The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-09-27

I thought of my own little children.
"Ill take her." said land lifting
her up gathered my coarse, warm coat
about her, and 1 started for the long,
cold walk under the whispering pines
along the edge of the river. I honestly
believe she would have frozen to death
if she had been left in the cold station
until the way train could call for her.
And when had left her safe in charge
of her aunt, I saw by tho old kitchen
time-piece that it was ten o'clock.
"Polly will think have slipped back
into the Slough of Despond," said to
myself, with half smile "but I'll give
her al agreeable surprise ''
Flowing down amid the snow-drift,
through grove Of pine trees that edged
n ravine at the back of my house, I
sprang lightly Oh the doorstep; tho door
was shut and locked. went AROUND to
the front. T. ece effected al entrance,
but the fire was dying Oh the hearth,
and little Bertie, tucked up in his crib,
collcd out
''Papa, is that you?"
"Where is mamma, my son?" said I,
looking eagerly around ut the desolate
room.
"Gone out with the baby in her arms
to look for yon," he said. "Didn't you
meet her, papa? ?"
I stood a minute in silence.
ellie still, Bertio," said T, in voice
that sounded strange. and husky even
to myself. 'T will go md bring her
back"
And I thought with dismay of the
binding snow-storm outside, the treach-
erous gorges which lay between here
and the White Blackbird, the tracklcss
woods, through which it was difficult
enough to find ones way even in the
sunshine of MONDAY, and-worst of all
the lonely track, across which All
"express" shot like meteor Mt few
minutes before midnight. Oh, heaven
what possible doom might not have
brought upon myself by the wrctched
passion III which had gone away that
morning.
The town clock, sounding dim and
unified through the storm, struck
eleven as 7 hurried down
Eleven---and who knew what n length
of time might elapsc before could find
her? And like II fiery phantasmagoria
before my minds eye, beheld the wild
rush of the midnight express, and
dreaded-I knew not what For all that
L could realize was that the storm WAS
growing fiercer with every moment,
and Polly and the baby were out in its
fury
AS steadily az T could worked my
way down toward the track, but more
than once I became bewildered, and had
to stop and reflect before I could resume
my quest. And when, at length, came
out close to ruined wood and water
station Oh the edge of the track, I knew
that was full half mile below the
White Blackbird.
And III the distance I heard the long,
shrill shrek of the midnight train
Some one else had heard it, too, for,
as / stood thus, I saw, family visible
through the binding snow, q shadowy
figure issue from the ruined shed and
come out upon the track, looking with q
bewildcred, uncertain mir up and down
the form of Polly, my wife, with the
little baby in her arms
I hurried down to her ns fast as the
rapidly increasing snow-drifts would
let me, but I was only Just in time to
drag lrer from tho place of peril, and
stand, breathlcssly holding her back,
while the fcry-eycd monster of steam
swept by with rush and rattle that
nearly took our breath away!
"polly!' 1 cried, "Polly speak to
mel"
She turned her wandering gaze toward
me, with hor vague eyes that seemed
scarcely to recognize me.
"Have you seen my husband" said
she. "One Jacob Cotterel, brakeman
on the local express ?"
"Polly little woman don't you know
mc?" I gasped.
"And thought, perhaps, she added,
vacantly, "you might have met him.
It's very cold here, nnd--and-"
And then she tainted in my arms.
The long, long brain fever that follow
ed was sort of death. There was a
time when they told me she never would
know me again, but, thank God, she
did. She recovered at last. And since
that night never have tasted drop of
liquor, and, please heaven, I never will
again. The baby, bless it's dear little
heart, wasn't harmed Mt all. 1t lay snug
md warm on its mothers breast all the
while. But if I hadn't happened to be
close by them ut that instant the night
express would have ground them into
powder
And tho white stripe cnmo into my
hair upon the night of that fearful snow
storm. That's how il hnDDoncd. sir,