The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-05-20
EBENsBURG, PA, SATURDAY, NAY 20, 1871.

almost time for the train, | refused my
permission, and taking him some ten OF
fifteen yards from the track, sat him dowr
st the foot of a tree-the maple yonder-
and bade him remain there till I called
''The time for the train came and
passed, and still no signs of it. | grew
nervous and did not notice my boy. Min
ute after minute passed away, and at last
when began to be certain that some ac-
| cldent had occurred it hove in sight lust
| five minutes before the express train was
! due, which | knew could not be more than
two miles behind. / saw at once the
cause of the delay the train was unusu-
ally long and heavy, and the engine No.
AZ, which the fireman had christened
"Old Ricketty,' was the worst on the
| road. The switch was all ready, but the
train moved so slowly that the last car
had hardly left The main track, when
heard the whistle of the express, and the
next moment she rounded the bend at full
speed. | knew that | didn't have any
too much time TO get the switch in posi-
tion, and went at my work with will
when suddenly heard child's scream,
and turning round | saw little Willie
struggling in the water. For an instant
the sight of my child's danger overpower-
ed every other consideration and | spranC
for the river, but before got half the dis
tance the hoarse whistle of the approach-
ing train rang in my ear like a trumpet,
and the thought Of my duty, and the huns
dreds of lives that would be sacrificed if |
cd IL H..
like fash of lightning, while all the time
there was feeling about my heart can't
tell in SO many words-I only knew it
was worse than notwithstanding 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 turning
back, but the next thing l remember |
was at the switch working away like mad.
| never had such strength. l felt that l
could have wrencbed up the solid iron
rails Ill my agony, and bent them like
straw and did not seem 10 see anything
about me distinctly, neither rails nor ties
but dimly and vaguely, as if in a
dream, or at q great distance. What |
did see as plainly as l do now, although
it was behind me, was the clear and
beautiful river flowing on in the morning
sun, and in the midst of it little Willie
weakly struggling for help, while the
bright, cruel waves smote him In the face
and laughed | had no ear for the near-
ing train, but all heard-or seemed to,
for l can't rightly say-were his cries to
his father for help, growing fainter and
fainter; and then the horrible bubbling
sound. as he sank finally, and his last
breath found lis way to the surface.
sat length the switch was in position,
and although it's short job at best, and
l must have accomplished it at that time
with quickness | can never again equal,
Jet Il seemed longer than the longest sum-
mer's day but it was done, and l rushed
10 the river and gazed eagerly around for
some sign that might tell me where to
plunge in TO rescue my child but there
was nothing, nothing but the sunlight
that gIistened brightly on the little wave
lets that smiled mockingly in my face as
they hurried onward. l don't remember
anything further. There was great
choking in my throat, huge weight of
lead seemed to fall on my brain, and all
was black. When / came 10 my senses
it was three weeks afierward, with my
old woman-God bless her--sitting along
side of me holdin' my hand in hers The
doctor said l had made a close miss of it,
and at first teft sorry hat had lived at
all but that didn't last long, for l knew
there was another one-she who sat be-
side me-who had suffered more than / |
had and stood it nobly, so tried to get
better in order 10 console her. 1t was
two weeks more before l got out of bed,
and quite two months before / was able |
tc 90 around. | will never be the same
man again.
''The company pensioned me, and
didn't want me to do any more work al
all. But | couldn't bear to be idle-you
see, sir, | wasn't brought up to it, and
strange as il may appear, didn't feel like
working anywhere save in the old place f;
seemed TO be closer TO my boy there, /
found the lily he had gathered, just as |
had placed it in my jacket pocket, and
gave it TO his mother. She has it yet all
withered and colorless, in little glass on
the mantle piece, and there, sir, it shall
remain in sight of US both until our time
comes to join him."
Mr.. GREELEY says the reason there is
scarcity of maple sugar this spring is,