Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-05-09
THE ENGINEERS STORY.

We were driving down the express
Will at the steam, l at the coal
Over the the valleys and villages!
Over the marshes and cOppices
Over the river deep and broadl
Through the mountain! under the road!
Flying along tearing along!
Thunderbolt engine swift and strong,
Fifty tons she was, whole and sole!
had been promoted to the express:
Warrant you was proud and gay.
1t was the evening that ended May,
And the sky was glory of tenderness.
We were laundering down to a midland town
1t makes no matter about the name
For we never stopped there, or anywhere
For dozen miles on either side:
So it's all the same
just there you slide
With your steam shut of and brakes in hand,
Down the steepest and longest grade in the
land
At pace that promise you is grand.
We were just there with the express
When caught sight of muslin dress
On the bank ahead; and as We past
You have no notion of how fast
girl shrank back from our baleful blast
/ We were going mile and quarter minute
With vans and carriages down the incline,
But saw her face, and sunshine in it,
l lookedin her eyes. and she looked in mine
As the train went by, like shot from NOR
tar,
A roaring hell breath of dust and smoke,
And unused for minute and then awOke,
And she was behind us mile and quarter.
And often saw her-that lady mean
That spoke of before. She often stood
Atop o. the bank; it was pretty high
Say twenty feet, and backed by a wood.
She would pick the daises out of the green,
To fling down at us as we went by.
We had got to be friends, that girl and
Though was rugged, stalwart chap,
And she lady! I'd lift my cap,
Evening by evening, WhenTd spy
That she was there, in the summer air,
Watching the sun sink out Of the sky.
Oh didn't see her every night;
Bless you! no; just now and then,
And not at all for a twelthmonth quite,
Then, one evening saw her again,
Alone as ever, deadly pale.
And down on the line, on the very rail.
While light, as hell, from our wild wheels
broke
Tearing down the slope with their devilish
clamors
And deafening dim, as giant hammers
That smote in whirlwind of dust and smoke
All the instant or so that we speed to meet
her
Never, oh never, had she seem'd sweeter!
let yell the whistle, reversing the stroke
Down that awful incline, and signall'd the
guard
To put on his brakes at once and HARD
Though we couldn't have stopped. We tatter'd
the rail
IRte splinterE anj sparks but without avail.
We couldn't stop; and she wouldn't stir;
Saving to turn US her eyes, and stretch
Her arms to us; and the desperate wretch
pitied comprehending her.
So the brakes let of and the steam full again,
Sprang down on the lady the terrible train.
She never fiinched. We beat her down,
And ran on though the lighted length Of the
town
Before we could stop TO see what was done
OH I've run over more than one
Dozens of 'em, to be sure; but none
That pitied as pitied her.
If could have stopped with all the spur
OF the train ns weight on, and cannily--
But it wouldn't do with lad like me,
And she lady, or had been. Sir?
Who was she? Best say no more of her!
The world is hard but Pm her FRIEND
Staunch, sir, down to the worlds end.
It is curl of her sunny hair
Set in this locket that wear;
picked it off the big wheel there.
Time 8 up, Jack. Stand clear, sir. Yes
We are going out with the express.