The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-07-01
Then Philip replied,
.Woman,. noble Deed.

position in life
At an worth the naming,
II you gain II, twill greatly
Depend on your aiming.
A woman,s Noble Deed.
. Well do I remember the howell under
the hill, situated on one corner OF q
little patch of land that was used for
the double purpose OF garden and
orchard. I also remember the old
apple trees, which were planted In
rows back of the house. It
"sets my teeth on edge" to
think of some of the fruit eaten from
those trees. But we children dearly
loved those grand old trees, not for
their fruit, but for the many rambles
we had in their huge tops. I also re-
member well the fence that ran up by
the kitchen, and which, in our childish
badness, we used to climb to prevent q
younger brother from following when
we were off on a ramble over the hills
or In the forests. There are many
things that I could tell you of, that are
deep down In the recesses of my memory,
and that time cannot eradicate.
But, above all, do I recollect the most
thrilling sight that my childhood ever
saw, and that, time can no more efface
from memorylthan can it uproot Mount
Monadnock, which is situated near the
section where the events took place Of
which I write to-day.
IF you will take a large map OF the
New England States you viii find, neal
the southwest corner of the State of
New Hampshire, a small river marked,
and upon its bank will be noted the
little town of Winchester. About q
mile down this swift-trayeling stream,
from the a~bove-named town, is the little
cottage spoken of--or it was there only
a few years since.
This little stream makes great falls
and tumbles as it twists and turns
among the boYlders ON its way to join
the Connecticut river in its downward
course to the ocean,. Above this cot
tage, which was but a few rods from the
rivers bank, is a fall, or succession Of
falls, the waters of which rushes In and
out among the rocks in q white foam,
and through which no boat can pass IN
safety. Directly below this fan is a
comparatively still body of water, across
which it is safe to pass In a boat properly
manned, and with quiet nerves and o
steady head. This Still Water" as it
was then called, and is to this day, I
suppose, only extended down from the
falls about q hundred yards, when it
again commenced its wild career. and
went tearing and seething and roaring
down 10 far, in fact, that I am not sure
that the falls wholly ceased until
they united with the more calm Connec-
ticut. My father had occasion to cross
and re-cross this stream, and SO provided
himself with a skif, which was pro-
PEELED, not with oars, but with paddles,
by which, if you are used to boating,
you will knowit is not so easily managed.
He had been annoyed by persons taking
the skif and using it as they would their
own, and leaving it upon the bank which
most suited them, and paying no atten-
ton to the accommodation of my father,
even with his own property.
He was so greatly annoyed by these
selfish acts that he bought a stout chain
and paddock and secured it to q conven-
lent tire when not in use. This saved
him q great amount. of trouble ; but
sven this did not prevent unprincipled
persons from taking his property, as
you will presently see At the time Of
which I write, the railroad which now
trayerses the river on its south bank,
opposite our home, was being built, and
a large number of hands were employed
to work upon it, and little shanties were
put up along the line for the conven-
fence of the laborers, most of whom
were Irish. It SO happened, upon one
of their j~olliication days, that q party
of three came down from the town
above, and wished to cross over. My
father was away from home, and my
dear, kind mother, God bless her, wa
attending to her family duties, when she
heard a cry for help come up from the
river.
The three men had stolen the boat,
broken the lock, and were turning
round and round in the middle of the
stream, and making no perceptible
Roadway, but were now fast approach'
ing the falls below, In which no boat
aver went through and came out whole.
The men had been drinking and had
been partially drunken from the effects
Of the liquor, but now were apparently
sobered through fear ; for they realized
did they call for help. Ny mother tool
in their situation at q glance, and saw
the cause of their predicament. She
saw LuHG In6y nhu COInILlltIoQ wv
wrongs, which led them directly to THU
depending disaster-the drinking o.
rum, which was the greater crime, az il
lom tanother, the stealing of the boat
whereby they we're now In a fair way t.
lose their lives. But with my mother
these things were insignificant In com
parison with human lives, and she con
Guided to do all in her power to saw
them. But what could she do? L
seemed as though she could hardly d.
anything. She knew that there was nj
rope at hand, and if she had one i
would have taken more than her strength
to have gotten it to them. But some
thing must be done. She saw that the,
were nearly in the middle of the stream
and were travelling fast, and yet faster
toward the sharp and jagged rocks
against which the impetuous water wa
dashing itself into foam. No time wa.
to be lost. Two of the men were kneel
ing in the boat and praying as only per
sons terribly interested can pray. Th
other had hopes yet In human help
and hailed with joy the coming of m,
mother. Her thoughts flashed through
her brain with the rapidity of lightning
and she saw that she could only do on
thing toward their escape, and that wa
to command. Never will I forget tn,
appearance of that noble woman as sh
stood upon the embankment, neal tn,
house, and commanded those weak mel
to get up and work for their lives. Ant
they obeyed as a child obeys his par
ents-or should obey. They were by thi
time nearer the further bank. and
as the boat swung around with it
bow toward the shore, they were told t.
paddle mostly upon the lower side, and
at the proper time, as the boat began t.
fnrn fhav were nrdarad 70 naddla nno1