The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-05-20
Two "Immortelles."

How differently the prizes of fame arc
distributed! a Lconidas falls ut Thcrmo-
pyle, and the world rings with the deed
forever. "A Napoleon ravages half of Eu-
rope, and because he is q conuuCrer is cxal-
ted, by his worshipcrs, into demi-god.
On the other hand some sailor or soldier.
or other'obscurc hero in the ranks, dies at
the post of duty, in 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 wreath on the grave of one of that
class. With your permission, | will tell
his story.
"Clarlcy Benson he began, chad been
III my regiment, and was 50 faithful and
true, that, when the war was over cXcrcd
myself to get him work. lie was only q
private, remember, the son of poor, hill
farmer; with very little education. The
best could do for him was TO get him a
position as engineer on the Swcctwutcr
railroad, to run one Of the locomotives
''Hc gave such satisfaction, was al
ways so reliable, that he soon got Il promise
Of advancement. On this hc determined to
marry. lie had long been engaged to a
good girl, the daughter of a mechanic in
our employ, but they were both poor.
"'You see, colonel, he said to me- one
day, when | met him ut the depot, and
stopped to ask him how he was getting on,
it's Il serious thing this taking the rcspon-
sihility of marrying. Besides, Nellie is n
girl above the ordinary kind; she was fin
ished at the Normal school; and should
like to surround her with some of the refine
menls of life. don't want to have every
thing coarse and rough about her, as a very
poor man must, NO matter how imuch lie
loves his wife. That's the reason we've
put it of. But, now, thanks to your good
word-l'm to have raise. This is my
last trip, rs perhaps you know
ole raised his hand to his head, in the
old military salute 'You may feel perfect
ly 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 as 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 mp to its full
height, his hand at his cap, his cheeks
slightly flushed, his eyes cleaning like an
eagles.
"Suddcnly the eyes softcncd, and smile
stole over his face. Excuse me, please,
he said; but there's Nellie, God bless her,
come to see me off l must shake hands
with her before we start, and there's Just
time.
cit was bright, sunshny face, that of
young woman OF about twenty, that ] saw
welcome him; handsome, everybody would
have said 1t was; but there was Il look of
courage, and high resolve; soul and intel
lect were both there.
81 could not act as on the parting, 80
turned away, and sought a seat in the cars
IL found an old friend on the train, Gen
. eral Powell, after we had run about twenty
miles or 50, and discussed business and
politics. proposed smoke "Thcy all
know me on this line, said, and we'll go
into the baggage car, where we'll be alone.
81 exchanged a word or two with the
baggage-mastcr, asking after his family, as
. | always did, and then took scat near the
front Of the car, 50 as to get the air from
the open door, for the day was sultry ant.
warm. The coal and water tank was Just
ahead of ,s, and beyond that the locomo-
tive, for we were at the front of the train.
could sec the tall, so'derly figure of Char
ley, rs he stood at his post, with his hand
on the rail, and beside him, his assistant,
looking like Cyclops, begrimmed with dust
and smoke as
''F'rhe .Swcetwatcr road as you know,
runs. through very picturesque region,
winding, for the most part, by the banks of
the Swcetwatcr itself; frequently teraccd
along low hills; with, here and there a
tunnel and, what Is more to tho point OF
my story, innumerablc curves. We were
rattling and surging on, when, suddenly,
saw, not far ahead a puff of smoke around
rocky curve, and directly afterwards m
express train came rushing into sight, head
I, ing for us, at full speed. .
ia "Thc peculiar shrek which is the sigma
for, down brakes, was instantaneous from
both trains; but 4 saw, at once, that il
would be useless ; the vclocity,of each was
so,great, the distance so small, that collision
was inevitable. We were going at the rate
ofsthirty miles on hour, and the express al
rate of forty, thctwo together making 6
speed Of seventy miles an hour; it WIS
v question of seconds, therefore, when WI
should crash into each other
tT started to my feet, not with any intcn
ton of flight, but with a sort of instinc
7 that, since I was to die, would dic stand
ing. i have been in twenty battles, rs 20,
III hHo" ucspclutc olics li'oSI VI tiiHhi'
have had shot and shell falling about nj
literally like rains '!If have even fseen tina
rare thing, bayohct charge. Bit | ncve
before felt that Twas certain to die, tha
! there was no hope whatever as felt, tina
~ moment. n Il ia So ,thN w
So tsAfter one quick look at the approaching
Locomotive, that, even inthat single instant
8 seemed to grow, from it's rapid approach
totwice the size 1t had been at first,
> glanced at Charley, anxious to sec how he
, who would be THE, first to BID struck, woult
take 1t. I had watched him under fire
more than once, and knew he was the brav
est 81 the brave. But TITS was different
} II WAS more like leading forlorn hope