The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-12-21


station they were now approaching,
which formed the terminus of the 0ivis-
ion ON which Ben Miles had been run
ming for some time there lived most
charming woman. Five years before
her husband had been a wealthy and
prosperous man IN Boston but reversss
In fortune came to him, and he saw with
deep pain the hollow side of that society
which had always till then coITted mis-
favor. The sight shook his faith In the
depth of human goodness he longed to
be Timon and turn his back upon this
Athens. Ho yearned for a wild life In
the West, but he could not ask his wife
to forego the comforts and society IN
which she had always lived. She, how
ever, observed this inclination of his
mind, and, by insidious degrees, made it
her own proposition. 'FCome," said
she, "let US live on a farm. far away
from the world; we will make paradise
for ourselves" They went, and her
words were in truth fulfilled. While he
planted wheat she planted flowers, and
In two years the house and grounds were
a bower of loneliness.
1t was a sad day to this young wife
when death took away the husband she
delighted to make contented. She would
not show his corpse to her 3-year-old
girl but when the little one asked for
papa, she could only tell her that some
time she would see her papa again. So
the child was happy, and the widows
heart-during the three years that lad
now passed-was insensibly HghteneG
byits gleeful laugh.
Ben Miles saw this child in one of hiI
rambles, when it had strayed from the
house q little farther than usual, and
thought he had found an angel, till she
told him she lived in the cottage up by
the road. While he was talking to her,
her mothers voice, in musical but pierre
ing tones, called from over a rising in the
ground, and, taking her in his arms, Ben
strobe rapidly toward the sound, saying,
"There's anguish in that cry, my little
one you must hasten to drive it away.
Never had Ben forgotten the look in that
young mothers eyes when he put her
child in her arms; and when she thanked
him, with her sweet, tremulOus voice, she
robbed him, without knowing it, of one
of the kindest hearts that ever beat Ill
mans breast.
Ben could only speak to her of the
child. ''May [ come and see her again
and bring sOme-sOme-"
"Candy?" queried the little one at
the pause; "of course you may; like
candy-Gnd like you, too. :"
"Ah, I shall bear a charmed life hero
after, know I shall " and Ben raiseG
his broad-brimmed hat and strobe away
with a genial laugh. He went often t.
the cottage afterward. It stood withiL
twenty rods of the track, and his COM
panions on the road had seen him there
as they passed by. They had noted
another fact-strange to them, but
which will not be to you, rea ier-Ben
Miles never drank at this end Of his
route.
"Stoke! stoke up, Jakel Well soon
see the cottage IN the shrubbery! She
says there's poetry in the grandeur of a
swiftly moving train! Ha, ha, ha; I'll
show her the grandest poem she ever
saw!"
"He's worse than ever; strange how
the liquor hangs on to him, " said Jake.
" [ never knew him to speak of her I'M
til to-day"
In fact, it seemed as if Ben Miles was
mad. He had run two hundred miles
in four hOurs-the track being cleared
for this train-including the few short
stops for water-and instead of SOLDERING,
the motion had seemed to keep the
liquor in his head. Jake made up his
mind to rebel, so fearful was he of an
accident in the short distance yet to
run.
"You do not stoke, Jaker'
"She's got more than enough fire
now"
"What oh, confound this arml
But no matter stand aside-I can do it
with one !"
A thought struck the fireman. "She
will not be looking for you to pass now"
Ben looked tiercely at the fireman.
This is q special" continued Jake,
seeing Ben waiver. Come, slack up p
"Touch the lever at your peril III
risk her knowing my engine, said Ben
to himself and, throwing the lever wide
open, he fixed his eyes on the cottage,
now only mile away.
"Ben Ben shut off p cried Jake.
"Not for life She's coming out p
"Look on the track The child p
"Great God p shouted Ben, ''shut
of, Jake !" and out to the front Of the
locomotive he clambered, this time with
the speed of wildcat.
The little girl had been crossing the
track, with her apron full of flowers,
when the ightning-ike speed of this
terrible apparition, the unexpected
train, had frightened her into a swoon,
and she had fallen between the rails.
Ben had only seen the mother as she
ran out in frantic alarm.
Ben reached the cowcatcher and threw
himself-utterly reckless-prone upon
his stomach across the extreme front
edge, while, with his hand outstretched,
he waited to grasp the child.
Quick as thought she was reached.
The train had slackened to ten miles an
hour. Ben seized the child and lifted
it from the track, but the effort destroyed
his balance. He was rolling off in front.
Oh, for another hand to cling with He
made frantic effort to use his wounded
arm. Impossible His unyielding grip
on the child was dragging him to de-
strUctiOn. With tremendous power he
flung the child clear of the train; end
this, with the lessening momentum,
threw him off to be crushed beneath the
engine.
The mother found her child unhurt,
and, straining it to her breast wept
bitter tears as she knelt over the lfeless
form of brave Ben Miles.
State and Ceremony.