The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-08-26

| 1 naQ leIt the true Track. iooev ~
horse stumbled and staggered, having
eviently stepped Oh a moving stone Ihe
wagon swayed and tipped, and the hooo
poured in upon us. Ny wife slipped, and
in a moment more we were in tho water
With one hand l grasped the hsrnes.
upon the horse and with the other l held
nv wife. l was thus struggling when
wild cry from her lips startled the air
| Our child was washed away.
"Oh, my soul! I cannot tell you what
l suffered during those moments.
could not help our darling. If left my
wife she was lost, chung to the horse
and clung to my shrieking wife-ahriek'
ing to God for mercy for her child. In
the distance, upon the bosom of the surg
ing food could see our little one, her
white dress cleaning in the sum, being
borne swiftly away. A moment more
and I saw man plunge from the bank
into the river. saw this much, aud then
an intervening point of land shut out the
scene. The horse was now rapidly near
ing the shore, and ere long my wife!and
l were on dry land, with the horse and
! wagon. As soon as l was sure my wife
was safe / left her to care for the horse
whllo posted off down the river bank in
quest of The swimmer and the child.
"You msy well understand that all
this time I was frantic. was machine
being operated upon by a surging and
agonizing emotion. How long or how
far wandered l. do not know, but at
length met man, wet and dripping,
with nay darling in his arms, my darling
safe and sound. He told me that he had
caught the child within few rods of the
falls, and that in landing he had cleared
the fatal abyss by not more than two
yards. lie was young man, not more
than 70, handsome and stalwart. He
said he had seen my wagon tip, and was
coming to my assistance when he saw the
child washed away. Threw my life into
the balance, said he with genial smile,
and, thank God! both the lives were
saved!
81 asked him how l should ever repay
him. He stopped me with an imploring
gesture:
If you talk of more pay than [ have
dlTcduy ItSelNeu, iO saio, IA tpu Son wv
me OF the only solid reward l can claim,
mercy! if saving the life Of such II cherub
is not enough of reward IN itself, then
hard Is the heart that Graves more. And
with moistened eyes he told me that he
had child of his own at home--an only
child of very nearly the same age.
81 asked if he would tell me his name.
Ia bn haf hi N q m
did not matter-he was not sure that he
had name. then asked him If he knew
me, He nodded and said he thought l
might be Mr. darlington of Walbridge.
When ! told him he was correct he said
that ne must hurry home. And with
that he turned away. l was too deeply
moved to stop him, and when he had dis.
appeared l started to rejoin my wife with
dawning impression that the man might
be slightly deranged, But my darling
was safe-her broad, Heecy cloak had
floated out and kept her head above wa
ter--and | went on my way rejoicing,
resolved that the preservor OF my child
should not be forgotten.
81 will net tell you of the emotion of
nv wife when she held her child once
more in her arms. We reached Shireton
before night, and found quarters at COM
Portable tavern"
"On the following day Laban Sarfurt
called upon me and was about to spread
his evidence for my inspection, when L
interrupted him. | told him | could not
accept his confidence until had made up
my mind to take his case in hand. Some
thing seemed to whisper that there was
danger ahead. did not feel comforta-
bic in that mans presence. L felt as
though he was trying to buy me. The
court would sit in four days. l told him
| would give him final answer in two
days from that.
"Tbat evening / made confident of
my wife, and asked her what should do.
III | take the case | said, Il am sure of
$4,000 She babe Inc do what was right.
God has been very kind to us she said,
'let us look to Him for guidance
cater this | called on the clergyman
of the place, whose son had been my
classmale in college, and whom l had
once before visited. He received me
heartily, and by and by l asked him
about William Acton. The result OF ali
he told me summed up in his closing SEN
tence. Said he: Il am sure William Ac-
ton was Philip Actions child--ln tact, l
know it-and | think the father and
mother were married. Betsy died very
soon after her child was born, and we
know that Philip always treated the boy
rs n legitimate child; and that he loved
him AS such can confidently affirm"
"On the following morning, after break
fast, rs | sat By the window in the bar
room, | saw coming from the street the
man who saved my child. he walking
slowly, like one in trouble. l pointed
him out to my host, and asked him who
he was.
That is William Acton. Perhaps you
have heard of the trouble he is likely TO
have with Laban Sarlurt!'
81 said had heard
al hope he NAV come out all right the
host added; 'but | am fearful. he has
got a hard and heartless customer to deal
with
81 shut my mouth and held my peace
until 1.9DbD SdTluTl Cdiltu lol His hbo'
answer / said 10 him:
"Mr. Sarturt, | have been considering
all this time whether l could undertake
YOUR case with clear conscience
whether | should be helping the side of
Justice and right in helping you. l had
concluded that | could not do so before l
had seen William Acton, to know him
by name. | row know him for man
who nobly risked his own life to save the
life of my child. For that deed l will re-
ward him if ! can. | have not, as yet,
accepted one of your private disclosures;
| have gained from you nothing which
YOU could wish to keep from the public
| cannot take your case, but tell you
frankly, that j. YOU prosecute, l will de-
fcnd William Acton
~ did not mind Sarfurts wrath. He
rsved and swore and stamped, and then
he went of and engaged two lawyers
from Herkimer 20 take h's case. | called
upon Acton, and told HIN l would de-
fend MIN i! he would a',rpt my services,
II h. - took my hat a