he to
his staff as they went along.

"Why, sir, do you know what that fellow said, and for what he was
asking?"

"No, indeed, I don't; I supposed he was complimenting me in some way, or
thanking me for something."

"He _was_ complimenting you, sir, to some tune, and asking, as a souvenir
of his happy engagement under the Great Brassey, that you would of your
goodness make him a present of the shop, iron, tools, and all belonging!"

"Did he, though! I did not understand that."

"No sir, but you kept on saying, 'Oui, oui, oui,' and the fellow's
delighted, as he well may be, they're worth 50 or 60 pounds."

"Oh, but I didn't mean that, I didn't mean that. Well, never mind, if I
said it, he must _have_ them."

It must be borne in mind, that at that time, at best, Mr. Brassey knew
very little French, and his staff were well aware of the fact."

Sep. 13, 1872.

S. S.

EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT.

In a leading article in the _Birmingham Post_, Nov. 12th, 1880, the
writer remarks:--"The report of Major Marindin on the collision which
took place between two Midland trains, in Leicestershire, about a month
ago, has just been published, but it adds nothing to the information
given at the time when the accident happened. The case was, as the
report says, one of a remarkable, if not unprecedented nature, for the
collision arose from a passenger train running backwards instead of
forwards nearly half-a-mile, without either driver or stoker noticing
that its movement was in the wrong direction. Shortly after the train
had passed the village station of Kibworth, where it was not timed to
stop, the driver observed a knocking sound on his engine. He pulled up
the train in order to ascertain the cause of this, and finding that
nothing serious was the matter, proceeded on his journey again, or rather
intended to do so, for, by an extraordinary mistake, he turned the screw
the wrong way, so as to reverse the action of the engine, and to direct
the train back to Kibworth. There, a mineral train was making its way
towards Leicester, and as the line was on a sharp incline the result
might have been a most destructive collision. It was, however, reduced
to one of a comparatively mild description by the promptness and
efficiency with which the brakes were applied to both the trains. Had
not the mineral train been pulled up, and the passenger train lowe