The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-10-31


The railroad bad q fascination fof Madgc
When baby, she used to follow her
grandfather to BIS work and hide among
tic bushes TO see The big frulghis lumber
ing By, and tie express train whirling in-
10 town like screaming laud-iemons, she
had heard Of The sea, aud tie spel Il bad
upon sailors, but shc saw the railroad
and felt tile spcll, which nobody seemed
20 remark that Il east over Inland labor
ers. She saw her boy-pAy-mates sucked
up hy the roads heard her grandfather
tell of hair.hreadth escapes from coils
ions, ofcool courage in men who placed
themselves between the people they car.
ricd and most horrible death. She had
learned the power and mission Of the
road. Ia short, she was as loyal a daugh-
ter of the rail as any Maine skipper's
chnd IS Of the sea. Madge had affinity
for an engine. To this day, her throat
swelled, her eyc kindIed when the great
iron animal swept past her Charley
drove an engine, and his engine was in
her eyes, a citing exponent Of the sreagth
aud beauty ofhis manhood. Such was
the romance Of her little dry life Every
body must have his enthusiasm, She had
been in the towns great depot at night,
arrived from q holiday trip, and had
laughed alond TO see some busy engine
hmrying mp and down, picking up freight
like a hen gathering her chickens; now
breathing loud enough 10 deafen multi
tude, now concentrating its strength and
painting slowly away at the head OF its
charge. She bad walked from sleep to
hear them calling to each other through
the darkness, and translated to herself
what they said.
TWAS a proper thing for Madgc to be
an engineers wife She thought it fit
ting thing to be Chariey's wife under any
circumstances, assure you There was
now only little STRIP Of time between
Madge and Charley, She looked over
that little strip and saw just how it would
be. They were to have cottage on a
clean street; her grandparents, if they
became infrm, were to have q home with
her; and these two little hands, said
Charley, will make me the dearest nest !;
III be so glad to run into it at night!
Madge's pink face took on rose as she
thought of all these things, looking up
and down the cut to see if the track was
clear, as her grandfather had said. 1t
was clear. She felt relieved and foolish
about coming out there through the twi-
light TO spy for Charley's welfare, and
much inclined to hide from the smoke
rising far Off But those unstable sandy
walls towering over his way? Madgc
watched them jealousy. just as the
thunder of the train could be heard, her
heart stood still to see them dissolve, like
pillars ground down by malicious Sam
son, and piled upon the track till nothing
could be seen for yards but one long long
hill of earth and stonesl ........
Now, little Madge, if there is heroism
in you, it must meet and lasso that iron
beast whirling hundred people upon
deathl A hundrcdl The cho1e ac0rld
was in the englne-house, driving down
fast upon that fatel He wouldn't try
to save himself when he came upon the
lite-trap. She saw how he would set his
lips, bend nerve and brain TO the emer-
gency; she saw how car upon car would
crash into car the wreck lie over a burn
ing engine, Charley be ground and char
red under them all
O sublmely selfish woman! She flew
over the track like thing of wings. II
was life and Charley, OF death with Char
ley The headlight flashed up through
the dusk. There were matches in her
pocket; she scraped them on rail and
tore her apron. Oh! they wouldn't ig-
mite, and the cotton would but smolder.
( 1t is rolling down on her as swift as air.
4 Bless the loom that wove the cloth that
made the cotton apron! She tossed il
blinking and blazing apove her head, and
walking slowly backward. The rcd-eyed
/ fury roared down at her, but you can't
! terriy Il woman when her mind is made
up. 1t should run over her before il
should reach the sand-heap.
/ She was seen. The engine rent even.
ing with its yells; the brakes were on
her lasso had caught tit could now be
stopped in time. She darted aside, but
the current was too strong for her. She
was dizzy; fell and clutehed in the wrong
direction. Poor, poor little fingers!
Now the people pour out; they run
here and there. Women are crying
. perhaps because they weren't hurt The
engineer darts alcng Ike a mailman
looking under the train. There a dozen
feet before the engine rises the saud-hiI
/ Everybody wants to know how they were
stopped before reaching the curve.
Here She il. shouted Charley, strid
ing'up with limp bundle, like a king
who had sacrificed to the good Of th,
state. She showed the signa aud stool
up to Il until saw hcr-until VIC almnsl
ruu her down There's half the finger
cut of her left hand There, what Dc
you think Of that, now, for The woman
that saved you all' holding up The mutt
lated stump.
God bless IL. prayed an old gentle
man, taking of his hat
Amen! roared the crowd. With ON,
breath they raised three shouts, wmcl
shook Tie sand-hilis until they came dowl
Handsomely the second time, Charlie,