We of California have just had a wonderful demonstration of the fact that Love can conquer even the fear of the King of terrors—Death.
Last week Mrs. Fluno, wife of one of the prominent Scientists in Oakland, went to visit the family of Professor W.,also scientists, near Napa. On Tuesday afternoon she was being taken to the railroad station to return home, Mrs. W., her son, who was driving, and her little girl of seven, being in the carriage with her, and also a friend from San Francisco. Just as they neared the track, the young man took out his watch and said: "You have nearly five minutes yet," and started to cross, none of the party noticing that the train was right at hand, as there were cars standing on the track which obscured their view. The consequence was that the engine struck the carriage on the side between the front and back wheels throwing the occupants about ten feet into the air. Mrs. F. in her fall being struck on the head by the drive-wheel of the engine was left for dead by the first on the scene of disaster while the others could be looked after. The little girl was thrown with such force upon the ground that she soon went into spasms and was thought to be in a dying condition. The young lady from San Francisco (not a scientist) also had her foot crushed so that the surgeons found it necessary to amputate a part of it. Mrs. W. and son soon picked themselves up being only stunned and bruised, and they began to realize the Truth for those who seemed to be injured.
They were all taken to a physician's office near by, where the surgeons soon had the gash in Mrs. F.'s forehead sewed and the head bandaged. Mrs. W. returned home with her unconscious child; as another son and daughter had arrived, Miss W. told the doctor that their medicines and restoratives were not needed as they were Christian Scientists and would get along all right and requested that she be left alone with Mrs. F. A telephone message was sent immediately to Mr. Fluno, and he took the overland train as far as it went toward Napa, and went the rest of the way with a carriage but did not arrive there until midnight.
