The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-13
[R[El 0(H0O[1 AMID [BWE1G1lSUSo
Apropos OF the hecen'
- Partisan Horror

Although several weeks have passed,
every woman is still talking about that
friqhtful fire in Paris and the wonder
ful beroism shown by some OF the ladies'
don't wish to underrate any OF the pray
ery shown in facing death, would not
for worlds seem to make less the fright
full pain endured by those gentlewomen
who heroically met death in such a nor
rihle way, and yet when l sit down ana
think and put aside all sentiment l COM
nrehend that they were Obliged ito suffer
and probably realized that salvation as
far as their bodies were concerned, was
mnossible. There have been great heroic
actions of women. But, after all, can
anyhody rise superior to everybody else
once in a life? The fire heroisms to my
way of thinking are those little ones that
are endured every day and of which the
world doesn't hear. The newspapers gave
few lines to fine act of heroism the
other day, just few lines.
This is the story: A generous rich Wo-
man had given to one of the Catholic Or
phan asyums in the city sufficient mon
CIV for all the children--500, | believe-to
90 ND to the park in stages, have drive,
see tbe animals, and then-delight of de-
lightst-enioy ice cream and cake in PIC
mic fashion. The children, under the SUI
neryision of a certain number of sisters,
were looking ait the animals when a
frightful thunderstorm came up. The Sis
ter in charge, a young woman, looked
about for place of shelter. There was
but one. the arsenal, that was big enough
to hold all these little people. Under or
ders they ran as fast as they could, only
to find when they got to their place OF
refuge that about $50 women and about
rs children were ahead of them.
There was plenty of room for all but
some idiot i'm that crowd raised cry Of
.Help!" For a second it looked as II
there would be the most awful panic New
York had ever seen. for these children
were going down the four stone steps as
quickly as they could, and if one had
fallen because of fright hundreds would
have followed. The brave little sister,
realizing the situation jumped on wood
en- box. called out Attention.! started the
familiar tune. and all the children began
to sing 1.-THE Star Spangled Banner"
Those that were in the basement, trained
to follow her order, began the song
Those going down the steps heard it and
Joined in. and eventually the place was
crowded with little folk, who sang ev>
cry national song they knew, from The
Star Spangled Banner" to 'The Wearing
of the Green and God Save the Queen"
Before they got through telephone mes
sage sent by another sister had brought
the covered stages back, and the little
people marched out singing a hymn of
gratitude for they did not know what.
But / can tell you from what they were
saved. Just such an accident as was pre-
vented by the wit of the gentle sister hap
pened in England a few years ago. Then
eighty children were killed and 22o were
bruised, crushed, or made cri2ples, be-
cause there was nobody who knew how
to act quickly. / think that that little
sister deserved more than two lines in the
newspapers, and you can be very sure OF
one thing, my friend, she got for her wit
and bravery very large mark of COM
mendation in the book of life.
Do you ever happen to wonder whether
what preachers do has very much effect
on the mind of the average young man
than what they say? Do you ever realize
that while women are too apt to be Salts
fed with the sentimental side of religion
men. who are logical, hearing the words
look for the deeds? Not long ago there
was in a fine old church a young boy,
who. singing in the choir, looked in his
robes almost like a cherub. He found
pleasure in his work in the church. lie
admired the clergyman, with whom he
was thrown in close contact, and he tried
to live a good life. Nowadays, | believe,
he is trying to live a good life, but, ac-
cording to his own account, he fails to
see why after a week of work he should
tire himself on Sunday listening to man
whose faith seems to expend itself only
in words. One day | asked him:
Have you no faith in preachers
Every little" he answered. when
hear of a preacher who works through
the week like an honest man and then
tries to teach poor fellows how to do
right on Sunday without asking for a big
salary, shall accept him and his be-
lief"
| tried to argue with him to show him
that clergymen must live, but he con-
tinued to laugh at me. Then he told me
this little story as the beginning of his
lack of belief:
when / went out into the world to
railroad in the freight department. OF
course in time / was promoted, and,
though / say it myself, | thoroughly un-
derstood the work. One day a sallow-
faced, lanky-looking young man, whose
garb proclaimed him a minister, came to
me and said he wished to speak to me
on business He then told me that his
household goods and library was in
boxes at the station, and were waiting
to be forwarded to San Francisco. His
question was:
"'How much will it cost to send them
to their destination?
II looked over the boxes. He evidently
had large library, for books upon books
We're packed in those boxes in which or
gan pipes come. Probably he seized then
when the church got new organ through
a strawberry festival. / counted all thu
stuff and said to him:
"'Well, as your library has to go al
house goods, it will cost you about 1920.