The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-04-24
On The UpIands.
BY REBECcA HARDING DAVIS.

-.
suppose that the only way for us t.
find out the men among us who dwell il
the uplaudS oflife, and breathe habitual,
a purcr air than that of the market place
is TO note those, who, when the chance
comes for Il noble decd-great or small
do it, simply and naturally, without any
preparation. 1t is a real kings bushes:
to lie kingly, and when the chance come:
to him tor his own work. he does it ant
goes on his way and says nothing about
il.
The lion, old Falstatf tells us, know:
the true prince. But we human being:
arc duller Of sight than the lion in this
thing. We think that recognize king.
among our great political leaders oil
money makers bowling and smiling t.
wondering, shouting crowds. And pres
cutlv some grimy engineer or negro
porter i'll the crowd does some great deco
for his lcllowmcn-2iycs his life for them
perhaps, and we find out that he was the
man Of kingly birth-too late.
For example. there was a lean, freckleG
boy who Il year or two ago ran the cleva
tor up and down in an old shacklv office
building i'll Philadelphia. l often wen,
up in it, but certainly | never suspected
Billy of any noble quality which raised
him above other boys, high as was saul
among his brethren.
BUT one day the old house began to
shuddcr and groau to its foundations,
and then one outer wall after anot her fell
amid shouts Of dislnar from the crowds
in the streets. And Billy, as these walls
came crashing down, ran his old lift up
to the topmoSt story and back again,
crowded with terrified men and women.
He did this nine times Only one side OF
the building was now standing. The
shaft Of the elevator was left bare, and
swayed to and fro. The police tried to
drag the boy out ofit, and the mass OF
spectators yelled With horror as he pulled
the chain and began to rise again above
their heads.
There's two women up there yet
said Billy Stolidly, and went on up to
the top. facing horrible death each
minute and knowing that he faced it.
Presently through the cloud of dust the
lift was seen coming jerkiIy down with
three figures on it. As it touched the
ground the whole building fell with n
crash. The women and boy came out on
the street unhurt and roar of triumph
rose from the mob.
But it was six clock and Billy slipped
que tly away in the dusk and went home
to his supper. For your real hero does
not care for the shouts and clapping of
hands.
One of the most real of heroes was a
poor Swiss laborcr whose name nobody
knows. He was standing one day at
noon in Il crowd who were looking down
at he bears in the great pit at Bernie
There were two savage fellows there,
f.eshv caught. A nursemaid, leaning
over, held the child she carried loosely
in her arms. 1t gave a sudden wrench
and fell. The huge beasts clutched it. In
an instant the workman flung himself
down, and catching the baby in one hand,
struck at the bears with a small knife he
carried in the other. Twice he was
clawed down by them, 1t was desperate
fight. But at last ropes were lowered
and he was drawn up, bleeding, but hold
ing the child high and safe.
In the confusion he escaped through
the crowd and could not he found. He
never has been found to this day. The
father Of the child. wealthy English
man, offered a large reward for any one
vino could find him. The humane
Society voted him gold medal. But
the medal and the money are waiting
still unclaimed. | suppose that work
man is going up and down the streets of
Bcrne today in his blue overalls, nobody
his royal blood. But how
warm his secret must have kept his heart
in nil these years,
| remember queer little incident that
nnec happened on one of the great liners
bound to an English port. 1t seems to
have a bearing on this subject.
Our stcwardess was a Scotch woman,
Il clean, tidy little body whose warm face
and whitening hair told that she was
past middle age. But her dark blue eyes
and soft voice were still young and will
ming. We were wretchedly i'll, but
'Jcssy' tended us SO wisely and kindly
that VIC presently took pride i'll our
misery and in her.
She had no other patients, and during
the ioug DAYS of watching we grew to he
friends and, silent and Scotch as she
was, she opened up her whole life to us.
She had been for many years nurse in
III English family, but at last had to give
up her little charge to governcsses and
tutors. She showed us his photograph
That is my boy" she said, proudly, her
chin quivcring, the real mother look in
her eyes. She was past the age for a
child or lover of her own to come into her
life. But she had great plan and hope
in it,
I'm not strong" she said, "and I'm
tired ont. took this place because it
brings money to me fast In another
year hope to quit work and go home
to my mother. We can go back to our old
cottage near Aberdeen. We had toleavc
it when my father died. We had to sell