The Republican journal., 1871-02-16
| told him we had. and came in the hOl

"No, dear--in Mr.. Jones' garden
A sudden idea crossed my mind
'Well, upon my word !" Responded. ''It
seems we are not even to have the benefit
of the carcass as a fertilizer of the soil This
caps the climax
'What do you mean James,
'Why Susan, don't you know that dead
animals enrich the soil when thev are buried
in it, decomposing and supplying ammonia
and phosphoric acid and things that make
the vegetables grow Big
flames, how can you talk such stuff
''Stuff"' Not q bit Of it. Jones knows all
about it, That's the way he fertilizes his
garden He's got 4 dead dog and three
dead cats buried at the foot Of his grapevines
which accounts for the superiority of his
lsabellas, my dear"
"Mr. Dobb, if you don't stop shall leave
the table" said Susan, in great disgust
So | stopped like dutiful husband But
Susan hasn't eaten a grape from Jones' gar
den since.
We have had the pig-pen cleaned up nice
lly for the children, and they use it for play
house. It makes very good playhouse.
THE OLD woMAN's RAILWAY SIGNAL.
BY ELIIIU BURRITr.
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 oper-
ates with the same effect upon mankind,
beastkind, and birdkind From time i'm
memorial, music has wonderfully affected all
beings, reasoning or unreasoning, that have
ears to hear. The prettiest idea and smile
of ancient literature relate to Orpheus
playing his Tyre to animals listening in in
toxicated silence to its strains. Well, kind
ness is the spontaneous music of goodwill
to men and beasts and both listen to it with
their hearts instead of their ears and the
hearts of both are affected by it in the same
way, if hot to the same degree. Volumes
might be written filled with beautiful illus
trations 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 small
est fingers in the world may play heavens
sweetest tunes on earth.
Some time ago we read Of an incident that
will serve rs 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 and Ohio Railway.
where it passes through wild, unpeopled
district of Western Virginia She was a
widow, with only one daughter, living with
her in log hut, near deep, precipitous
gorge, crossed by the railroad bridge. Here
they contrived to support themselves by rails
ing and selling poultry and eggs, adding
berries in their season, and other little az
tcles for the market. She had to make Il
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 con-
ductor came finally to notice her walking by
the side of the line or between the rails and
being a good-natured, benevolent man, he
would often give her ride to and fro with
out charge. The enginemen were also good
to the old woman, and felt they We're not
wronging the interests Of the railway COM
pany by giving her these free rides. And
soon an accident occurred that proved that
they were quite right in this view of the
matter
1t the wild month Of March, the rain de-
scended and the mountains sent down their
rolling, roaring torrents of melted snow and
ice into this gorge near the old woman's hut.
The flood arose with the darkness of the
night, until she heard the crash of the rail
way bridge as it was swept from its abut-
ments, and dashed its broken timbers against
the craggy sides of the precipice on either
side. 1t was nearly midnight The rain fell
in a 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 de-
struction it was approachingo She had hard
ly whole tallow candle in her house and
no light she could make of talow or OIL if
she had it, would live moment in that tenn
pest of wind and rain. Not moment was
to be lost; and her thought was eqnal to the
moment. She cut the cord of her only bed
stead, and shouldered the dry posts, side
pieces, and head-piece. Her daughter fol-
lowed her with their two wooden chairs Up
the steep embankment they climbed, and
piled all their household furniture upon the
line, u few rods before the black, awful
chasm, gurgling with the roaring flood. The
distant rumbling of the train came upon them
Just as they had fired the well-dried combus-
tibles. The pile blazed up into the night,
throwing its red, swaling, booming light y
long way up the track. In fifteen minutes it
would begin to Wane, and she could not re-
vive 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
enough. Awful thought! She tore her red
flannel gown from her in moment, and
tying it to the end of a stick, ran up the track
waving it in both hands, while her daughter
swung round her head u blazing chair-post
little before.
The lives of IL hundred unconscious pas
sengers hung on the issue of the next minute
The ground trembled at the old woman's feet.
The great, red eye Of the engine burst upon
sharp-sighted lion coming suddenly upon a
fire, it sent forth thrilling roar, that filled
all the wild heights and ravines around. The
train was at full speed; but brakemen wrest-
led at their leverage with all the strength of
desperation. The wheels ground along on
the heated rails slower and slower, until the
engine stopped at the decaying fire. 1t still
blazed enough to show them the beetling
edge of the black abyss into which the train
and all its passengers would have plunged,
and into death and destruction too horrible
to think Of, had it not been for the old wo-
mans signal. They did not stop to thank
her first for the deliverance. The conductor
knelt down by the side Of the engine; the
engine driver and the brakemen came and
knelt down by him; all the passengers came
and knelt down by them; and there, in the
expiring light of the burnt out pile, in the
salvation of their lives. All in 4 line the
kneelers and prayers sent up into the dark
heavens such midnight voice Of thanksgiv-
ing as seldom, if ever, ascended from the
earth to Him who seeth in darkness as well
as in secret.
Kindness is the music of good will to men ;
and on this harp the smallest fingers may
play heavens sweetest tunes on earth.