Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-03-04
WHAT CAME OF AN OMNIBUS RIDE;
AND ZONE PULL TO TIE RIGHT

WHAT CAME VI hN uMNlbue hipe
i AND LONE PULL TO TIE RIGHT"
From, "Lilae Ferns for Fanny's Little Friend;."
SOME TIME AGO (no matter aehen, lit
I,le folks should not be curious! J ! was
riding in an omnibus with some halfdo.
zen well dressed ladies, and white kid.
del gentlemen. @'
Alta signal from somebody on the
sidewalk the driver reined up his hors-
es, and a very old man with tremulous
limbs and silyeiy locks, presented him
self for admission. The driver shouted
through the sky-light, a
Groom for one more, there inside :"
Butthe gentlemen looked at tho old
man and frowned, and the ladies spread
out their rufled skirts, for his hat was
shabby, and his coat very thread.bare.
He saw how it was, and sohy there was
"no room,' and meekly turned about to
60 down the steps, when a fine-looking
man, who sat next to me, sprang to the
door, and seizing him by the arm. said,
Take my place, sir, you are quite well
come to it. | am young and hearty; it
won't tire me to walk and kindly
leading the old man to the vacant seat,
he leaped from the steps and walked
briskly down the street. while looked
admiringly after him, sayingto myself,
"That young man has had good mo-
ther." 5l.,..t-
We drove on, and the more looked
at the old mans silver hairs, and fine
honest face, the moro indignant | felt
a, the way ofh being treated. Wheth-
Ell he read my thoughts in my counte-
nance or not, | can't say; but after the
most Of the passengers had got out, he
moved up to me and said, "Good boy
good boy-wasn't he! My dear (and
here his voice sunk to a confidential
whisper), have got money enough to
buy out all the upstart people that filled
this omnibus, twenty times over, but
like this old coat and hat. They are as
good as q crucible. Help me to find
out the true metal, Good morning, my
dear, Thank you foryour pity, just as
much as i'll neededit and the old man
pulled the strap, got out ofthe omnibus,
and hobbled off down street. "
4 Some time after, I advertised for
lodgings, and was answered byla widow
,|lady. I liked the air Of the house, il
twas SO neat aud quiet; and then the
towering plants in the window were a
letter Of commendation to me. Your
cold-hearted, icicle people never care
for Aowers-you may write that in the
ay-leafof your primer), But what par
Iticularly pleased me, at Mrs. Harris's
was the devotion of her son to bis mo,
ther. Iexpected no less, because the
minute he opened the door, I saw he
was the same young man who gave up
his seat in the omnibus to the old gen
tleman. i@'l-dH
John did all tile marketing and provi.
ding aswisely and as we'll as if he were
seventy, instead of seventeen. He
wheeled his mothers arm chair to the
pleasant corner, handed her her foot
stool, and newspaper, and spectacles
offered her his arm up stairs and down
spent his evenings by her side, instea(
Of joining other, young men in racing
over the city to find ways to kill time.
1t was beautiful sight in these days
wheh beardless buys come stamping ant
whistling into their mothers presence
with their hats on, and call her "the
old woman" "- '."a.i
spent apleasant autumn under Mrs
Harris quiet roof. And now, winter
had set in, with its nice long evenings
John came in to tea, one night with hit
bright face over-clouded. Johns mas
ter had failed and John was thrown ou
of employment! ,.s5 ..,
Then learned, that it was only by
the strictest economy, and boarding Of
every cent Of Johns small salary, tha
the house rent was paid, and the table
provided;
And now, SO the widow said, the house
must be given up, for John might be
long while getting another place; clerk
ships were SO difficult to obtain, and the;
must not think of running in debt.
1t was such pity. Wo were all ST
comfortable and happy there, in tina
cozy little parlor with its sunny bow
window full of flowers, and its brigh
Lehigh FIRE, and softly cushioned chairs
and cozy parlor, where the little round
table, with its snowy cloth, had been Sc
often spread; and the fragrant coffee
and delicate tea biscuit, and racy news
paper had been so often discussed
where John, in his slippers and dressing
gown, with his dark hair pushed off hi:
broad forehead, read to us page after
page Of some iavorite author, while the
wind was welcome to whistle itsel
dumb outside the threshold, and ole
winter to pile up the snow at the dool
Tin he cot tired of it.