at _him_ out of a fit of wickedness.
When she had been restored, Mr Abel launched off into a glowing
oration, in the course of which he referred to John Marrot's long
services, to his faithful and unwearied attention to his arduous duties,
and to the numerous instances wherein he had shown personal courage and
daring, amounting almost to heroism, in saving the lives of comrades in
danger, and in preventing accidents on the line by coolness and presence
of mind.

"In conclusion," said Mr Abel, winding up, "let me remark that the gift
which is now presented might have been of a more useful character, but
could not have been more appropriate; because the wish of those who
desire to testify their regard for you this evening, Mr Marrot, is not
to give you an intrinsically valuable or useful present, but to present
you with a characteristic ornament which may grace your dwelling while
you live, and descend, after you are gone, to your children's children
(here he glanced at Loo and her troop), to bear witness to them that you
nobly did your duty in driving that great iron horse, whereof this
little silver pony is a model and a memorial. To perform one's duty
well in this life is the highest ambition that any man can have in
regard to temporal things. Nelson, our greatest naval hero, aimed at
it, and, on the glorious day of Trafalgar, signalled that England
expected every man to do it. Wellington, our greatest soldier, made
_duty_ his guiding-star. The effectual and earnest performance of duty
stamps with a nobility which is not confined to great men--a nobility
which kings can neither give nor take away--a nobility which is very,
_very_ difficult to attain unto, but which is open alike to the prince
and the peasant, and must be wrought hard for and won--or lost with
shame,--for, as the poet happily puts it--

"`Honour and shame from no condition rise;
Act well your part,--there all the honour lies.'

"For myself I can only say that John Marrot has won this nobility, and I
couple his name with a sentiment with which all here, I doubt not, will
heartily sympathise.--Prosperity to the men of the line, and success to
the Iron Horse!"

Reader, we can do no better than echo that sentiment, and wish you a
kind farewell.

THE END.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Iron Horse, by R.M. Ballantyne

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE IRON HORSE ***

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