The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-08-21

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only Uncle Sammy as planted the will
lows an knows the stories about 'em,
an Freeman's wife as sees 'eln, an the
childer as carries 'em flowers COS they's
afeard o. 'em, an me as lOikeWise
shivers whin the willows blow white, but
feels frien'ly, bein' loikeWise an unfor-
tinit''
questioned 'Uncle Sammy - after
my return, as sat upon the shady side
of the station platform arranging my
flowers, and he told me the three s'curis''
stories, while the square little girl stood
near with an eager attitude, nodding
her round yellow head emphatically
now and then, as some of her statements
to me were confirmed.
Wal, the one that sleeps in the
gTeenest grave" said Uncle Sammy, as
he carefully fashioned spinniDg-top
out of bit of white pine board, with
the keen blade of his jack-knife, "was a
man of about 25, should jedge, that
was killed by John Wilbur's freight one
bitter, cold, stormy day, a matter of
seven or eight years ago, or so. The
poor unfortinit' was walkin' on the
track, some three miles above here,
with his head down, his cap pulled over
his eyes and the wind in his face when
curve. Afore there was time to pull the
bell-rope, or reverse the lever, the saw
age snow-plow had hit him an his soul
had gone up, up through the whirlin',
blindin' snow back to God who gave it.
SIT was one of the pleasantest, fairest
faces ever see when they brought him
in here. John Wilbur stood out there
in the wind with the tears freezin' onto
his pale cheeks as he was tellin' the
dretful story. jest to think ont said
he, that half an hour ago this man was
rs full of life and hope as any one of us.
1t goes to show US how near our railroad
runs to the gate of the other world
"!Wa1, we laid the unfortinit man out
decently in the freight-hoase office, and
then we telegraphed right and left, try
in to find out somethin' about him
The only cleW we could git hold on was
That an Englishman had been askin' for
work up at Brackenboro' the day before,
and had been directed to the steam-mil
here. But in the breast-pocket of the
poor feller's short jacket was little let
ter with no envelope to it, much worn
with many readin's. L know it by heart.
1t said, Dear John: Baby Mary grows
finely, and as soon as she's strong
enough to sail over the sea l will join
father is sad at the thought of our leav-
in him behind, but comfort him every
day with the kind words you wrote
with a willow tree at the door, he should
sit in the shade of it and sing to the chill
dren the songs of old England
''It was the letter of one not much
used to writin', L guess, with no address
but The Willows, England 1t had no
date, and was signed Alice Leigh
The coroner's jury brought in a verdick
of 'an unknown man killed, with no
fault of the road'-though it was plain
enough to me that the man was John
Leigh of England. We buried him up
there on the cOmpany's land
"An' Uncle Sammy prayed for the
unfortinit like a hero-I've heered 'em
say that war there" put in the square
little girl, who still stood by with di-
lated eyes, drinking in every word.
There bein' no minister here, that
was my dooty,' said the old man grave
ly; "and 1 laid away the poor, little
worn letter in my wife's upper boory
drawer-that bein' my dooty likewise.
Wal, we didn't hear nOthin' about any
friends of the poor unfortinit, and should
"a well nigh forgot all about him
if Freeman's wife hadn't seen his ghost
off and on, when the wind blew, or the
air was full of snow, or most any time
when news was skurse and there wasn't
much to talk about.
Zone dark, rainy night, after the man
had laid out there alone nigh onto a
year, Frank Rays freight run into a
washout, down the road there by the
Glen brook culvert. [ was in Freeman S
wife's kitchen that evenin' a warmin'
my hands, and she was tellin' me that
the unfortiuit stranger was mighty un-
| easy for some time, that he had been
] lookin' into her windows off and on all
! the eVenin' till l Ome in. There he is
now, poor feller,' said she, but look
ed and didn't see nothin', of course.
jest then Frank Rays engine come
shriekin' into the yard.
''It seemed that the machine ran
over the break safely, but the cars went
down through and piled up promiscus'
enough. The conductor and two brake
men was killed, and two passengers
that was in the caboose, probably. That
was all the passengers there happened
to be on that night They always
brought up more or less that had missed
the young OWL down below. Twas 6
dretful sad time. My wife went dowr
to the wreck with the wives of the men
that was killed, and there when the ca
boose was righted up. There, quite dead
in one corner of the short blue car
holdin' her poOty baby girl to her heart
was as handsome and pure-faced, gold
en- haired little English fwoman as
ever sat eyes on, with q smile restin' OF
her sweet face as if she had been COO
in' with her last breath to the baby whC
was smilin' back at her.
"My wife laid 'em out as decently q
she could in the freight-house office
Jest where the poor dead man had laiC
and what do you think? She fOuni
pinned into the bosom of the little moth
er's dress an old purse with . few smal
silver pieces and letter dated at BTack
enboro full year and a half afore.
know that letter, too, by heart-tha
. part ont that wasn't directions for he
about comm to Brackenboro. 1t said
sDear Alice: Praise God, I've got her
all safe, and please God I'll soon have
home TO. thee and the baby. ComfOr
the old grandfather and tell him
, shall come to US by and by and sing tn
songs of merry England to the children
and that when l get a home I will sc
+ out a willow tree by the door for th
sake of the old home in England Tn
, poor, bad written, siled letter was sigr
, ed: Your faithful and loving husband
, John Leigh
r al was as weak as rat when L fr:
r read it, and my wife said it was the tru
? love in the poor young husbands heal
5 that heart which was then but hanC
i, full of dust-that drew this sweet, col
> slant little wife straight to him; th'
Q God in his great kindness would M
L leave her to face so great disappoin