Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-11-05
NO. 45.
a Railway Incident.

them their two fine grandchildren, At
least this was the little history built up
for her in my own brain from word or
two that heard pass between her and her
young husband at the station, as he put
her into the carriage with an afFectionate
farewell. l always watch with great in
terest the farewells and greetings of my
fellow travellers, and have a fashion for
thinking out for myself the whole story Of
their previous lives from the little hints
that get in this way. 1t is to me as If 1
were permitted TO open the second volume
of an interesting 10 nance, and allowed to
read only one short scene in this, and asked
TO guess as nearly as possible from this one
scene the previous course of the story and
the characters Of the actors in it.
The youngest child was an infaut of
about three or four months old--very qui-
ct and good the other was pretty, rest
less little girl OF three, who could not be
still single moment, and kept the careful
mother busy by her childish questions and
wants and childish prattle. She was not at
all bashful and soon talked 10 us also in
such natural, coquetish, condescending
way, that we were quite in love with the
charming little lassie, and begged her
mother not 10 check her innocent advances
to us.
When we had been travelling together for
two or three hours and began to feel quite
like old acquaintances, while the train was
going at full speed, The mother balf rose
from her seat 10 place The little girl, who
had len her place again on the opposite seat.
How it happened have never understood;
it was one of those accidents which seem
impossible, and, in fact, only happens once
in hundred thousand times but Just as
she stood half erect holding her sleeping
babe upon one arm and her little frolicsome
maiden somewhat awk wardly on the other.
the little girl made one of her sudden.
quick movements, and in an instant she
was gone from our eyes.
What moment! The poor mother stood
fixed and rigid in exactly the same attitude,
her arm still bent as though around her
child, gazing with wide open, fixed eyes at
the place whence she vanished. She SEEM
ed literally suddenly turned 10 stone; with
the rest of us the case was almost the same.
How long this lasted 1 do not know; doubt
less it seemed to US much longer than IL re-
ally was. Then the young mother seemed
To- come 10 herself, and made a sudden
movement as il she would spring through
the window afler her vanished darling, now
far away. caught her quickly fast and
held her, while the kind young lady who
sat opposite 10 me took the baby from her
arms, and we all began TO talk together, no
one listening to the other, about what was
TO be done Tor her. Somehow we managed
in our excitement TO do all that was possi-
BILE; the guard came, the train was stopped,
and the mother, without speaking to one of
us, or even looking at us, left the train,
supper ling herself on one arm of the SYM
palhizing guard, while he held the still
sleeping baby fast in the other.
or course the train must go on with in
creased speed to make up for the moment
OF delay, so there was no chance for us to
SEQ more of the poor bereaved mother.
Telegraph TO us at the next station" said
one of the railroad functionaries 10 the
guard. Yes, yes, be sure to do it imme-
diateIl." cried dozen voices; for in some
mysterious way The news of the accident
had run through the train as if by electric
lily, and long row of sympathlzing faces
watched from the carriage The disappearing
forms of the mother and the guard.
ut will take her half an hour 10 reach
the spot, and it is just thirty-6ve minutes
now to the next station" said the stout
gentleman in the corner, taking out his
watch and holding it in his band, his eyes
liked upon it. He had struck me as one Of
the most selfish and disagreeable old gen.
tlemen possible scarcely answering a DO
lite question from neighbor, and then in
the shortest and gruffest manner possible;
he had seemed completely absorbed by his
newspaper and his snuff box, not having
noticed the little fairy in any way except
to glance at her now and then with saw
age expression as her clear, childish laugh
had disturbed his reading. Now his whole
soul seemed 10 be fixed on the watch before
him, and he "chded the tardy flight Of
time" again and again in words more forei-
BILE than ornamental.
There was a young woUld-be dandy in
one corner; light, straw colored gloves, a
slender cane, an infant mustache, and au
eye glass stuck in one eye, seemed TO be,
in his opinion, tokens OF vast superiority
over the other travellers; and he spoke very
little except occasionally to make some su-
percilious remark or ask some question
about third class travelling. apparently to
produce on us the impression that he was
young nobleman or prince, perhaps, in dis
gulse, seeing for himself how ordinary
mortals Jared. What a change had come
over him now the eye glass hung dang
ling, hither and thither; with the kid
gloves, of which he had been so dainty, he
had grasped the dusty facing of the door,
and was straining his gaze first backward
until the poor mother was no longer to be
seen, and then farward TO the next station
where news was TO meet us.
Now at last we are there; the train halts,
and one of the guard runs quickly into the
little office over which telegraph" is paint
cd. Everybody who can possibly get his
or her head out of the window on that side
thrusts 1t out. There Is moment Of in
tense suspense here comes the guard again
with dispatch in his hand he stands
about midway between the ends of the
train, and begins TO read 1t out in his clear,
kind, official tones; "Child perfectly sound /;
alighted on a pile of straw in a field, not
two feet from a stone WALL"
Then what scenel Every man at the
train window has his hat of in moment,
and is waving it and cheering as IL he
would split his throat every woman Is
buried in her pocket handkerchief, crying
and laughing together. The stout old ego
tist, and the vain young dandy have thrown
their arms around each other, and are EN-
bracing with that heartiness that belongs to
the sons Of the Vaterland, although they