Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-10-25

/ nus Dalu, on the uu5DAul-
/ But it was so queer, for Just as soon
as he was with me again, my spirit
/ for teasing returned, and I would
/ say
4 think it is the child, after all. "
Then he would take the boy from
my breast and dance him joyfully up
and down, and say, You are right -
Then he would give me a good kiss,
and thus our little innocent liars
were never Quarrels, and ended iupcr-
feet content.
She gazed for moment silent be-
fore her, while Thomas sat nodding
his head sadly.
''You see, she continued. '.it is
necessary to tell you all this If it
does seem foreign to the real subject,
it belongs to it, for it became a mat
ter of most heart-rending thoughts
to us aftcrward. This question asked
in joke became f"ightful fact"
The woman was so overcome she
could scarcely continue, and her eyes
turned a mute appeal for help to-
wards her husband, but he only shook
his head mOurnfully, making q mo-
ton with his hand as if to bid her
speak on, looking into her eyes low
ingly, as if to cheer.
"Well, the story we told at the time
of the accident was true in every par
ticular, up to our arrival at the rail-
road track. There il was little diff
fercnt, and we hesitated in giving
the exact manner of the horrid oc-
currence. We have never fully un-
derstood ourselves why. 1t would
have been better, 1 think, il we had
not made a secret of it; much of this
weary shadow that has clouded our
lives would have worn away had we
talked it over with another person.
This is why We give you our conf
dencC now, hoping an intelligent
ught-minded man like Yourself will
advise and Judge if Ihaved erred.
1T happened thus. As my Anton
and led father towards the tracb l
imagined 1 heard the locomotive, but
l could see nothing, as a heavy fog
lay on the ground, and I supposed the
monster was far, far away from us,
and the moments were precious, My
poor Thomas was suffering terribly,
saying his foot was burning like caus-
tic. and it was only step and we
would be over, and had Thomas not
had the misfortune to stumble, we
would have crossed safely.
''They both lay in the middle Of
the road, Anton 10 the right of me,
Thomas to the left, and III that in
slant their startled cry, and the
shrieking roar of the iron monster
fell on my ear, and through the dense
fog ] saw his burning, greedy eye
fastened on my dear ones, while the
fiery sparks were thickly scattered
about, as if he'll itself had opened to
devour them.
ooh, If live n hundred years, the
horror of that moment will remain, rs
1 realized 1 could save one Of them
only one"
"Ah sir, sir , Human nature may
be subject to a million different dis
tressing heartaches and mental strug-
giles, but heap them all into a lifetime
1t is as nothing compared 20 what l
endured in q few seconds.
Il have often wondered since
how it was possible the mind could
comprehend so much while subject
to such intolCrable suffering and
fright, rs now, thought after thought
flashed through my brain in so short
a time"
my motherheart yearned for my
child, and I'seemed TO grasp it, while
the hand of God himself seemed to
hold me toward Thomas. 1 thought,
was he not thine before the child?
Did You not swear at the altar never
TO forsakc him? It seemed then as if
l loved him best; he was more useful
on earth; then | thought, Oh, horrible
raven mother, to desert your child!
but the thing was upon rs. l heard
mems voices warning through the
mist. 1t was as if they tried to stop
il, but failed. 1t cat the darkness
and rushed towards us. With one
bound turned from my child, grasp
ed for my husband, and with the
strength of a giant raised hlm off the
track, turned, but the awful monster
had passed, leaving me the crushed
remains Of my child
She stopped short, as if suddenly
| frozen in body and soul. Her hus-
band trembled in every limb, clutch
l ing at his beard rs if II could steady
/ I sat a spcechless witness of this fear
/ full grief. Ny sympathy had 10
words; my eyes must have told them
/ how deeply l entered with them into
| this touching history.
Thomas recovered himself first.
/ Going to his wife he tenderly placed
/ his arm around her. She started
with the magnetic touch, looked up at
him. and then at me, as if waiting for
me 10 pass Judgment.
/ l could only take her hand between
my own and say:
-. Il
man, Righteous wifep At this her
ewes beamed as if suddenly relieved
OF a dark veil; flash of genuine hap
piness covered her face; the whole
cOunteuauce of the woman changed
from a sluggish horror 70 an incom-
parable relief.
/ Thomas stretched his hand toward
me: his eyes flashing with joy,A his
. head erected with manly pride, and
for the first time in years his broad
shining teeth appeared through {
smile again.
God reward your kind heart auC
good words, sir, she cried. Il
/ seems as if we dared be happy one;
more
/ She embraced her husband, look
ing lovingly up to him, and softI,
asked:
DO You not think so, ThCmas?"
: Just so, lust so, wife. He coull
scarcely article the words for tn
i emotion that conquered him now
i Hot tears fell on his wife'S hands anl
|, / face: she, too, sobbed and wept Will
d him. They were the first tears
None were shed during that horribl
% time.
, .Iou see what it was that change,
5 me so, all those years, sir. Tn
: question constantly appeared bcfor
me: have you not committed an I'm
2 pardOuable sin against your own fleSl
S and blood could find 10 rest. NJ
2 peace was gone forever, aud | toll
{ Thomas never again would l dare be
, come a mother
70 \ deep blush mantled her face an,
e she paused. / thought here was tn
T time TO advise and restore harmony
/ this distressed family. 1 said re
/ prcachiuEly 10 her. You appear on
{ ~ to think Of yourself, Frau Thomas
Do you not suppose yOur husban
: has also suffered all these years III
l. same rs yourself" She looked 9
r, me astOnishcd, and rather abashe
o replied:
5 ''Of course he was miserable TO sc
/, me so, but a he could not help me h
/ let me alone
l. Now, Frau Thomas, we have th
e secret, and that is where yOu hay
been unjust, and wronged your hut
e band. You daily exhibited regrt
ir that his life had been saved at so gre!
s q sacrifice to yourself 1t left him
! more uncertainty regarding your lol