Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-08
Put Yourself In Her Place.

Put Yourself IN Her Place.
The long summer day had crept slowh
away, and it was nearly FIVE o'clock. Tn,
hours at the railway station were marked n,
by some gigantic clock that told the laggaro
minutes by screaming whistle and changing
bell. The haf-past four accommodation
had gone east the western express due her,
at fifty-five minutes past four mad thundered
through the village, gone on over the great
viaduct, and disappeared round the vast curve
beyond.
So one counted the hours by the trains
Lydia by name, girl of the best New Eng.
land type, quiet, and yet with an immense
capacity for doing aud daring should Low,
and the occasion demand The local freight
would next come and then--then she would
see him again.
She laid aside her work, put some split
zephyr vanity on her head and went out
towards the railroad. As she approached
the station she saw her brother, the station
master, opening the little freight house on
the farther side of the track. BY this she
knew the local freight would stop this time.
Her heart beat the faster and she quickened
her step.
On reaching the passenger station where
the village street crossed the railway, she
looked up and down the line and then
crossed over and turned to the left and
walked beside the track towards the freight
house.
To understand all that took place on this
occasion, and to fully appreciate her con-
summate skill in controlling the events So
quickly to crowd upon her, we must study
the construction of the road at this point.
The main line for more than mile towards
the east was perfectly straight and compar-
atvely level. To the left or the west, it
crossed deep valley by lofty stone via
duct. and beyond the valley it curved toward
the north and mounted the hill by long
grade. Just east of the passenger station a
branch road entered the main line and there
was as supposed a cross-over switch Be-
yond the passenger station, on the west, was
a short siding ending in a small freight
house, and directly opposite was another
siding with freight shed and coal yard.
lydia walked on past the freight house,
and crossing the side track, found larg,
flat rock beside the way, and there, under
the shade of an ancient apple tree she sat
down to wait till her lover should come.
He comes She heard the three long
whistles sounding far down the line, and a
train would stop. That was the signal for
the station master. Her brother came ont
of the freight house. spoke pleasantly to her
and then walked ont toward the switch at
the head of the siding.
Suddenly the main line track before her
began to sing in sharp metallic murmurs
The train had entered that section of the
road and he was near. Then there came
the sound of escapinp steam The engine
was slowing down and the steam. no longer
EMPLOYED. was bursting with a loud roa,
from the safety valve as if impatient of DELAY
With a lar that shook the ground the i'm
mense freight engine rolled past her, aud
the engineer. leaning ont of his window
nodded to her as he slid mast. Then the
cars in long nrocessiop came into sigbt and
moved nast with slowly decreasing speed
Four brakemen husv at the brakes went
past and still he came not. At last the real
ear anneared and a vonng man SWING him
self down from the iron ladder ON the ca,
and snro,,g To the pround at her feet.
A sootv man. clad i'm blue canvas. nov
black with smoke and dust Only brake
man No a rife better-the condnctor ot
the freight train. A year ago he had beef
Glad to take the place of a brakeman. auC
already he had been promoted. Love die
it. He had met and loved lydia in the day,
of his foolish idleness. and She had insisted
that he do some manly work or she coulc
not-yes. she could and did love him bn,
he must show himself worthy her love. All
ready he had advanced. and she was wei
nl4ased with his nrogress. and they had he
come enpaoed
A prindy' dusty man. in unloyely gar
ments buf i'm her ewes. he WAS a man mad,
for better things. As he stood beside he
one could see in his clear ewes and sensibl,
face that he had good stuff i'm him and Ma,
worthy of her love.
Ii becomes MS not TO linger while the,
talk Quietly together beside the track. Tn,
train stoned with the last car inst beyon,
the switch The iron horse was moved on
the station master sipnalled with his arm
in a curious fashion. and each of the ion
brakemen repeated the motion in turn
White puffs OF steam rose high in the al
from the farther end of the train. and TIN
last car hacked down. turned aside and an
tered the siding. The station master lef
the switch and came hastily towards tn
lovers.
Good day, Alfred, Light freight to-day
only one car-by the way, the brake char
is broken, you had better drop the car at tn
repair shops. The freight can be throw
out without leaving the car
So saying, the station master went OF
into the freight house followed by the rat
Ting aud rumbing cars. They gradual,
lost their speed aud then came TO Il stoI
with the end of the train lost in the darI