The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-18

As scou o. be had gone | said 10 the gentle
man who vas looking down at mo as If be
felt for Us both, "wnl you lift me up, sir, 10
see him start.r
He knelt down beside me and raised mo
very geatly. till | was leaning against him
| watched the train back from the sidias,
and IN "a few minutes it came up on the main
line, poor jcm icaninz over 80 look at inc ~
it passsd I waved my hand to him, in
spite Of tho pam the slightest movement
gave I'D, aud that was the last time | saw
my dear Old engine
could not help giving "a moan as my new
friend laii me down again, aud, oddly
enough. a. If be- knew what | was thinking
u, ho said zone thing Is far better than
driving an engine, friend Dick, and that is
being the means Of saving a soul from ruin.
! said, "ILanl, you, sir" and tried 10
smile, but | didn't make much Of il.
"Now I must ssa about getting you into a
more comfortable place than this" be went
Oh cheeriully, and find out what the dam.
ace Is. III you have to 10 Is TO keep per-
iectiy stil and not trouble your head about
anything
Ii vas lucky ! found such a good friend,
or / think should never have got back t.
NTotlam alive, FOR even with his skill and
care ! was 30 exhausted az TO be scarcely
conscious Of anything, and for some days
was too III b beor 10 SEQ Bessie or Jem. !
dii not think myself i should get over it, nor
did the doctors, AMI ! fancy il was rather a
surprise 10 them when | began to mend, but
dag after dag aad week after week vent by,
and no one said a word about my getting up
again
knew very well what that meant, and
long before tho kind people round me had
made up their minds to tell me outright what
II was, / hal read tho truth in poor Jem's
face. Poor joni he was terribly punished
for weakly yielding 10 temptation. | was
mover going 10 DO able TO walk againl
1t was hard enough 10 bear at first, but |
tried 10 ,hink how much worse 1t might nave
been, aud would not let myself grumblc.
How We had como within such a hairs
breadth Of q terrible accident no one seemed
able 70 explain. and after various examina.
tons tho matter dropped, though 1t was
allowed that was not TO blame. This was 4
comfort TO me; bIt was sorely troubled as
time went ga What was h 10 when / was
sent Cut OF She hospital. should not 10 ablo
- earn my liyius in amy way, and when the
little money ! hal put by was gone / saw
nothing before inc but tho w~orkholso. had
to keep my thoughts 70 myself, as the slight
est hint OF this made JON 80 miserable, but
after a whilo ny kind friend the doctor told
me they could d. no more for me, 50 | told
Jena be- must find a room for me, at all
events for a iew weeks, till | could SEQ what
10 do.
lie bad one all ready for roe, Jem said, 70
my surprise. III / could put up with living
with him aiter'-- and there poor Jem broke
down, aud / had ~ assure him over and over
again that [ would rather be with him than
anywhere clse. He would not tell me any
thing about il, but ono day ho carried me of
% bis house. and there, 20 my astouishment,
found Bessie. For, would sou believe &c, sir
1t only shows what good souls the women
are-jem had como 70 Bessie and told her
what no lad done, and that, though he'd
never touch a drop again. he couldn't ask her
10 have him now, because he must spend every
farthing no had IN making a home Tor me,
and 81 Bessie didn't say, she thought she
could take care OF mo better than he could,
ald, ii he liked. they would Try t0gothcrl So
they got married, without saying q word 10
No, and got q roomready for ne, with every
thing 60 make ne comfortable, and we have
been together ever since. Neither Of them
grudgom eanytisng or care about the trouble
am to them, and no one could Toe letter
carel Tor than / am, or have a better brother
than Jom
Bessie and I have got a bit Of q secret, too,
just now, for ny good friend dropped in the
other day with a London doctor, and after
pulling ne about and poIiug me oil over they
told mo thcy thought it wouldn't do mc any
harm 10 stand. and, though ] should never b.
able 10 walk Tar. | might Get about IL the
garden on crutchcs. SO some day Bessie and
! mean TO surprise lem by meeting lin at
the gate as be COMES homo from work, and
nho knows but after a bit may get as faras
ths station, and have look at tho engines
again
There tho storm IS over. sir, and I hope
your coat l. dry. Van 10 catch the o'clock
tass 10 town. sirf Why. JCm VIII be driving
youl Hos the best driver and tho steadiest
man on tho line, Is cur Jcm, and as good q
fellow as ever can be. GOod-by, sl, and "a
-.m .H....ma Ha rLHH