White Oaks eagle. (White Oaks, N.M.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-04
HIS MIRACLE.
by CARL SMITH.

The section foreman boy, reu Cl
hair and freckled OF face, offered to
show him the way to the church, but
he declined the protfcred courtesy, pre-
fcrring to walk up the railroad track
until he should get tired of the jaunt,
when he would stop at cattle guard
and rest, and then return in tine for
dinner. Church going had been an un-
known quantity with him in the city,
where there were great cathedrals in
half dozen different parts of the
town, and he hardly saw the occasion
for departing from custom simply be-
cause his exile in the little country
town was so uninterestingly eyentleaS.
He started with Il swinging, athletic
club stride up the line of gravel, there
fore, and the section forcman's boy,
>alpably starchy and awkward IN his
Sunday clothes, went hurrying down
the street from the station, his red hair
orimsonly signaling his approach to
the little frame church while he was yet
a great distance away.
Kennedy was the new telegraph OPP
orator. He was an aspiring fellow and
an intelligent one, and some day he
hoped TO be trick dispatcher, and pos
sibly, after reasonable lapse Of time, he
superintendent of telegraph. He spent
the long and lonesome nights in read
ng on social economies, and he knew
more about he history of strange and
peculiar things associated with govern
Incnt than almost anybody whose name
or fame is now suggested to mind. lie
was the chief tclegrapher of his di-
vision of the telegraphers' labor union
which met in the, city 30 miles away, and
| he was the man who made the best
speeches on Tuesday nights, when
lodge proceedings had got as far alone
as the good Of the order" The other,
of the division thought highly of him
and usually they sent him as then
lodge delegate TO the sessions of the
international convention. lie could
argue splcndidly and he said he was al
agnostc.
rs he walked up the track this Sun
day morning the Sabbath feeling
seemed to rise up as though to offend
against his reasoning and reasonabl,
! agnosticism. Across the fields came
the mellowness of a church bell, anC
seeming far, far, far away, its SCUM
was the sweeter for the distance. Oyci
to the right farmers wagon wa
creeping along the section line roat
as the sleek brown horses dragged tn,
family toward the place of worship il
the town. Around the curve ahead o
him there rose quiet rumbling. and
locking to see what unexpected trail
was bearing down upon him, he re
acived the hail Of Michael Doolan, fore
man Of Section AZ, several miles up tn,
parallel line of rails, who. with hi
men and their women and children
was whirring along in the direction o
the little parish church toward whicl
the redheadcd boy had sped sever1
minutes before. The men were on
hand car, 10 which little 0at had becl
attached, and this fiat Accommodate
the women and children.
II suppose it's all right for them,
Kennedy murmured. as the twin car
disappeared around the other bend o
the curve, "but that isn't for me. Re
Iigion Is q good enough thing IN
dlspensablc thing. indeed, but II hnsn'
got around 10 me yet. and il never vii
It's good. handy thing 10 have for th
purpose of swearing people In court
md imprcssing ignorant persons who's
characters require some sort Of ballns
Of mysticism. not only for their ow
comfort, but for the safety Of th
public. Such people, without weig
or anchorage OF some kind. would rn
tie around nnnoyingly aud even hari
|, fully TO others. | wish | could bclic'
as they do Doubtless II Is a comfortin
thing TO be ns they are. but"
And he closed his statement Of opii
ion by picking up stone and throw
ing IL at a rabbit.
J He walked to the cattlcgunr,l. an,
resting, returned. and found he hn
vastly miscalculaicd distance and TIM
and that IL was stu very early w III
3 day. lie looked about aud saw the hani
car on q siding. and II suggestcd tom
3 thing TO him. Kennedy rg.dcd IN. c