Wilmington journal., 1874-01-16

with his hand as if to bid her speak
on, looking into her eyes lovingly, as
il to che er her.
well, the story we told at the time
OF the accident was true in every par
tlcular, up to our arrival at the rail-
road track. There it was q little
different, and we hesitated ia giving
the exact manner of the horri9 occur
renee. We have Eevsr fully under
stood ourselves why. It would have
been better. I think, if we had not
made secret Of it; much Of this weary
shadow that has clouded our lives
would move away, had We talked it
over with another person. That is why
we give you our confidence now, hop
ing an Intelligent. right-minded man
like yourself will adv ise and Judge il I
have erred.
's1t happened thus: As my Anton
and I led father toward the track I
immagincd I heard the locomotive,
but l could see nothing. rs q heavy
fog lay on the ground, and l supposed
that the monster was far away from
us, and the moments were precious.
My poor Thomas WAS suffering terri
bly,, saying his foot was burning like
caustic, and it was only stop and we
would be over, ard had Thomas not
had the misfortune to st,imbic, we
~ould have crossed safely.
"They both lay in tho middle Of tho
road, Anton to tho right OF me and
Thomas to the left, and il that
instant their startled cry and the
shrieking roar at tho iron monster
fell on my car, and, through the dense
fog ] saw his burning, greedy eve
fastened OF my dear once. While the
fiery sparks were tllickly scattered
about, as if hell itseif had hc.n opened
to devour them.
'Oh if live thousand years, the
horror of that moment will remain as
I realized I could save cne cf them,
only one
s'Ah sir human nature may be
subject to million different distress
ing heartaches and mental struggles,
but heap them all into a lifetime. it IS
as nothing compared to what 7 en-
dured in a few seconds.
81 have often wondered sinoa how it
was possible the mind could compre-
hend SO much while subject to such
intolerable suffering and fright, as now.
thought aztec thought flashed through
my brain in SO short time.
my mother-heart yearned for my
child, and l seemed to grasp it, while
the hand of God Himself seemed to
hold me toward Thomas. / thought
was he not thine before the child Did
you not swear at the altar never to for-
sake him 1t seemed, then. as | loved
him best; he was more useful on earth.
Then / thought, oh horrible raven
mother to desert YOUR child B3t
the thing was upon us. j heard men :
voices warming through the n,is.. It
was as if they tried 10 atop il, bat
failed. 1t cut the darkness and rushed
toward US with one bound l turned
from my child, grasped for my hus-
band, and, with the strength OF q
giantass, raised him Off tn. track,
turned, but the awful monster had
passed, leaving me the crushed remains
of my child.
She stopped short, a4 II suddenly
frozen in body and soul. Her husband
in every lil.b, cl,,tclling at
his beard as if 1t could steady him. [
sat Il speechless witness of This fearful
grief. Ny sympathy had no words
my eyes must have told them how
deeply I entered with them into this
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, "a if waiting for me to |
pass my judgment.
/ could only take her hand between
my own and say
"Poor, poor mother Noble wo-
man. Righteous wife -
At this, her eyes beamed ag if sud
denly relieved Of q dark vail hush
of genuine happiness spread over her
face, and the whole countenance Of the
woman changed from sluggish hor-
ror into that Of incomparable relief.
Thomas stretched his hand to-
ward me; his eyes. flashing with Joy,
his head erected with manly pride, and
for the first time in years his broad
teeth appeared through q
smile once more.
"God reward your kind heart and
good words, sir, she cried. "It seems.
since hearing you, as live dared he
happy again -
She embraced her husband, looked
lovingly up to him, end softly asked:
"Do yon think so, Thomas -
Just SO, Just so. vile" He could
scarcely alticnlate the words foT the
emotion that conquered, HIM now
Hot tears fell on his wife hand and
face she. tcsl. sch:.cd and wept with
him. They were the first tears
None wt,r,: shed during that horrible
time.
"You SEQ what il ~ss sIi,.t changed
me SO, all these years, sir. The luca-
ton constantly appeared before me:
Have voiI not committed an uupcrtiou-
able sin against rour own iosh and
blood | couli fud no rest. Ny
poacu w.:e gone forever. nnd | told
Thomas never gain vo'ild ,tr,' be-
come !. inotler---"
A dcep blush tnantleci her faca and
she paused. tlought here Was the
time 10 ,ivisc end reatortt harIitony to
tho distressed family. | said re-
proa chfully to her: s'Yori appear only
to think Of yourself, Frau Thomas.
Do you not suppose your husband
has also suffered all those years the
samo SIS yourself = She looked at
Nc aeton:shed. and rather aIoashed,
replied:
''Of courEe he re: miserable to see
me- so, bat, a5 he could not help me,
he let me- alone
Now, Frau Thomas, rs have tie
aacret, and that is where you have
been unjust, and wrongol your hus-
band. You daily exhibited regret that
his life had been saved at SO great q
sacrifice to yourself. 1t LETT him in
more uncertainty regarding your love
60 hi nd hi t,i, - ho