The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. XX, No. 979, October 1, 1898 — John Shaqi
The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. XX, No. 979, October 1, 1898Various
General
The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. XX, No. 979, October 1, 1898
Various
Children's literature -- Periodicals
"Beg pardon, but if you could move a little, miss. I am a bit crushed
and numb-like."
Then recollection returned to the girl. There had been a railway
accident. They were in it. That poor fellow was under her. If she could
only raise herself; if she could reach the window. What was it over
her head? Then as the light of a friendly lantern flashed across the
carriage she screamed loudly,
"Help--help, for mercy's sake!"
"Shift that lantern, Jones, there is some poor body here," exclaimed
a voice near them. Then the door was wrenched open and strong hands
grasped the girl and lifted her out. "There's another down there. I am
afraid he is badly hurt. You had better hail the chap who says he is a
doctor."
"Come along with me, miss," said a second voice; "we are just at the
mouth of the tunnel, but you will have to clamber a bit over the
wreckage. Can you walk--all right, we'll be out in a minute."
But it looked longer than that before Lilian saw the blessed sunshine
again.
"Then you can sit on the grass," continued the friendly porter, "while
we bring the young man round. You are not much hurt, miss; that's a
blessing." And then he hurried off, and Lilian, shaken and miserable,
and bruised all over, sank down on a patch of long grass.
She remembered afterwards how gay the poppies looked, then she hid her
eyes and sobbed, as a broken inert form was carried past her.
"In the midst of life we are in death." The words came to her, and she
said them over and over again. "In the midst of life we are in death."
Slow, stumbling footsteps approaching, but she dare not look up. How
could she know what ghastly burden they were carrying.
"Steady, you fellows. Lay him down and put something under his head.
No, there is nothing to be done; but, poor chap, he will not suffer. I
must see to that broken leg now."
"Perhaps this young lady will stop a bit," observed the friendly
porter. "Help me a moment, mate, while I shift this 'ere jacket under
his head. If we had only a drop of something--not that it would be any
good."
Surely they were not leaving her alone with a dying man. Lilian started
up in sudden terror; then a feeble voice arrested her.
"Don't go, miss--please don't leave me; you heard what that chap
said"--and here a pair of boyish blue eyes looked pitifully at her;
then a great wave of womanly sympathy made Lilian forget her bruises
and nervous fears.
Could that rigid-looking figure--that colourless face with the grey
shade of death already stealing over the features--be her light-hearted
and officious fellow-traveller? A sob broke from Lilian's lips.
"Oh, I am so sorry--so sorry!"
"Don't take on, miss--I ain't in pain--only numb and curious-like; but
it seems hard, don't it"--his dry lips twitching as he spoke--"that a
fellow's holiday should end like this."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account