The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-17
evening Stats iaularnal.
A BOYS HERolsM.

81 g.
80 dearv' sighed John Allen, as he
closed the Sunday-school library book,
show wish / had chance to do some
thing heroic; am sick and tired of this
humdrum life out here in the woods. No
thing to do but to drive the cows in the
morning, and drive them back at night
chop down trees and cut them up for fire.
wood-plow, harrow, hoe, and so on to the
end. If something only would happen
once in while ia.a l.liA
"When you have lived to be as old as |
am" said his grandfather, a white-haired
man on the verge of the grave, ''you will
learn there is heroism in everyday life
that is quite as sublime as those rare acts
which are heralded from one end of the
country to the other.o a ~ ~ r
''Yes, suppose you are right, grandpa
of course you are but still I'd like to do
ono of those rare acts myself. 1t would
seem to make great man of me, and |
know it would make me happy too"
He took down his old straw hat, as he
spoke, and started off to the woods to hunt
ND the cows, little dreaming that before he
again entered his log-cabin home, he should
under God, have been the savior of hun
dreds of precious lives.
He found all the cows but one-a favorite
heifer, which belonged entirely to himself,
and which he was calculating would some
day bring him nice sum of money towards
finishing his education. So, after driving
the rest into the barn-yard, he went back
to search for her.
As he was crossing the railroad track,
he stopped suddenly and turned pale. Some
wretch had removed several rails, and, OF
course, unless the engineer could be warned
in season, the express train, which would
be along in half an hour, would be dashed
to utter ruin.
Johns heart seemed for moment to
stop beating, while his head grew dizzy.
Only for a moment, though, was he idle
only for moment. The safety of hum
dreds, their salvation from fearful death,
depended upon him alone, for there was nc
time to call upon others for assistance.
With wonderful rapidity he at once gath
cred together a pile of brush-wood, tossed
it on the track and set fire to it, which was
an easy thing to do, as he had matches in
his vest pocket, and the light materials
were as dry as finder. Then he watched
it--so acarefully--so steadily - gathering
more and more and heaping them on, and
keeping the flames high and bright.
As he heard, at last, the shrill whistle a
the engine, his heart seemed again to stoI
beating, and his head was so dizzy he hard
ly realized that he was awake-it seemed
some awful dream--a nightmare, indeed
which bound him as spell.
BY wild effort he burst from the agony
which entranced him, and starting ahead 0
the fire, ran boldly on the track, wavinI
There was careful engineer on the train
no fhn vol Of
human beings confded to his care and so
on the alert for accidents, he caught tn
glimmer of Johns fire as soon as h
turned the distant curve, and the short
sharp whistles nerved every brakesman t.
do his duty with electric rapidity. Tn
train came to dead stop a few rods frou
the scene of the miscreant's cruel work
the passengers rushed out to ascertain tn
cause of the sudden detention and yo
may guess, little ones, how their face
whtened when they saw from what a terri
Bile accident they had been saved Yo
may guess, too, their gratitude to GOD, an
also the young lad who, under Him, ha
been their savior from such fearful an
sudden death.
''Let us pray" said white-haired minis
ter, who was one of the crowd, and instant
ly men, women and children knceled on til
rough ground of that wild forest and joine
with him in thanks to the All-Father, an
to the humble instrument of the blesse
deed.
"What would you like best of all, m
boy? said he afterwards, as with the hun
dreds of others, he went up to John, an
took the boys hands and thanked him pc
sonally.
"To go to school, sir" was the prom
reply.
''And go you shall" said the aged maj
and instantly he went about among Il
crowd, holding out his hat and saying onl,
"The boy would like best of all to go
school,"
All! how many, many crisp bank not
and. bright eagles found their way into Il
preachers hat! Enough to pay all John
school-bills; and educate him, too, f
what was the darling wish of his heart
practical engineering.
wasn't it lucky" said he the next da
to his grandfather, as he rehearsed for Il
fortieth time what he meant to do hereafte
"wasn's it very lucky 'little Brin' stray,
else''-he shut his eyes and turned away
the reverse of the scene was too terrible
think Of
''It was not luck, my son." said old M
Allen, solemnly: mot luck, but your 0
portunity; one given by God to test yo
heroism. Such do not often come, my BIO
Once only, perhaps, in lifetime; but @
portunities to do good come every day, a
in many, many of them, there is herois
which in the sight of God is as sublime
that of yours last evening for it is oft
harder, my son, to do little act Of kir
ness to a sinful boy or man than to sa
the lives of hundreds. p Guiding Star.
THE editor of Appletoas's Journal is Re
ert Carter, a born and bred journalist, |
the distinctive conjunction is appropri,