The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-10

HOW KATE suErIEr CROSSED rHr naIDor.

&
On, but the night was wild and dark, and tia
On. but the lightning flashed and shot across
the infy skyi s 80 80 =. - - -
While s1 TIE e nurting thunder cracked ana rolled
And earth seemed nothing at ali to sight ban
WAFER, wind and flame.
For she sees. slow creeping through the stsrn,.
Ana ! tne pllot-engine's light
swollen creek: - =. 4 -
It stope-it runs-then down It drops, with one
long fearSome shrek.
Kate; STAY the wailing mother cries; bui
49,. tne young soul rose high
) Nay, mother, must try ozheap, though 1
She nnds the wreck. but can not save, yet from,
man shouts up two frightened words. She
answers him: Il know
The traini the traini the swift express. the
r.. crowded western traini - -
HOW snail she quickest reach the yviresp nv
- Boone the hope fs vain s ~ =
But 10 Moingona's but a mile, and yet so wild
10 brave 1t through the stormy night the
stouSest heart might fear. u
Torn by the underground, and drenched, the
wind and rain defied, - T.
cne reached the raging DeS Moines, and tho
bridge that spans Its tide; So = ~ =
bridge not built for human tread, but "on?'
bridge of full four hundred feet nothing
@4a but rails and tics. esq =.
No plank the daring stops to hold. and If a
step should miss, 80
Down fifty feet below her rolls the watery
So on her hands and knees she creeps, flghtine
tE the wind and rain lIz577f7sl = a 20.
Staining the timbers with her blood vet heed
ing not the pain. $50 9
Then ON and ON she bravely sped. Thick dark-
F,..g ness round her lay, -stf -, .--z-T- =
Save when the vivid lightning made q still
more dreadful day: 3i8frz lEiHsTH-5 G
Yet raging stream and roaring wind and fierce
ly beating rain 1--77e1 80 s1f4s'
DELAYED her not; onethought had she--te save
the coming train. %
at length the bridge is fairly crossed. Rleed
ing and outzof breath, =
witt Death: - : A0s'iA ~ t''ce
until-O blessed sight,
She sees the waysfde statfon-house and its one
SD gftmmering hghtI a
Thensan forespenc, with failing strength, she
pushes wide the door;
Win gleamlng eyes and parted lips, she stands
upon the floor
'sThe trestles down. The engines wrecked
- On stop the coming trainl''
The man springs to the saving wires-she has
not come In vain.
Then tenderly they comfort her. They ask.
How did'you conner
And bearing, Their hearts and hats, and
NO soul among them would have dared the
All, , paesSsa atss dark ar1s and Wild;
noble child.
o brave Kate ShelleyI though hard toll thv
daily portion be, Y-E-7sT =
Mothers With happy pride now name their
And every child that hears thy tale shares in
thy noble strain,
And dares that perilous pass with thee to save
the coming train.
LITTLE CHARLIE WHITE
Well, yes, ma am, this is the lake. and the
story is pleasant and true
Though Charlie White did nothing at all but
what he'd been taught to do
Yet count it honor enough, when boy sees
trouble and musS,
lust to know what to do, and do it, without any
talk or fuss.
You know what the August weather is, and
children. for any sake,
that day in the lake. z
rne one was t near about eight. and the other
Both Just of that age, as yoal'h allow, when
children are OVERLOAD.
One moment / heard their merry laugh ring
through the summer air -
And the next their fathers shout of stHelpp'-
the mothers Shrek of despair.
BUT pelng old ana lame. as you see, stood,
TIL Charlie White had put of a boat, and was
rowing to where they sank.
Twas done in moment, quick as thought;
: and that as take it, la'am,
Makes all the odds between true courage and
that which is half a sham;
For while we were lost in fear and fright little
Charlie had got the boat,
And when the children rose to the top. was
there to keep them affoat
For Charlie is but a little fellow, and hadn't
the strength You see,
70 lift the children into the boat, but he spoke
0 cheeriIy,
And held them up until help came; and so,
with happy heart,
he left them safe and went his way, Just glad
to have done his part. r.
Ind best of all, as said before, though Charlie
Is no way rash,
he deed was done as such brave deeds are,
rapid and prompt as g. Hash;
And this, I think is the childrenss way; they
never mind praise or gain;
guess you We read of that brave Kate shelley
that saved the Western train.
Well, Kate and Charley are of one kind, and
surely now can see
Why Jesus said to the wise and the great,
Like little children be-
For though we may honor the men of war, VINO
d have their thousands slain,
In q better world Gods angels, perhaps, may
count it grander gain
10 succor a drowning boy and girl, or save
loaded train. ff-
Mary A. Barr, in Harper's ''Y olrng Folks.'