Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-09

] Na
called good viii And good-fellowship,
but TO drown memory.
81 did not 90 near Mary for month.
To me It seemed year. Once, after
nights carousal / passed her ON the
street; but not until long after aid I
learn of the bitter tears my haQpard
face and dissipated air had cost her.
Finally my better nature triumphed,
and went TO her, repentant, TO ask her
forgiveness, and perhaps her love.
On long, lonely night ride made
up my mind 10 do this, though like a
thousand devils, memories of the mo-
ments had spent in the last few weeks
crowded around me, as though taunting
me IN contrast TO her purity; but with
GODS help | would make myself
worthy, said aloud, and thought the
hours would never drag along until /
couid hnd myself once more in her
presence. She came in TO see me, hold
ing out her hand with sweet smile of
welcome, as though we had parted only
yesterday, and yet-and yet there was a
change. All, l learned it, all too sooni
In those first few moments / told her
the story Of my life for the past few
months, of what il had been before | |
knew her--of what it should be II she |
would give me the assurance and prom |
Use OF her love. Then paused. For a |
moment silence fell between us; then |
she spoke. A bright fash was in her |
cheeks, her lips trembled, her lashes |
yelled her eyes, but her lips faltered not. |
John, she said, Il am only girl, |
1t is true, but the man 1 marry must be |
a man. Perhaps l might have loved .
! you here a little tremble crept into
her tone but have almost ceased to
respect you. Were you my husband, /
would fear for you, and fear and love
can not go hand-in-hand.'
"Stopl' l said. DO you want to
drive me back to the life had hoped to
have left behind meP o, Mary, do not
be so cruel. Be my wife, and let me
prove the stuff that is in me-
No, John,' she answered, softly;
but the blue eyes now raised to mine
were swimming in tears. If you have
seen the wrong, surely you will not re.
turn to it. Rather, if you indeed love
me, prove yourself a man. 1t does not
take battlefield to make a hero.'
&c Prove yourself a man. These
were the words that haunted me in the
weeks that followed, saving me from
the ruin would else have drifted into.
but torturing me with their hopeless.
ness. What hope had 1, in my daily
routine OF duty, of changing Mary's
mlndP Yet, spite of her words, some !
thing in her eye had told me that she '
loved me, and that something gave me
strength to live and to withstand tbe {
daily temptations of my life.
80 six months passed, when one
morning mounted my engine to take !
the express train to G.. We were going !.
along at the rate of thirty miles an hour, l
when suddenly, right ahead of US it
seemed, tiny speck of red fluttered on : :
the track. L
81 strained my eyes-I blew nv I
whistle. What could it bePe Mercifnl
heaven! Another instant it was made =
clear to me. 1t was little golden q
haired child, playing in the very face of =
the huge monster of death my hand was =
guiding to its destruction. y
"I whistled down brakes but. as I .
did so, knew that it was of no avail. q
Before the order could be obeyed, it u
would be rendered useless. Then some =
thing within me said:
"'Your life is worthless. Give it for
that innocent life if it must be, but save =
it at the peril of your own. Had Won y
been a better man, you might have had "
little child like that praying for you at l,
home.'
:" 1t takes long time, sir, to tell all :, =
his, but in reality not one second had +
passed. At such times men think quick %
y. One bitter sigh rose in my breast. ~ ~
would never have a chance of proving ~ ~
o Mary my manhood by some great "
Iced in the future, or long years of pen y, ~
lnce. But it did not make my duty anv IL
he less clear. Bill, the fireman, was 9,
behind me. II
"'Take the engtne!' screamed to a.
lim. 'GoOd-by, Mary whispered low 6, Ct
% myself. y, ;r
I" The next minute, hardly conscious to
II what was doing, was down upon re
he coW-oatcher of the train, clinging by Sc
me hand, the other outstretcbed to w
srasp the child, now paralyzed with v,
error. Then we were upon it. 1t was sh
illed, crushed, mangledP mol looked Sc
lown. 1t was safe, held within one or
trong arm, its red dress fluttering in fo
he wind, its golden head close pressed or
gainst my shoulder. How was it doneP Ia
can not tell you, sir. God, they say, in
.oes not let the sparrow fall. al
AHoh Cho Clhlu CneCkeu lUS speed, | q
topped the passengers came crowd of
ng about us, men grasped me by the Gil
and, women cried over me, and l. On
TODD dazed, bewildered, in their midst, On
he child tight-held within my arms. 1t mn
vas such simple thing; yet, sir, they in
ave me this" throwing back his coat, te,
nd showing a gold medal,
| wear it in thanksgiving for the lit tn
lie life l saved. They raised for me a rio
urse of gold to large amount, but the III
lift which seemed to cleanse my heart sir
yas the poor mothers grateful tears. tn
'Ihe papers rang, next day, with the Lii
tory. You see, sir, it seemed more to un
hem, looking at it, than to me, who DO
ad no time to stop and think; but sh
more was in store for me. ! faC
yas off duty, the next night, alone in bu
~ lonely, desolate room; thinking it tit
II over, when some one whispered my alb
anne. In another moment some one he
'as sobbing in my arms-some one orr
-ho had come 70 me of her own sweet 9e
ill-some one who, from that mo- of
tent, has been the sunshine of my home wa
nd heart. prt
"That is all, sir. 1t is simple story. pr
trust have not tired you" vii
But l, as grasped the noble fellow so
and, whose speech had so uncon- rar
,iously betrayed the grand true heart bu
thin, could only echo his Mary's in
ords: SOC
" 1t does not take a battlefield to VIII
AXE a harO ~ % l.