Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-08
THE POWER OF SONG.
II Saves Traveller from the Designs of
Two Higbwaymen.

Two Higbwaymen.
Just few days after | had read a
story on this page of The Times called
"Paul's Song" which told, if you re-
member, how a little girl, who was
lost in pine forest, was found by
Paurs singing song she knew, hap
pened to meet gentleman whose life
was once saved by the singing of q
song. He was friend of my uncle's,
in Virginia, and had often heard the
latter tell the story, though do not
remember that he mentioned the gen
tleman's name.
One day at the breakfast table we
were telling the various adventures
we had heard of, and when my turn
came to speak related this one.
Greatly to my surprise, one of the
gentlemen, a Mr.. W, said to me:
You have told the main facts cor
rectly, but you cannot know how ]
felt, for | was the traveller who figures
in your story. | was minister of the
Gospel, and, in the discharge of my
duties had to go near Harper's Ferry,
which was a dangerous locality at that
time, for railroad was in course of
construction Whereabouts and there
were many rough and desperate look
ing men working on it and living in
the vicinity.
ITO be thrown in their midst unpro-
tected was thought to be as much as
ones life was worth. | was not familiar
with the country, and not long before
night was completely lost and knew
not which way to turn. However, |
kept on and in a little while found
myself right in their midst. did not
feel easy, you may be sure, but tried
to assume an indifferent manner and
asked them politely to tell me the way
to my destination. They looked sui
lenly at me and then two of them
offered to show me the way. l was
not pleased at such company, but ac-
copied the proffered aid pleasantly
and walked on with them, exerting
myself to the utmost to make myself
agreeable to them.
After while we came to dark
looking place where they had been
working on the road, and they pro-
posed that l should stop and rest. 1
was bound to do as they suggested,
but could not help wondering if 1
should ever get up again. Near them
lay two short drills and these they
took up, but said nothing. l SEEM
ingly did not notice this and talked to
them about Ireland, for l saw at once
they were Irishmen, and asked about
their families and everything l could
think of to interest them.
"At last l thought l would try
the power of song, for my voice
was then considered fine, so l
sang all the Irish songs / could
think Of Still they seemed ut
terly unmoved and had the same
wicked look, and felt that did not
dare move, did not dare bring about
crisis yet l then thought of one more
Irish song l knew, The Irish Emf
grants Lament and l sang it with all
the pathos could put into my voice
and did not omit single verse. After
singing short while saw their coun-
tenances change, saw the muscles of
their faces twitch, saw their eyes fill
with tears, which soon rolled silently
down their bronzed cheeks.
when finished they turned to me
and with voices trembling with emo
ton said: That song has saved your
life. We had intended killing you for
what money you might have, but we
could not touch you now. That song
of old Ireland has brought back the
dear homes and all the loved ones so
strongly before us that now we will
guard and protect you and go with
you until you are safe from all dan
ger
And SO they did, but you may be
sure l was glad when we came to the
place of parting, for l did not know
how long these better feelings might
last. When we parted, though,
shook hands with them cordially,
saying, Erin go bragh, Ireland for
ever, and walked off as rapidly as l
dared without exciting their i'll will.
1t is needless to say how rejoiced l was
when | reached my destination.
This incident is true in every par
ticular.-Cor. Philadelphia Times.