Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-02-18
Tho Law of Kindness;l or, the Old
.r.io Lady's Railway Signals .nraa

Tho Law of Kindness; or, the Old
.iio Lady's Railway Signals nraa
r The most effective working force ID ,eaS-
world in which we live is the law Of kiad3
ness, For it is the moral force that opel.
rates with the same effect upon mankind,
'beastkind, and birdkind. From time i'm.
memorial, music has wonderfully affected
al beings, reasoning Of unreasoning, that
have san to hear The prettiest idea aud
smile Of anciept literature rotate to Orphe-
~ playing his Tyre to- animals listening in
Intoxicated silence to its strains Welt.
kindness is the spontaneous music of good.
will 70 men and beasts. And both listen
to it With their hearts instead Of their ears
and the hearts of both are affected by Il in
the same way, if not to the same degree.
Volumes might be written filed with beau.
tiful 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; aud on
this harp the smallest fingers in the world
may play heavens sweetest tunes on earth.
Some time ago we. read Of an incident
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 and
Ohio Railway, where it passes through a
wild, unpeopled district of Western Vir-
ginia. She was widow, with only one
daughter, living with her in log hut,
near deep, precipitous gorge, crossed by
the railway bridge. Here she contrived
to support themselves by raising and set
ting poultry and eggs, adding berries in
their season, and other little articles for
the market. She had a 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 s. but the
ride would cost too much of the profits of
her small sales, so she trudgcd on general
ly to the market on foot. The conductor
came finally to notice her walking by the
side Of the line or between the rails and,
being good -natured, benevolent man, he
would often give her q ride to and fro
without charge. The engine-men and
brakemen were also good to the old wo.
man, aud felt they were not wronging the
interests of the railway company by giving
her these free rides. And soon an acci.
dent occurred that proved that they were
quite right in this view Of tho matter.
: In the wild month of March, the rain
descended and the mountains sent down
their rolling, roaring torrents Of melted
snow aud 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 a flood, and
the darkness was deep and howling with
the storm. In half an hour the express
train would be due. What could she do
to warn it against the awful destruction it
was approaching? she had hardly q
whole tallow-caudle in her house and no
light she could make of \talIow or oil, il
she had it, would live a 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 embsnk msnt
they climbed, and piled all their household
furniture upon the line few rods before
the black, awful chasm, gurgliug with the
roaring food. The distant rumbling Of
the train came upon them just Is they had
fred the uelldried combustibles. The
pile blazsd up into the night, throwing its
red, swalling, booming light long way
Up the track. In fifteen minutes it would
Begin to 1ane, and she could not revive
il with green, wet wood. The thunder Of
the train grew louder. II was within Eve
miles Of the fre. Would they SEQ It in
time . They might not put on the brakes
soon snoush. Awful thought! She .tre
her red danuel gown from her in q mo.
ment, and, tying it to the end Of stick,
ran up the track, waving it in both hands,
while her daughter swung round her head
q blazing chair.post little before. The
lives Of q hundred unconscious passengers
hung on the issue Of tho, next minute.
The ground trembled at the old woman's
feet. The great, red eye, of the, engine
burst upon her as it came round q. curve.
Like as huge, sharp.sighted lion coming
suddenly upon FIRE, It sent forth thrill
ing roar, that filed oil the Wild heights
and ravines around. The train was at full
speed but the braksmeu wsestled at their,
leverage with all the strength of despera.
ton. The wheels gronnd along on the
heated rails slower and slower, until the
engine stopped at the fire.. Il still blazed
enough to.show them the beetling edge Of
the black abyss into which the train and
al its passengers would have plunged, and
into death and destruction too horrible TO
think Of, had il notibeen for the oid wo-
mans signal. They did not stop tothsnk
her first for the delivssaBee. The couduc.
tor knelt down by the side Of the engine !;
the esgiue-driver and brakeueas came aud
knelt down by him !, al the passenger,
came and knelt down By. them and there,
In fho Az nirsno N 1sOhk nf thn hus.,k ant .,:lo