The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-05-22

tive, its cruel wheels would grind her
remorselessly. How often had she
shuddered at spectacles presented near
that spot? The laws of a great State,
powerful and far reaching though they
were, were NJ as powerful as the rail
way lobby that exempted tho great cor
poration from the outly necessary to
the erection and maintenance of that
simplest form of preventive in
closure. The corporation plowed its
way through flesh and blood as if they
were things of less moment than the
machinery that mangled human forms
beyond recognition.
The passengers looking out, and the
witnesses on the street turned shudder-
ingly away as Nelly Moore sprang upon
the railway and tossed the child far
from it. The many wheels revolving
stopped with a grating sound. and a
score of men rushed to the spot where
the maid of-all-work lay writhing and
gasping in a heap.
"rm next deaths door-take me
home" she gasped, when they lifted
her tenderly.
81 would never have behaved that,
SUI, if I had not seen it with my w
eyes," said a fine-looking, straight
limbed young fellow, whose dress and
accent indicated the new-come Irish
man. He was visibly affected. His
voice trembled. He did not attempt t o
restrain his tears as he looked after the
group bearing Nelly to her mistress
residence.
"What did you say her name is?" to
a lad standing near, who was talking
with the volubility of youth to those
around him.
"All aboard!' the conductor shouted,
as he walked leisurely toward a plat
form. The young Irishman looked at
the m%otionless train, turned again to
the group of horror-stricken people
near, and again asked:
"What name did you say, my lad?"
"Nelly Moore. She lives with Britts
over there, and ~
The mans strong hand grasped the
boys arm with a vise-like g.ip as he
bent over him. His lips were drawn,
his face ashy pale, his eyes staring
wildly, as he exclaimed:
at can never bet is not possible
there's some awful mistakenly lad
+"
His features worked convulsively, his
grasp relaxed as he staggered back,
and James Moore, who had never
known either sickness or fear, swooned
and would have fallen had not a friend
ly hand caught him in time. When he
regained consciousness he said:
H'Take me to her. If there's life in
her, she will remember her brother
her only brother, Jamie. The merciful
God will not let her die without seeing
without speaking to me-"
But Nelly Moore to all all appearance
had looked her last On things earthly.
She was cropping feebly, very feebly in
the night which precedes death. Per-
haps the morning would never dawn
again for her.
When James Moore sat down beside
her he lifted her unnamed hand to his
lips, kissed it through binding tears,
stroked it gently and with streaming
ewes said: "Aye, this is the hand that
worked and shaved to pay for my
schooling; that gave me all [ ever had;
that paid my way over. When l was
running over the meadows, and dab
bling in the burn (brook), this hand
wrought hard, bearing my burden,
sparing me all the sharp corners She
might have saved her earnings-put
them in bank-she might have done
like thousands before her-married and
made a home for herself, and no one
would have said she did not do her
duty. But she thought of her.
self. She was not content until I was
schooled-made fit for the new country.
when you come, Jamie, she wrote me,
i want you to surprise the Americans
%extractin' the cube root you talk about
Don't come she wrote, till l send fol
you. III be SUR to send in good time.
She wrote me the INT of the coin
and the curious words a poor stranger
like me would never make out at all
There was nothing she did not think of
no task too heavy for her. And I wa;
to repay her four-fold some day. Thar
was her way of putting it. She would
have a double pleasure, the pleasure o.
helping me, and of getting her OWL
back with interest when I was sure o.
my footing"
He stroked the cold, nerveless hanc
that lay limp in his own; softly, now
with dry eyes, kissed it again anC
again, and, kneeling down beside her
bowed his head in prayer.
Through the long night he knel
beside her. When the attendant
looked in upon this picture-the brothe
kneeling beside the sister he hat
travelled thousands of miles joyously t.
meet-when they saw his haggard fac,
and burning eyes, they stole softly on
again.
Mrs. Britt, who was PROSTATE,
throughout the night, was up betime
in the morning. As she flung open he
window shutters and looked out on tn
~reddening sky, the sound of a voic
beneath her arrested her attention. /
!, was the brothers voice praying for hi
only sister. Mrs. Britt stole softly t
the side of the crib where Benny an,
Oscar lay with arms interlaced, an,
bending over, kissed first one, then tn
other. Then she descended to the Twin,
room. The disorder noticeable every
where reminded her of the dying serv
ant. Nelly's dress-the dress the SUI
geons removed with a single movemen
| of the scissors, was lying over a chair
Mrs. Britt lifted it mechanically an
removed the articles from the pocket
Among other articles was a piece @
yellowish, tough paper. A crumpled
S yellow envelope attracted her. A foot
f step approached at that moment, an
, her husband looked over her shoulder
r s'Why, she must have known he wa
coming, Oscar. This is the saddest O
all"
S Nh. Britt read the telegram slowly
r s.Poor Nelly-that should have bee
given to her the evening before
!, And she got it at Don yestel
day. Don't you see the dat
here?" His finger pointed to tn
s hour the message was received. "N
/ matter. 1t is not worth making a fus
over now," he added, sadly, for he az
e preciated the excellent qualities of tn
h dying maid-of-all-work.
r 81 will never-neverforgive myself,
n said Mrs. Britt, sobbing. eff l ha
even taken the trouble to talk to Nell
e of her brother more if 1 had looked 8
e this dispatch yesterday-who knows
e Her life might have been saved"