News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-09-10
GOING AT FULL SPEED.
THE MAN WITH THE DISPATCHES.
a Thrilling Incident of the Franco-Prussian
War.

a Thrilling Incident of the Franco-Prussian
War.
l arrived at the station at the appoint
ed hour. l entered, or rather was thrown
by an attendant, into the car nearest to
me. The door was quickly shut. The
WHISTLE was blown and we were off.
Curiously enough, the car was not
crowded. l formed the fifth passenger.
Two of the corners were occupied, one
by an officer and the other by civilian.
racing me was woman about 80 years
old, neatly and modestly dressed, and
beside her sat the most beautiful little
child L ever saw-a little girl about 6
years old, with flood of blond curls
waving under her immense straw hat
Now and then the child would look
through the window in the direction of
the engine, and then her eyes seemed to
wander in the infinite space that was I'M
rolling itself before her. We came to a
station. The train stopped. The little
girl put her face to the window. 81
don't see him, she said to the lady be-
side her. 81 don't see him." Then
suddenly her face frightened and her
eyes lit with golden hues, shining with
understandable joy, while her lips came
down upon the two hands that came
from the exterior and were placed upon
the frame of the opened window "Ah,
papa Here is papa!" exclaimed my
little neighbor with the exuberant and
innocent joy of her six years.
IL.
had come to speak to his little daughter
and wife, who were seated in front of
me.
1--WE are going very FAST" said the
woman
'..We must make up for lost time, " re-
piled the man. ''Were you afraid,
JeanneF'
NO." said the child, ''because knew
that you were driving"
''Well, by-by," said the man, as he
left.
"By-by, papa, said the child, throw
ing herself into his arms.
The train STATED and gradually
reached an extraordinary speed. 1
worship children, and / began to ex-
anime the little one in front of me.
She was full of life and good humor
She amused herself with everything and
nothing, cajoling with her mother, in
quisitive with the window and severe
with her doll. She was carrying on
thousand different conversations all at
once, and with noise that was almost
deafening, when suddenly the gentle
man in the other corner exclaimed:
Decidedly we are going too fast.
The train will surely run off the track
''Oh, don't be afraid, " said the child
seriously, papa is driving"
The officer was reading. He looked
out of the window, and then resumed
his reading without making any obser-
walton.
The other gentleman again began to
talk.
''This is certainly Madness" said he.
eyes, madam" he continued, address
ing the lady, ''your husband is either
drunk or crazy"
ooh, sir, " said the lady, ''my husband
never gets drunk. You saw him little
while ago. Certainly, the train is going
at furious rate. I don't understand
it.
The officer closed his nook and
himself along the seat. 81
would advise you all to do the same"
said he with the greatest GOODNESS. eff |
you keep seated, your legs will be
smashed. Remember the Versailles &C
cident"
Certainly the train was running at
terrifying rate. What in the world
could the engineer mean by such dr1v
ing?
Il am afraidl" said the citizen, white
with terror.
Then the officer took me aside.
'EHere is my name and address, said
he. eff l am killed or MORALLY |
wounded in the accident to which we
are running, and you escape, promise
me now that you will carry these dis
patches without a moments delay to the |
General whose name you will find by
opening this envelope"
p Il promised.
The woman took the child in her arms |
and covered her little face with tears
and kisses. She seemed to wish to make
a rampant of herself to protect the little
one against the frightful smash-up that
was momentarily expected.
II am not afraid" said the child,
/
he passengers of the car, and doubtless
she alone among all on board the train,
mad faith and confidence. We could
near in the other cars cries of terror and
wailings of despair, and, in spite of the
mother, the child leaned out of the win
dow in the back door and shouted out
with all the force of her little lungs
Don't be afraid; papa is driving"
All! that sweet little girl, in the general
terror, was tower of strength with
that sacred love of child for father
an affection that nothing can break
down.
Gradually the train slowed and then
came to a standstill. We were at a sta
ton. The engineer came to the door,
eve have been going very fast" said
he, "but at all hazards we must get to
Reims before the Prussians. That we
must do at the risk of being blown up
or smashed to pieces on the way. I'm
told that we are carrying important dis
patches,n and he looked at the little |
girl with tears in his eyes.
"Give me your hand, " said the officer
''You are a brave fellow. 1t is l who |
have the dispatches ZEN route!" then
sdld INC HIaH, anu Ae gave pdIIlnS
glance at the fair form of his child as if |
to bid her farewell But Jeanne was not
afraid; and, moreover, nobody in our
was afraid any longer We |
knew that we were risking our lives for
our country, and that satisfied us. As
for the train, it recommended its furious
race.
This was in the month of September,
1870, on the Eastern line.