The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-06-13
PUT YOURSELF IN HER PLACE.

PUT YOURSELF IN Her PLACE.
o~ton Golden Rule
The long summer day had crept slowly
away, and it was nearly 5 o'clock. The
hours at the railway station were marked
as by some gigantic clock that told the
laggard minutes by screaming whistle
rud Changing bell. The 4:3O accommo-
dation had just gone east, the Western
express due here 4:55, had Numbered
through the village, gone on over the
great viaduct, and disappeared round the
curve beyond.
So one counted the hours by the trains,
Lydia, by name, girl of the best New
England type, quiet, and yet with an
immense capacity for doing and daring
should love and the occasion demand
then-then she would see him again.
She laid aside her work, put some split
zephyr vanity upon her heal and went
out towards the railroad, As she APP
preached 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 rail
way, 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
consummate 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 a
mile to the right, or towards the east,
level. To the left, or the west, it crossed
deep valley by a lofty stone viaduct,
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 the main line
and there was, as supposed, a cross-over
switch. Beyodd the passenger station,
on the west, was short siding ending III
a small freight house, and directly oppo-
site was another siding with freight shed
and a coal yard.
Lydia walked on passed the freight
house, and, crossing the side track, found
a large fiat rock beside the way, and
there, under the shade of an ancient APP
pie 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 bright blush mounted to her face. The
train would stop. That was the signal
for the station master Her brother
came out of the freight house, spoke
pleasantly to her, aud then walked on
towards the switch at the head of the sid
ing.
Suddenly the Main Line track before
her began to sing in sharp metallic muir
murs. The train had entered that section
of the road and he was no1,r Then tbors
came the sound of escaping steam. The
engine was slowing down and the steam.
no longer employed, was bursting with a
loud roar from the safety valve as if
impatient OF delay.
With jar that shook the ground the
immense freight engine rolled past her,
and the engineer, leaning out of his win
dow, nodded to her as he slid past. Then
the cars IN long procession came into
sight and moved past with slowly de-
creasing speed -Four hrakemen busy at
the brakes went past and still he came
not. AT last the rear car appeared, and
young man swung himself down from
1 he iron ladder on the car and sprang to
the ground at her feet.
A sooty man, clad in blue canvas now
black with smoke and dust. Only
brakemani No; trife better-the con
ductor of the freight train. A year ago
he had been glad to take the place of
brakeman. and already he had been pro-
NOTED. Love did it. He had met and
loved Lydia in the days of his foolish
idleness, and she had insisted that he do
some manly work or she could not-yes,
she could and did love him but he must
show himself worthy her love. Already
he had advanced, and she was well pleas
ed with his progress, and they had be-
come engaged.
A grimy, dusty man in unlovely gar
ments; but, in her eyes, he was man
made for better things. As he stood be-
side her one could see in his clear eyes
and sensible face that he had good stuff
IN him and was worthy of her love.
1t becomes US not to linger while they
talk quietly together beside the track.
The train moved slower and slower till,
finally, il stopped with the last car just
beyond the switch. The iron horse was
moved on, the station master signalled
with his arms In curious fashion, and
each of the four brakemen repeated the
motion in turn. White puffs of steam
rose hiuh IN tha mir frora the Feather or, "A
of the train, and the last car backed
down, turned aside, and entering the
siding. The station master left the