Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-01-09

the whirl of glistening fixes, saw the
station with its hundreds Of lights, like q
huge Christmas box. A poor Christmas
box. fer me There were collected
through tn holidays regular town OF
cas-, something like five hundred of
them, and they'd got to be all made up
so that every thing could DO OF directlJ
after New Years. Hardly had got of
M engine in the engine-houso when up
comes the station master and lid to me
"Hauser is taken sick, and you will
have 10 take No. 3 in his place"
Ten thousand thundersl said |;
"but hope it won't last till midnight,
Mr. Station master, for then must be at
home or there is i'll luck for the new
year"
"Fiidles,icks!" said he; "only You
be sure your on hand" and away he was
gone in the driving snow.
thought I'll taken the matter more to
heart than it was worth, and laid the
cold shiver that crept over 10 my skin to
the nncaunny bias. that cama snorting
at me as came ont Hi.h the engine.
The whole air vas full OF white Snow,
aud IS the wrealhs OF it drove ike white
ghosts across tho engine. could hardly
see the smoke stack.
OF the light signals. one caught only
now and then q glimpse, red white or
green; Of the horn and pipe signals,
what with the howliag OF the Wind s5ou.
the cars aud ca,- wheels and the singing
in the telegraph wires and the rumbiing
Of cus and tie whis,,ing oi the engines
one heard only enough to ba sure oac
had not understood them. OF the shouts
OF the men one could makc Just nothing
but that they shouted.
Then there were - couple of hundred
ears being Shuntei a5ou; in all directions
at The same time; on Nil sides they c.me
looming like great shadows on. Of the
darkness and thick snow and straight
vanished in it again. The poor switch
tenders. wet to the skin. up to their
knees il snow, sprang this way and that
between the rolling cars. You know
how distributing station looks of wiz
ter night. Col oaly k9oS, how lis
we're not all made mince meat ct
in the course of il; and I've ali my lie
long been surprised when next morning
hadn', heard that this one or that one
was killed on the spot. And il anything
does happen then the strict gentlemen at
the green table in their warm Cflice up
there out with the rules GU: OF their
pockets. To be sure. lis the only way.
Bat they would only just for once in
their lives take the trouble 10 look on
themselves outside
Tha, night then i. was right bad, and
the Sylvester punch, too, may have
touched the mems heads little before
hand. for the ringing went q. y rate IS
iC Satan himself was giving the orders
The cars flew 50 this way and that, and
the lights went by like 4 ashes and every
where one heard the groaning and the
clnking of the buffers crashing together,
and the men crep; about Under and be-
tween the cars as il the wheels were
gingerbread and the bailsrs downy pi.-
lows. Bat before all there was little
assistant station-mas ster-l could not
bear the man. because no once came
very much in my way in certain matter
but | could not help looking in
amazementa as | saw his signal lantern
every where, swinging horizontally, swing
ing in an inch, swinging cyosswise, up
down. behind. before and ahead his
shrill voice through all the storm. And
see, Ia Just called 10 the man. as saw
him slip through between two buffers,
that he ought no, TO be so devilish reck-
/ less, in a storm where one could neither
see nor hear thing and might slip
down into the bargain. But he had
laughed at me aud called out: ':You at
tend TO your own work, Zimmermann
and never mind me we must be through
before midnight forward. forward!' and
away he was gone. ! had called after
him with a good will: ITO the devil
with you, them" and that | shall not
forget my lie long, but shall think OF ii
with sorrow on my death-bed." Here
the old engineer made pause, wiped
his forehead took draught from his
glass of punch, and went on:
IL heard him still giving the order
"Forward!' yonder among my COM
rades, and heard the car chain, clink and
then a sound What like was i? have
you ever heard butcher hack through o
thick bone with his ax-and then dull
cry, and then again only the cling and
clang of the buffers clashing together. a
cold shudder ran over me; then | got
the signal to 60 ahead-there was no
stopping. Forward. forward!' In a
moment was far away in The other end
OF the yard where no one could know
what had happened.
But did my duty still, only as if | was
dreaming, and when half hour later,
we had got through and | entered the
engine-house again, the boss said to me,
Have You heard, Zimmerman, Assist