The Flagstaff sun-democrat. [volume] (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1896-1897, 1897-01-07
HIS MIRACLE.
BY CARL SMITH.

The section foreman's boy, red of
hair and freckled OF face, offered TO
show him the way to the church, but
lie declined the proffered courtesy, pre-
ferring 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 time for
dinner. Church going had been an I'M
known quantity with him in the city,
where there were great cathedrals in
half a 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 eyentless.
He started with swinging, athletic
club stride up the line of gravel, there
fore, and the section foreman's boy,
palpably starchy and awkward in his
Sunday clothes, went hurrying down
the street from the station, his red hair
crimsonly 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
nm intelligent one, and some day be
hoped to be trick dispatcher. and pos
sibly, after reasonable lapse of time, the
superintendent of telegraph. He spent
the long and lonesome nights in read
ing on social economies, and he knew
more about the history of strange and
peculiar things associated with govern
ment than almost anybody whose name
or fame il now suggested to mind. He
was the chief teleprapher of his d.
vision of the fpIcgraDhers' labor union.
,yhfcb met in the CITY 30 miles away. and
no WAS the man who made the hes;
sneecbes on Tuesday nights. when
IcIre nrocpelirrg had cot as far along
ne Tie "rood of the order" The Others
of IN, division thought highly Of him,
and usually they sent him as their
lodge delegate to the sessions of the
;nternationa, convention. He could
argue snlcnd;d,v and he said he was an
ognostic. ~,
AS he walked mn the track this Sum
loy mounting The Sabbath feeliup
soe,red ~. ,.ise nm No though to offend
AGAINST his reasoning and reasonable
aenosticism. Across the fields CAME
The mellowness of n church bell. and
seeu;po far far far away. its sollnd
w,as the sweeter for the distance. over
IN the right n farmers wagon was
creening along the section line road
os The s,.ek Known horses drapped the
Family toward the nloce of worship in
tbe town Around the curve ahead Of
him there rose o,,iet rumblinp. and.
Iook;n. N see what unexpected train
was bearing down upon him. he re-
.a;r.d tha hal, of Michael DooInn. fore
n,on ~ section "A. several miles ND the
,,.ro,I.I live of rails who with his
- ard their women and children.
wns wbirrinp along in the direction of
the little parisb church toward which
tho redbeaded how had sped several
minutes before. The men were on n
hand car IN which little fat had been
attached and this fat accommodated
tho women and children
at sunnose IT'S nil RIGHT for them"
Vennedv murmured ne the twin cars
'rl;sonpeared around the other bend of
The curve. shut that isn't for me. Re-
lioion is a good enough thinp--an in
dispensable thing. indeed. hut Il hasn't
got around TO me vet, and IL never will.
It's n rood. handy thing TO have for the
nurpose of swearing people in courts
and impressing ignorant persons whose