the express
train would be due. What could she do
to warn it against the awful destruction 1t
was approaching? She had hardly
whole tallow candle in her house and no
light she could make Of tallow or oil, if
she had it, would live moment in that
tempest of wind and rain. Not moment
was to be lost ; and her thought was equal
to the moment. She cut the cord of her
only bedstead, and shouldered the dry
posts, side pieces and head piece. Her
daughter followed her with their two
wooden chairs. Up the steep embank-
ment they climbed, and piled all their
household furniture upon the line few
rods before the black, awful chasm, gurg-
ling with the roaring flood. The distant
umbling Of the train came upon them Just
as they had fired the wall dried combusti.
bles. The pile blazed up into the night,
throwing its red, swaling, booming light
long way up the track. In fifteen min
utes it would begin TO wane, and she could
not revive it with green, wet wood. The
thunder of the train grew louder. 1t
was within five miles Of the fire.
Would they see it in time! They
might not put on the brakes soon
Awful thought! She tore
her red flannel gown from her in
and, tying il TO the end Of stick
ran up the track, waving it In both hands,
while her daughter swung round her head
4 blazing chair post little before. The
lives of 3 hundred unconscious passengers
hung on the issue Of the next minute.
The ground trembled at the Old woman I
feet. The great, red eye Of the engine |
burst upon her ss 1t came round curve. |
Like as huge, sharp sighted lion coming |
suddenly upon fire, 1t sent forth thrilling !
roar, that filled all the wild heights and
ravines around. The train was at full |
speed; but the brakemen wrestled at their
leverage with all the strength of despera-
ion. The wheels ground along on the |
heated rails slower and slower, until the
engine stopped at the decaying fire. II
still blazed enough to show them the
beetling edge Of the black abyss into
which the train EandA all Its passengers
would have plunged, and into death and
destruction too horrible TO think OF, had 1t
not been for the old WOman's signal |