New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-12-07

served at two, and she will be glad enough to
have a chat with you, l venture to say"
Wrote out my telegram to father, aud Mrs.
Elwood promised to have it attended to at
once for me; then, after doing everything for
me that kindness could suggest, she left me to
the rest | was beginning very much to feel the
need of.
A tidy.looking little maid came to me when
the dinner bell rang, to show me the way to
the dining room and there the trst person,
saw was my little old lady, already seated
near the upper end of the long table.
She bowed and smiled when she saw me, but
We were too far apart to engage in any con.
versation. After the meal was over she joined
me, shook hands very cordially, and invited me
to come and sit with her in her own room.
/ was glad to accept the invitation, for in my
loneliness the kind face of this chance acquaint-
ance seemed almost like that Of a friend; and
soon-in one OF the easiest of low cushioned
chairs, in one Of the cosiest of old-lady apart
ments-I was seated, talking more cheerfully
and unreservedly than had talked since my
baby's death.
expressed some surprise that she had re-
cognized me so promptly, to which she replied:
81 had always good memory for faces,
though names L am apt TO forget; when my
daughter spoke to me about thee could not
at all recall thee to mind--yet as soon as thee
entered the dining room, l remembered thee. y
And yet do not look much like did two
years ago." 1 said sadly.
"That is true, my dear thee has altered
very much. almost wonder now that should
have recognized thee so promptly. Thee has
seen trouble fear" she added, gently touching
my black dress.
Yes" said, II have had both sickness
and death to battle with; l neither look nor
feel much like the thoughtless, happy bride
whom you met two years ago."
!" Is it thy husband who has been taken from
thee p
ooh, no no no - cried, and ready tears
rising to my eyes II don't think could have
lived il [ had lost him. Ii was my baby died
that was hard enough; the dearest little blue
oid.p
My old friends face betrayed her sympathy,
as she sat silently waiting for me to regain my
composure. After little while she said, sigh
ing
sit is hard to lose q child, whether young or
old. can fully sympathize with thee in thy
trouble, for |, too, have lost a son since las,
saw thee, though l wear no outer garb as q
badge Of my bereavement"
/ looked at her. a little surprised mingled
with a sympathy tried to express.
81 thought l remembered your telling me
you had but one sOn?''
THAT was ALL she said sorrowfully. "God
never gave me but the one, and him lie has
taken away
stared at her now 10 undisguised astonish
ment
"Was not that gentleman--surey, madam,
| was not mistaken in thinking the conduc-
tor the gentleman who brought you into the
cars when we met two years ago-was your
| son p
"You are right; he was the son of whom l
have spoken
'The one-eyed man ?" gasped, forgetting
delicacy in Advertisements.
The old lady flushed little.
Eyes, friend, | understand whom thee means
my poor Robert had lost the sight of his left
eye."
II saw that man this morning." | cried. 81
saw him from the car window, before we en-
tered Lancaster. What strange misunderstood
ing is this2"
"Fhee has mistaken some one else for him,
that is all, !" said my companion gravely. "My
boy thee could not have seen, for he died tit
teen months ago the fifteenth of this month.
He died of cholera after only two days illness.
Thee could not have seen Robert"
Il did thought did - 1 cried, excitedly
and then | related to her the whole incident,
dwelling particularly upon the signal | had
seen him make-a signal had never seen but
when he explained it to ME. - l was not mis-
TAKEN" l concluded; Il could not be; your
son was not an ordinary looking man, and
remember his appearance distinctly. Surely
rs SIT here, saw the man who you tell me
died fifteen months ago.
The old lady looked white and frightened,
while, as for me, was growing so hysterical
with bewilderment aud excitement that she
woald allow me to pursue the subject no fur
Their.
She led me to my room and persuaded me to
lie down, leaving me then, for she was too much
agitated by the conversation We had to be able
to soothe or quiet me.
l saw her no more that day. | did not go to
tea. The restless night passed. in conjunc-
ton with the excitement of the day, rendered
me so seriously unwell that was not able to
rise until late hour the following morning.
l was still dressing when there came rap ut
my door, accompanied by the voice of my
Quaker friend, asking admittance.
opened the door and she entered, with white,
awe-struck face, and hands that trembled so she
could hardly hold the newspaper to which she
directed my attention.
Friend" she said, "thy life has been saved
by divine interposition. The train in which
thee was yesterday a passenger, in less than
two hours after thee left it, was thrown over
al embankment at O place called the Gap,
uuu hull VI tuc psSSOhScIo HoNo uoCu VI
wounded. Child child surely as thee lives
that vision of nay poor Robert was sent to save
thee ~
That is all that have to tell. know moth
ing more about the affair than / have written,
and l have no comments to make upon it. /
saw the one-eyed conductor make the 81 gual of
"danger ahead - was so much influenced by
what saw that could not continue my jour
ney. In less than two hours after that warning
had been given the danger was met, and death
in its most appalling form was the fate of more
than fifty human beings that danger signal was
meant to warn.
These are the facts. 1t is also equally fact
that the man whom | saw give that signal had
then been dead more than year.
Explain the matter who cam have no ex-
PLANTATION to offer
Tue Power OF ARTILLERY.-The recent
conflict between the French and pruasian has