Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-02-13
A TELEGRAPHER'S TALE,

y l. LllI1UllAI llDlO ID L ALAi
land must you really go away and
9mlin all night in that nasty old box
of yours and leave your Little Rose
bud to imagine all sorts Of horrid
things happening to her poor Old boy ,
Couldn't you stay at home just for
this one night?'
Couldn't possibly do it, my love-
said |, struggling into my oyer2oat.
Mywife fingered by theporch, follow
ing me with her eyes and so long as
the house was in sight | could, on look
ing back, see her white dress in the
light which streamed through the open
door.
At the time of which | write | was
Telegraph Superintendent on line of
railway. One of the clerks who was
on night duty had been taken suddenly
i'll, and | had taken his work myself
until such time rs he should recover. |
had only been married a few months,
and was by no means reconcied to
leaving my wife to pass the night in
that nasty old box" as Mag called it..
But it was necessity and no grumb-
ling Of mine could mend the matter.
A drive of about eight miles brought
Inc to my post; but on that night my
mind was filed with vague indelina-
Die fears, for which | tried in vain to
account, The night was clear and
MINDLESS and awayin the northwestern
sky the aurora borealis was fitting to
and fro in a thousand strange fantas-
tic shapes.
On entering the telegraph station,
che clerk whom / had come to relieve
was ready to go.
"NOu won't have much work to-
night" said he. The instruments are
unworkable; no signals have been re-
ceiyed for the last three hours Good
night"
When | was left alone | found that
it was as he had said. drew my chair
to the stove, and, taking down a book
which | saw on a shelf tried to in
tcrest myself in the story; but it had
no power to quiet my wild, wandering
thoughts While | was turning list
lessly over the leaves the stiffness was
startled by the sharp. quick changing
of the electric bell, the usual signal to
prepare to read off a message, With
a ShiVer of alarm | turned quickly TO
the instrument; but soon perceived that
the bell had becl rung by no earthly
power, for the vibrating needles made
no ineligible sign, and knew that
the sound had been produced by Il cur.
rent Of atmospheric electricity acting
upon the wires. Smiling at the ncr-
vousneSs which caused me to start,
turned from the desk and again sat
down by the fire.
But smile as | would, and reason as
/ might, felt | was succumbing to
vague feelings. Thinking the atmo5
rhere of the room, close and hot might
have something to do with my pccu-
liar condition of mind, | flung open
the door and, stepped outside in hope
that the cool air might scare away the
phantOms of my brain. AS | crossed
the threshold the midnight express
crashed past with a speed and force
which shook every timber OF the build
ing, and uttering a loud shrek, disap-
peared into the tunnel at the summit
of which my station was placed. When
it had gone there was Stiffness, still
ness broken only by the sishing of the
air passing along-the wires, heard even
in the calmest Of nights From that
my mind reverted to the carncstneSs
with which my wife had asked me tc
remain at home that night, and her
manner when she babe me goodbye.
What could be the meaning of it all?
But | resolved to stay where | was
and get through the night rs best |
could. "lf this goes on" said / to my
elf; as turned inside again, and
polled up the Goals with more noise
than was neccssary-"if this goes on
much longer | shall have to consult Il
doctor, that's plain | filled my pipe
and lit it, but the weed had lost its
tranquilizing power. Again the bell
rang sharply; but, as before, no intelli-
gible sign was made by the needles.
] leaned my elbows on the desk, and
with my head between my hands
watched their unending motions. An
hour might have passed thus, when
once more | was startled by the clang
of the bell. This time it was louder
and more urgent, and, it seemed to me,
with peculiar, unearthly sound, such
as l had never heard before. 1t seemed
as if there mingled with the metallic
ring the tone of human voice-the
voice of one / knew. The needles,
now observed, began to make signs