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


The section foreman's boy, red of
pair and frecklcd of face, Offered to
show him the way TO the church. but
. he declined the protfered courtesy. pre-
Ferring 10 walk up the railroad track
until be should get tired OF the jaunt,
when he would stop at u cattle guard
and rest, and then return in time for
dinner. Church going had been an un-
known quantity with him in the city,
where there were great cathedrals in
half a 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 uninterestingly eventlesS.
he started with a swinging, athletic
,lub stride up the line of gravel, there
fore, and the section foreman's boy.
Dslpably starchy and awkward in his
sunday clothes, went hurrying down
he street from the station. his rcd hSir
rrimsonly signaling his approach To
The little frame church while he was yet
4 gren; distance away.
Kennedy was the new telegraph op-
trntor. 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. the
superintendent OF telegraph. lie spent
he long and lonesome nights in read
ing on social economies. and he knew
Hore about the history of strange and
peculiar things associated with govern
ment than almost anybody whose name
or fame is now suggested 10 mind. lie
/ ha oh NJ al ha, "A
rision of the telegraphcrs' labor union.
which met in the city 30 miles away. and
ne was the man who made the best
speeches on Tuesday nights. when
odge proceedings had got as 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 nh
agnostic.
AS he walked up the track this Sun
lay morning the Sabbath feeling
seemed 20 rise up as though TO offend
against his reasoning and reasonable
ngnosticism. Across the fields came
the mellowness of a church bell. and
seeming far. far. far away. it's sound
was the sweeter for the distance Over
TO the right 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 a quiet rumbling, and.
looking 10 see what unexpected train
was bearing down upon him. be re-
seive6 the hail OF Michael Doolnn, fore
nan of Section 43. several miles up the
parallel line of rails. who. with his
men snd 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 a
hand car. TO which little lat had been
attached, and this flat accommodated
the women and children.
~ suppose it's all right for them"
Kennedy murmured. MS the twin cars
disappeared around the other bend Of
the curve. ''but that isn't for me. Re-
Iigion is a good enough thing--0n in
uispenSable thing. indeed. but IL hasn't
got around to me yet. and il never will.
It's a good. handy thing to have for the
purpose OF swearing people in courts
and i,npressing ignorant persons whose
rhaI meters require some sort Of bailas;
of mysticism, not only for their own
comfort. but for the safety OF the
public. Such people, without a weight
CT anchorage of some kind. would rat.
tie around annoyingiy and even harm
fully to others. ! wish I could believe
rs they do Doubtless it is a comforting
thing to be as they are. but
And he closed his statement oiopin-
Ion by picking up a stone and throw
, ing II al a rabbit.
, lie walked 10 the cattIeguard. md.
testing. returned. and found be had
vastly miscaIculated distance and time.
and that il was still very early in the
fiay. He looked about and saw the hand
F., car on siding. and it suggested some
! thing to him. Kennedy prided bmself
' on being q 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. Just TO
Fhow that he had really no feeling
against religion. lie found the white
painted structure with the cross over
its queer little cupola. and. entering.
took the rearIEost seat. The services
Nere nearly closing. lie looked forward.
over the heads of half hundred de-
voht worshipers. at the priest IN vest
ments. which--although Kennedy did
lot know ii--he had brought al great
labor from the city. for the parish was
too poor 10 support resident pastor.
He noted that the worshipers seemed TO
consider every movement OF the be-
gowued man as TO some especial import.
and geuunected and crossed themselves
and munmnred unintclIigibie gtser-
Ances.. Which he took FOR prayers n