The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1880-04-23

IhochlilS ucNllS, memories OF the moments
had spent in the last few weeks crowded
around me, as though taunting me in con
trast to her purity but with Gods help |
would make myself worthy, | said aloud and
thought the hours would never drag along
until could find myself once more in her
presence. She came in to see me- holding
out her hand with sweet smile of welcome
as though we had parted only yesterday, and
| yet-and yet there was n change All, |
learned it, all too soon In those first few
moments told her the story of life for the
past few months of what it had been before
knew her-of what it should be if she
would give me the assurance and promise of
her love. Then | paused. For moment
silence fell between us; then she spoke A
bright flush was in her cheeks, her lips trem-
bled, her lashes yelled her eyes, but her lips
faltered not.
John she said, 1 am only girl, it is
true, but the man | marry must be a man.
| Perhaps | might have lOved'-here q little
tremble crept into her tone-'but | have al
most ceased to respect you. Were you my
husband, l would fear for you, and fear and
love cannot go hand-in-hand.'
| stop! / said DO you want to drive me
back to the life | had hoped to have left be-
hind me? Oh, 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 she now raised to mine were swim
| ming in tears. If you have seen the wrong,
| surely you will not return to it. Rather, if
! you indeed love me, prove yourself man,
1t does not take a battlefield to make hero
"'Provc yourself 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 hopelessness. What hope had in my
daily routine of duty of changing Mary's
mind? Yet, spite Of her words, something
in her eye had told me that she loved me, and
that something gave me strength to live, and
10 Withstand the daily temptations of my
life
$50 six months passed. when one morning
L mounted my engine to take the express train
to C. We were going along at the rate
OF thirty miles an hour, when suddenly, right
ahead of us, it seemed, q tiny speck of red
fiuttered on the track.
Il strained ny eyes-I blew my whistle
What could it be? Mcrciful heaven Anoth-
CT instant it was made clear to me. 1t was
little golden-haired child, playing in the very
face of the huge monster Of death my hand
was guiding 70 its destruction.
81 whistled Down brakes but, as l did so,
knew that it was ofno avail, Before the or.
NIl NoulN VIC ODtSCNi, IL NO(llll W IGuuCTCu
useless. Then something within me said:
your life is worthless. Give il for that
innocent life, if it must BE, but save it at the
peril of your own. Had you been better
man, you might have had n little child like
that praying for you at home
at takes Il long time, sir, to tell all this, but
in reality not one second had passed At
such times men think quickly. One bitter
sigh rose in my breast. ] would never have
a chance of proving TO Mary my manhood by
some great deed in the future, or long wears
of penancc. But il did not make my duty
any the less clear. Bill, the fireman, was be-
hind me"
"'rakc the cngincr | screamed to him.
Hood-by, Mary | whispered low to myself
"'Thc next minute, hardly conscious of what
/ was doing, was down upon the COW catch
or of the train, clnging by one hand, the 9TH
er outsretched TO grasp the child, now para
lyzcd with terror. Then we were upon it.
1t was killed, crushed, mangled. No! look
shG,o N 4p rcdt Mesy qfs hSG fl Phe W i"Rtg g
der. How was it done? | cannot tell you
sir. God they say, does not let the sparrow
fall,
"Thcn the train checked its speed, stopped,
the passengers came crowding about us, men
graSpcd me by the hand, women cried over
me, and stood dazcd, bcwildcred, in their
midst, the child tight-hcld within my arms
1t was such simple thing; yet, sir, they gave
me this" throwing back his coat, and show
ing gold medal.
81 wear it in thanksgiving for the little life
] saved. They raised for me purse of gold
to a large amount, but the gift which seemed
to cleanse my heart was the poor mothers
grateful tears.
"The papers rang next day with the story.
You see, sir, it seemed more to them, looking
at it, than to me, who had no time to stop
and think but something more was in store
for me. was off duty, the next night, alone
in my lonely, dcsoate room, thinking it all
OYER when some one whispered my name
In another moment, some one was sobbing
in my armS-somc one who had come to me
of her own sweet will-somc one who from
that moment, has been the sunshine of my
home and heart.
"That is ALL sir 1t is n simple story. |
trust ! have not tired you"
But |, as grasped the noble fellows hand
whose speech had so unconsciously betrayed
the grand true heart within, could only echo
his Mary's words:
at does not take battlefield to make
| hero.