Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-01-29
HIS MIRACLE.
BIZ CARL sMIrR.


The section foreman's 10y, red of
pair and frecklcd Of face. offered to
show him the way TO the church. but
he declined the protfercd courtesy. pre-
Ferring to walk up the railroad track
until he should get tired of the jnunt,
when he would stop Mt u cattle guard
and rest, and then return in time for
thinner. Church going had been IN un-
known quantity with him in the city.
where there were great cathcdrals in
half dozen different parts OF the
town, nnd he hardly saw the occasion
for departing from custom simply be.
:ause his exile In the little country
Town was so unintercstingly evcntless.
He started with u swinging, athletic
tlub stride up the line of gravel, there
fore. md the section foreman's boy.
pa)pably stnrchy and awkward in his
sunday clothes, went hurrying down
he street from the station, his rcd hair
rrimsonly signaling his approach To
The little frame church while he was yet
great distance Dway.
Kennedy was the new telegraph op.
trntor. He wos an aspiring fellow and
An intelligent one, and some day he
hoped to be trick dispatcher. and pcs
aibly, after reasonable lapse of time. the
superintendent OF telegraph. He spent
The long und lonesome nights in read
ing on social economies. and he knew
nore about the history of strange and
peculiar things associated with govern
ment than almost anybody whose name
Or fame is now suggested TO mind. iIe
wns the chief telegrapher of his d-
rision of the telegraphcrs' labor union.
which met in the city 80 miles away md
ne was the man who made the best
speeches on Tuesday nights. when
odge proceedings had got us far along
as the good of the order" The others
of the division thought highly Of him.
and usually they sent him as their
lodge delegate to the sessions of the
international convention. lie could
argue splendidly and he said he was an
agnostic.
AS he walked up the track this Sun
lay morning the Sabbath feeling
seemed TO rise up MS though to offend
against his reasoning and reasonable
ngnosticism. Across the fields came
The mellowness of q church bell, nnd
seeming far. far. far away. it's sound
was the sweeter for the distance. Over
TO the right a farmers wagon was
creeping along the section line road
as the sleek brown horses dragged the
family toward the place OF worship in
the town. Around the curve ahead Of
him there rose n quiet ruml,ling, nnd.
locking TO see what unexpected train
was bearing down upon him. he re-
eivcd the hail of Michael Doolnn, fore
man of Section 43. several miles up the
parallel line OF rails. who, with his
men nnd their women and children,
was whirring along In the direction OF
the little parish church toward which
the redhcaded boy had sped several
minutes before. The men were on u
hand car. to which little lat had been
attached, and this fat accommodated
the women and children.
~ suppose it's all right for them"
Kennedy murmured. ms the twin cars
disappeared aroiind the other bend Of
the curve. ''but that isn't for me. Re-
Iigion is good enough thing--an in.
tlspensable thing. indeed, but IL hasn't
got around to me yet. and il never will.
It's good, handy thing to have for the
purpose of swearing people in courts
md i,npressing ignorant persons whose
rhai ncters require some sort of ballast
Of mysticism. not only for their own
comfort. but for the safety of the
public. Such people, without weight
or anchorage of some kind. would rat.
tie around annoyingly and even harm
fully 10 others. wish could believe
MS they do. Doubtless it Is q comforting
thing 10 he as they are. but
And he closed his statement Of opin.
Ion By picking up stone and throw.
ing it at q rabbit.
lie walked 10 the cattleguard, and.
resting. returned. and found be had
vastly NmiscaIculated distance and time.
nnd that 1t was still very early in the
Hay. He looked about and saw the hand
car on siding. and IL suggested some |
thing to him. Kennedy pridrd himself
nm being n liberal sort Of person. and |
the thought came to him that il would |
be fair and reasonable thing for him
to- drop into the little church. lust TO |
fhow that lie had really no feeling
ngainst religion. He found the white
painted structure with the cross over
its queer little cupola. and. entering.
took the rearIrost seat. The services
Tere nearly closing. lie looked forward.
over the heads OF half a hundred de-
Won't worsbipers. at the priest iu vest
mehts. which-aithongl, Kennedy did
iio. know the had brought at great
labor from the city. for the parish was
too poor to support a resident pnstor.
He noted that the worshipers seemed to
consider every movement OF the be-
gowned man as to some especial import,
and geuufected ard crossed themselves
and murmnred nnintclIigibie utter
hnrrs.. which hc too'S for prayers. n