The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-02-25
The Law OF Kindness;
Or, The Old Woman's RaiIway Sig
nal.
BY ELIUX BURRITT.

The most effective working force in the
ness. For it is the only moral force that
operates with the same effect upon man
kind, beast-kind and bird-kind. From time
immemorial, music has wonderfully affected
all being, reasoning or unreasoning that
have ears to hear. The prettiest idea and
smile of ancient literature relates to Orphans
playing his Tyre TO animals listening in in
intoxicated silence to its strains. Well,
kindness is the spontaneous music of good
will 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 not to the same degree.
Volumes might be written filed with beau.
tiful illustrations of its effect upon both.
The music Of kindness has not only power
to charm. but to transform both the savage
hearts of man and beast; and on this harp
the smallest finger in the world may play
heavens sweetest tunes on earth.
Some time ago we read of an incident
that will serve es 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 q wild,
unpeopled district of Western Virginia.
She was a widow, with only one daughter
living with her in q log huE, near deep,
precipitOus gorge, crossed by the railway
bridge. Here they contrived to support
themselves by raising and selling poultry
and eggs, adding berries in their season. and
other little articles for the market. She had
to make long, weary walk of many miles
to 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 to the market generally on
foot. The conductor came finally to notice
her walking by the side of the line or be-
tween the rails, and being good natured,
benevolent man, he would often give her
ride to and fro without charge. Tho engi-
neer and brakemen were also good to the
old woman, and felt that they were not
wroBging the interest of the railway compa-
ny 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 de-
scended and the mountains sent down their
rolling, roaring torrents of melted snow and
ice into this gorge near the old widows hut.
The food arose with the darkness of the
night until she heard the crash of the rail-
way bridge, ss it was swept from its abut-
ments, and dashed its broken timbers
against the craggy sides of the precipice on
either side. lt was nearly midnight The
rain fell in food, and the darkness was
deep amid the hcwling of the storm. In
another half hour the express train would
be dne. What could she do to warn it
against the awful destruction it was ap-
proaching? She had hardly whole tallow
candle in her house, and no light she could
make Of tallOw or oil, if she had il, would
live a moment in that tempest of wind and
rain. No time was to be lost, and her thOughs
| was equal to the moment. She cut the cord
| If her only bedstead and shOuldered the dry
posts, side and head pieces. Her daughter
| followed her with their two wooden chairs
| Up the steep embankment they climbed
and piled all their household furniture upon
the line few rods before the black, awful
ehasm, gurgling with the roaring food. The
distant rumbling of the train came upon