Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-05-20

we were going to be married early
in the spring, AID I was looking for
ward with ardent longing t. the con-
summation of my hopes. Happy times
they were, and today was happier than
that in the summer, when, the farm
work being done, she and I went for a
holiday to Chester.
On our journey back strange, awful
thing happened. was close to Jennie.
Her hand was in mine, and we were
dreaming of the happy times to come,
when suddenly VIC were aroused by the
shrill whistle of the engine, and few
seconds after the carriage began to rock
violently from side to side. I cannot
say that l was not alarmed, but when
Jennie put her arm round me and clung
to me for protection, as trustfully as a
child to its mother, my courage re-
:, turned. Fer I WAS proud of that i'm
plicit trust, SO that forgot my fear in
a feeling Of sweet responsibility. Al
most Immediately the train began to
slacken down in speed, and at last came
to standstill, and at the same instant
we heard fearful crash. Then all was
silent.
l let down the window and looked uD
the line Great soft clouds of steam
were rolling silently toward us, their
under surface glowing dull red as
though dyed with blood Our train was
without engine, and as the steam slow
ly drifted away AID our eyes got accus-
toned to the gloom we made out about
couple of hundred yards up the line
two engines locked together as in a
death embrace, while the fragments of
the goods train lay scattered around.
We hurried toward the scene of the
accident. The heavy goods engine lay on
its side, and jammcd between. it and the
rocky bank was the passenger engine.
The fire had been shaken out, and the
dying embers glowod with dull red
light, as they lay spread out on tire
ground among fragments Of wheels and
twisted rods. From under the goods en-
gine we dragged one poor fellow with
many groans, for his leg was broken,
and the escaping steam had scalded him
fearfully, and then with half his body
crushed hopelessly under a tangled mass
of iron and steel we found another with
his eyes closed.
Oh, twas horritl sightl It turned
me sick, and I tried to prevent Jennie
seeing it. But she. eager to be Of serv-
ice, pushed me aside. and gazed at the
poor, wounded figure lying there SO help
lessly and then gave a scream Of anguish
and clung more closely to me.
Jim, Jimp' she exclaimed "Don't
you see who it is? It's Hugh!''
And Hugh twas, i'll his rough engine
drivers clothes, with a deadly paleness
showing through the SCOT Oh his face
and great drops cf perspiration on his
brow. We thought him dead at first,
but at Jennie's exclamation he opened
his eyes and smiled family at us. We
were powerless to help him; we could
not move that great mass Of steel, nor
could we draw him away from it, for
even as we but touched him with
vague idea of saving him he groaned in
agony. And SO, though itmade us faint
with horror, we knclt by his side and
watched the tide CT life quickly ebbing.
His right hand was crushed under
him, but his left was free, and as Jen-
ME tenderly and gently stroked it-all
greasy and sooty as it was-his fingers
closed over hers and held them. 1t
seemed to give him relief, fer smile,
more beautiful than I have ever seen on
the face of man, either before or since,
lit up his face with a great joy.
"Jim,' he painted, a,d his voice was
faint and low, so low that I had to
place my ear close to his lips to catch
the whispered words, Il cannot last
many minutes-pray God-it may be
short. 1t was-fcr your-sakes. saw
you-on the train. Kiss me, Jim-kiss
me, Jennie-only once-tle first-and
last-I'm coming home again.
In silence, with eyes brimming over,
we kissed the pale lips and, gently wip-
ing the death drops from his forehead,
waited for the end. It was not long.
We saw the film fast dimming his eyes,
the eyelids gently closing. We saw the
lines Of agony Oh his face gradually
softening, the painting of his heart
quieting, and knew that the end was
come.
With one sweet smile-in which it
seemed to me there was more of heaven
than of earth-ono last ccnvulsive ef-
fort, he placed Jennie's hand in mine
and whispered, "Jim, make her happy"
That was all. The poor, bruised body
lay still-the spirit had flown. Hugh
had "come home" at last.
know not how long we knelt there
reverently, not daring to speak, but
with tears streaming down our faces
tears of which / have never been
ashamed. But, as I helped Jennie ur
and was leading her away. still Sob
bing, some one touched me Oh the
shoulder, and turning round l saw
man whom Irecognized instantly as the
stoker Of our engine. His left arm was
hanging loosely and helplessly in a
rough sling which some thoughtful
passenger had exte,nporized. He drew
his right hand across his eyes, and, look
ing not at me- but at the dead, said,
"You'r his brother, sir, aren't your
nodded could pot s,.:ak, fer at the
moment any words would have choked
me.
"Sir," "he said, 81 know all about you
and the young lady. Him"-it did not
need anything to tell me that he meant
Hugh-''him and me were pals. l went
to the shed. sir, just two months after
he did, and we've just stuck together
like brothers ever since. And, sir, he
has told me many time about you. lie
was never jealous Of you;- he always
said that you deserved her and would
make her happier than ever ne could.
But I was certain that beneath his kind,
quiet manner he must often have been
miserable, for could tell that he never
ceased to love her. Do you know, sir.
very often when he's fallen asleep on
duty I've seen him smile as sweetly as a
child and murmur Jennie, Jennie
Don't cry, miss; he's lot happier now
where he is than he ever would have
been
"We've never been on this line before,
sir. and shouldn't have been tonight,
only just as they weregetting the engine ss
ready to bring your train she went on
the turnstile somehow or other, and the
driver was thrown off and his head
- oc ..--o x-o,, x,,o1, 11u r. hear of it,