Year: 1874

HUSBAND OR CHILD9


No other axe resounded through the
forest with such a clear and decided
ring as that welded by Thomas; none
other so sure of its aim, while raised
between the sky and its destined rest.


His voice was the most cheerful and
his carol the merriest that reverbcrated
in the beautiful woodland that extended
through the Rhineland to the borders
OF Holland.


Wherever his hands were employed,
the work was accomplished in half the
time. "The merry Thomas, D" the
magnificent Thomas" the "fndus-
trious Thomas" were the names given
him by the people far and wide, and
when he married and became the father
of son he was iollier than ever. =


His wife seemed to partake OF his
spirit and his boy gave pro mise OF be-
: coming just such happy soul The
whole neighborhood. were happy in the
Harmonious life of this Joyous trio,
while each derived particular pleasure
in witnessing the felicity, of the, other.
q But suddenly the lightning flash Of cir
cumstances penetrated this happy home.


One bright morning, axe in hand, he
stood beside fallen tree, while wife
and son stoodnear, ready to gather the
fragments, and they were no mean chips
that fell beneath Thomas stroke.


High over his head the glittering
steel was raised, and, as his glance
noted the reflected ray of sunshine fol-
lowing it, he shouted merrily, Wife,
see'st thou my meteor? Hui ! is it not
verify like the flash of one?' But the
shining metal and its active meteoric
light did not disappear within the wood.
Glancing lightly over the bark, it en-
tered Thomas foot, and there was no
time for useless tears. The wife's
grieving heart did not vent itself in idle
lamentations, but questioned, how was
she to get her husband home?i


The other laborers had not arrived.
Thomas was always the first at work, as
now he was also the first to regain his
cheerfulness to encourage wife and
child in this trial. A spring near sup
piled water to wash the wound that
proved to be severe, aud the manly
Anton divested himself of his little
shirt to bind it up with. r.r...


This carefully done, Thomas set his
big white teeth firmly together, rose,
grasping with one hand the shoulder of
his boy, and supported on the other
side by his wife, he ordered, March
quick the house is not such o long
way off, then all will be well"


Taking the shortest route home
obliged theE: to Cross over railroad
track. Although this was forbidden
road for pedestrians, they considered it
the best in this emergency. But here
misfortune overwhelmed them in ter
rible earnest.


At the first step the sufferer caught
his wounded foot in the rail, stumbled,
fell, throwing his little boy into the
middle of the road, breaking the little
fellows leg.


A helpless, living mass, they lay
there, and before both could be res
cued from their perilous bed the steam
ing, roaring monster of the road came
tearing down upon them, leaving their
boy a mangled, bleeding corpse the
next instant before them.


Such was the story told by Thomas
and his wife to the Mortified and SYM
pathizing people.


But there must have been something
singular and mysterious connected with
this mournful event that remained un-
told-a secret within their own hearts
for, spite of repeated endeavors to have
the story told again, they would always
answer, "You have heard it once, "
while shudder of horror followed at
the remembrance.


I left no pains untried to ingratiate
myself in their favor and obtain their
confidence. Not only curiosity was ex-
cited, but Ihad real psychological in
terest in the matter, and / acknowledge
just the least suspicion of something
foul; criminal secret, possibly an ac-
cident, that required hut little light to
lead these people back to happiness.


1t is not necessary to explain how /
brought it about; suffice it is to say
that one day, in presence of her hus-
band, Frau Thomas unburdened her
sadly oppressed heart to me in this
wise:


"After the birth OF our child I was a
great deal happier, and loved Thomas
better than ever when he was at my
side, but I could also enjoy his absence,
and not watch window and door con-
stantly if he chanced to remain away
longer than usual. I used to tease him
frequently and say: Somebody is well
come to steal you, now I've got my
baby. He would laugh at me then,
saying: well, if you have no further
use for me, all right, and playfully
leave the room as if in dreadful anger,
and bang the door. But knew he was
only in fun, and laughed as if did not
care. Nevertheless, my heart grew sad
and was disturbed until his face again