Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-05-14
Two "Immortelles." I"

How differently the prizes of fame are
distributed, A Leonidas falls at Thermo-
pyla, and the world rings with the deed
forever. \ Napoleon rayages half of Eu-
rope, and because he is conquerer is exal-
ted, by his worshipers, into a demi-god
On the other hand. some sailor or soldier,
or other obscure hero in the ranks, dies at
the post of duty, in a straight even more
desperate, and yet is never heard of again.
We were talking of this the other night
at dinner, when Colonel Markham said:
..Apropos of that, have been to-day, to
lay a wreath on the grave of one of that
class. With your permission, | will tell
his story.
Charley Benson" he began, had been
in my regiment, and was so faithful and
true, that, when the war was over | exerted
myself to get him work. He was only
private, remember, the son of poor, hill
farmer; with very little education. The
best | could do for him was to get him
position as engineer on the Sweetwater
railroad. to run one of the locomotives.
s'He gave such satisfaction, was al
WAYS so reliable, that he soon got promise
of advancement. On this he determined to
marry He had long been engaged to
good girl, the daughter of a mechanic IN
our employ, but they were both poor.
"'You see, colonel, he said TO me, one
dav. when | met him at the depot, and
stopped TO ask him how he was getting on,
its serious thing. this taking the respon-
sibilitv OF marrying. Besides, Nellie Is a
girl above the ordinary kind: she was fin
ished at the Normal school; and | should
ike to surround her with some of the refine
menrs Of life. don't want to have every
thing coarse and rough about her, as a very
poor man must, no matter how much he
loves his wife. That's the reason we've
put it Off But, now, thanks to your good
word-I'm to have a raise. This is my
last trip, as perhaps You know
.'He raised his hand TO his head, in the
old military salute. You may feel perfect
lv safe he said. for even if | didn't know
YOU were on board, | should do my duty,
no matter what came of it.
The words were spoken rs if of course,
and without any unnecessary emphasis; but
they assumed an importance subsequently,
and can never forget them. think | see
them now, looking as he looked when he
uttered them, his figure drawn up TO its full
height. his hand at his cap, his cheeks
slightly flushed, his eyes cleaning like an
eagles.
..Suddenly the eyes softened, and smile
stole over his face Excuse me, please,
he said: but there's Nellie, God bless her,
come TO see me off, | must shake hands
with her before we start, and there's just
time
at was a bright, sunshiny face, that OF
a voung woman of about twenty, that | saw
welcome him; handsome, everybody would
have said 1t was; but there was look OF
courage, and high resolve; soul and intel
lect were both there.
u could not act as on the parting, so l
turned away. and sought seat in the cars.
Il found an old friend on the train, Cen
eral Powell, after we had run about twenty
miles or so. and discussed business and
politics. | proposed a smoke. They all
know me on this line, | said, and we'll go
into the baggage car, where well be alone
II exchanged a word or two with the
baggage-master, asking after his family, as
| always did. and then took a seat near the
front of the car, so as to get the air from
the open door, for the day was sultry and
warm. The coal and water tank was just
ahead of us, and beyond that the locomo-
tive. for we were at the front of the train.
| could see the tall, soldierly figure of Char
lev. as he stood at his post, with his hand
on the rail, and beside him, his assistant,
looking like Cyclops, begrimmed with dust
and smoke.
.TThe Sweetwater road as You know,
runs through a very picturesque region,
winding. for the most part, by the banks OF
the Sweetwater itself; frequently terraced
along low hills: with, here and there a
tunnel: and, what is more to the point OF
NV story. innumerable curves. We were
rattling and surging on, when, suddenly,
saw, not far ahead, puff of smoke around
a rocky curve, and directly afterwards, an
express train came rushing into sight, head
ing for us, at full speed.
1.-The peculiar shrek which is the signal
| for down brakes, was instantaneous from
both trains: but | saw, at once, that 1t
would be useless; the velocity OF each was
so great. the distance so small, that collision
was inevitable. We were going at the rate
of thirty miles an hour, and the express at
rate of forty, the two together making
speed of seventy miles an hour; it was a
question of seconds, therefore, when we
should crash into each other.
81 started to my feet, not with any inten-
tion of flight. but with a sort of instinct
that. since was to die, would die stand
/ inc. have been in twenty battles, as you
all know desperate ones most of them. L
have had shot and shell falling about me
literally like rain. | have even seen that
rare thing. a bayonet charge. But never
before felt that was certain to die, that
there was no hope whatever, as felt, that
moment.
"After one quick look at the approaching
locomotive. that, even in that single instant,
seemed to grow, from its rapid approach,
TO twice the size il had been at first,
glanced al Charley. anxious to see how he,
who would be the first to be struck, would
take If. | had watched him under fire,
more than once. and knew he was the brav-
est of the brave But tbs was different
II was more like leading forlorn hope
singly. in a narrow breach, than anything
else but il was even worse than that; there
might be one chance in ten thousand, there,
of escape here there was none. L did not
expect Charley to jump from his engine, as
MANY would have done. | knew he was
too brave for that. But did look for some
sign of emotion, though not exactly OF iear.
There was none, however, except the tlght-
ening of the lips, and the eagle-like look
that came into his eyes. His cheek never
paled. Not one eye lash quivered But
that intense gaze did not leave the other
locomotive for an instant.
Gan this passed in moment, quicker,
tif possible, than lightning flash. That