The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-03-17
THE LEVEL CROSSING.

tflm, Dflgnl-eyeu sup Oh Rlrl us ever
you'd wish TO see, and the very first
time ever set eyes on her made up
my mind to make that girl my wife. SO,
when the Company raised my wages-l
was pointsman at Fairfield Junction,
should tell you--i took heart and asked
her if she'd halve them with me, with q
wedding ring thrown into the bargain.
"Do you really mean it, WHIP" said
she.
81 do really mean it, Jane" said |.
"Then," said she, putting both her
hands in mine, "rll trust you. I've no
living relation to advise with me, so
can only take counsel with my own
heart
So we were married. And everything
went smooth until Jane began to object
10 my mates at the Railway Arms, "
and the Saturday evenings spent with
my mates.
'Why, Jane, girl said |, where's
the harmp A man cant live by him
self, like an oyster in It's shell, and a
social glass never yet harmed anyone"
NO" says Jane, mot II social glass,
Win, but the habit. Aud if you would
only"
"Pshaw," said l. sim not a drunk
ard, and ] never mean TO be one, And
no one likes 10 be preached TO by his
wife, Jane. Remember that and You Il
save yourself deal o, trouble
/ kissed her and went away. But
that was the beginning Of the little
grave shadow that grew on my James
face.
II was a sore point between us. |
felt that Jane was always watching
me; and | didn't choose to be put IN
leading strings by a woman. Sol
shame to say it went to the Rail-
way Arms" oftcner than ever; and |
didn't always count the glasses of beer
that | drank; and once or twice, of a
particularly cold night, ! let myself be
persuaded into drinking something
stronger than beer! and Jane cried, and
| lost my temper; well, | don't like to
think of all these things now
But one afternoon | looked my own
life in the face. made up my mind
that | had been behaving like brute
What are those senseless fellows at
the Railway Arms to me?' muttered
/, "as compared with one of James
sweet bright looks3 I'll give the whole
thing up. I'll draw the line just here
and now We shall be off duty early
tonight; I'll 90 home and astonish
Jane
But, as the night fell the binding
drift of a great storm came with it. The
last train was kept later than usual by
the snow which collected on the rails,
and when it reached the Junction there
was little giIl who had been sent on
in the care of the guard, who must
either wait till morning in the cold and
cherries station, or be taken home
across the snowy fields by some one
vino knew the way.
IN take her" said Land lifting her
up | gathered my coarse, warm coat
about her, and started on the long,
cold walk along the edge of the liver. |
knew that Jane would be uneasy at
my unexplained absence, and made the
best of my way home, only to find the
door was shut and locked. | went
round to the back. Here | effected an
entrance, and little Willie, my eldest
boy, called out; Papa, is that you?"
"Where is mammal" said |.
"Gone out with baby to look for YOU"
said he. Didn't you meet her, papa'"
/ stood moment in silence.
al Ia 9TH IN;Il;a ~ gail | Ia n yn;on
that sounded strange and husky even
to myself. II will go and bring her
back
thought with dismay of the binding
snow storm outside, and-worst of all
the level crossing over which an express
shot like meteor at a few minutes be-
fore midnight. Oh, heaven!
A clock, sounding dim and muflled
through the storm, struck eleven as
hurried down the hill!
AS steadily as | could | hurried on
ward, but more than once | became be-
wildered, and. when, at length, | came
out close TO the line, knew that was
half mile below the crossing.
And in the distance ! heard the long,
shrill Shrek of the midnight train.
Some one else had heard it, too, for
as | stood thus, | saw, family visible
through the binding snow, Il shadowy
figure, looking with bewildcrcd, un-
certain air up and down-the form of
Jane, my wife, with the little baby ir
her arms!
hurried down TO her, and was only
| just in time to drag her from the place
of peril, and stand, breathlessly hold
ing her back, while the iiery-eyed mon
ster of steam swept by with rush and
rattle and roar
"Jane," | cried. "Jane, speak to
metz
She turned her wandering gaze tow
ard me, with eyes that seemed scarcely
To recognize me.
Have you seen my husband2" said
she.
Jane! little woman, don't you know
me| gasped.
"And thought, perhaps" she added,
vacantly, you might have met him.
It's very cold here, and-and-n
And then she tainted in my arms.
The long, long brain fever that fol-
lowed was a sort of death. There was
a time when they told me she would
never know me again, but, thank
Heaven, she did. She recovered at
last And since that night never have
tasted drop of liquor, and, please
Heaven, never will AGAIN. The baby,