Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1864-01-05
What Came of an Omnibus
Ride,.-One Pull 10 the right,


Some time ago. (uo matter when, little
folks shouldn't be curious.) was riding
in an omnibus with some half dozen well
dressed ladies and white-kidded gentle-
men.
At signal from somebody on the side
walk, the driver refined up his horses, q
very old man, with tremulous limbs and
silvery locks, presented himself at the door
for admission. The driver shouted
through the skylight Room for one more,
there, inside : but the gentlemen looked
at the old man and frownsd, and the Ia
dies spread out their ruffied skirts, for his
hat was shabby, and bis coat very thread
bare. He saw how it was, and why there
was mo room,' and meekly turned about
to 60 down the steps, when fine looking
goung man, who sat next to me, sprang
to the door, and seizing him by the arm,
said:
Take my place, cir; you are quite well
come to it. l am young and hearty it
won't weary me to walk and kindly lead
ing the old man to the vacant seat, be leap
ed from the steps and walked briskly down
lhe street. While looked sdmiringiy after
niin. saying 70 myself, That young man
has had good mother
We drove on. and the more I looked at
the old mans silver hairs, and fine, hon.
est face, the more indignant felt at the
way he had been treated. Whether he
read my thoughts in my countensnce. or
rot, can't say; but after most of the pas.
seDgers bad got out, be moved up to me
and said, Good boy-good hoy, want he
Ny dear land here his voice sunk to a con-
hdentlal Whisper have got money enough
al fhn - H.. aL.k III
this omnibus twenty times over, but like
this old coat and hat. They are as good
as crucible-help me 70 find out the true
metal. Good morning my dear. Thank
you for your pity, just as much as if
needed it.'-aud this old man pulled the
strap, got out of the omnibus, and hObbled
of down the next street.
Sometime after, advertised for lodg-
ings. and was answered by a widow lady.
! liked the air of the house, it was 80 neat
and quiet, and the Towering plants in the
window were a letter of Recommendation
to me. Your coldhearted, icicle people
never care for flowers; (you may write
that 10 the fly leaf of your primmer)-
But what particularly pleased me a: Mrs.
Harris was the devotion of her son to bis
mother. / expected DO less, because, the
was the same young man who gave up
bis seat in the omnibus to the old gentle
man.
John did all the marketing and provid-
ing as we'll as ifhe was seventy instead
of seventeen. He wheeled bis mothers
arm chair to the pleasantest corner; hand
ed her the footstool; and newspaper and
spectacles; offered her his arm upstairs
end down, and spent his evenings by her
side, instead of joining other young men
in racing over the city to fnd ways to kill
time.
1t was a beautiful sight in these days,
wien besrdless boys come stamping and
whistling into their mothers presence,
With their hats on, and call her the old
woman
/ spent pleasant autumn under Mrs
Harris quiet roof. And now, winter had
set in with lite nice long evenings. John
came into tea one night with bis bright
face ouerclouded. His mother was at his
side in az instant. Johns master had
failed, and John was thrown out of EN-.
plOyment
Then l learned that it was only BY the
strIctest economy, and boarding of every
cent OF Johns salary that 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 a
long time getting another place, clerkships
were so difficult to obtain; and they must
not think of running in debt
1t was such a pity. We were all so com.
Portable aud happy there, in that cozy lit
tie psIlor, with its sunny bow window full
OF flowers, and its bright Lehigh fire, and
cozy cushioned chairs; that cozy parlor,
where the littls round table, with its
snowy cloth, had been so often spread; and
the fragrant coffee, and delicate tea busc
cult, and racy newspapers, had been so of
ten discussed; where John in his slippers
and dressing gown. with bis dark hair
brushed of his broad forehead, read to us,
page after page of some favorile author,
while The wind was welcome to whistle it.
self dumb outside the threshold, aud old
Winter TO pile up the snOw at the door till
he got tired of it.
1t was bard
John walked up and down the floor,
with bis hands crossed behind, and Mrs.
Harris went round the room hunting after
her spectaeles, when they were comforta-
bly, reposing on the bridge of her fine Ro-
man nose.
A knock at the door |
A note for Johnl
Enclosed find $500, to paw for Mr..
John Harris house rent for the coming
year.
A FRIEND
John rubbed his eyes, and looked at his
mother; bis mother looked at me, and
looked at both of them; and then we
laughed and cried till we nearly had bys-
terics.
But who was the 'FrieudP That was
the question. We were ell born Yankees,
and did our best at guessing; but it didn't
help us. Wellat any rate, it was very
nice all round. hadn't to be routed
No, nor John, nor his dear old mother
And pussy purred round us as if she bad
as much reason to be glad as any one of
us and the canary trilled so sbrrp a strain |
that we were obliged to muffle his cage and |
bis enthusiasm with Johns red silk pocket |
handkerchief.
Mrs. Harris and had not got our fem
mine tongues still, the next day, when |
John came back, in the middle of the fore |
DOOR, with another riddle to drive our wo-
manly curiosity still more distracted. He |
was requested to cali immediately-so q |
note he had received, read-at &
Co's, and accept the head clerksbip, ss Q |
salary of 81 400 year; being highly rec-
commended by person, whose name his |
new employer declined giving.
That was q greater mystery still John |
and bis mother bad rich relations to be |
sure; but, though they bad always been in
terfering in all their plans for making q |
living, they Dever had been known to give |
them anythiDg-except advice, or to call |
on them by DAYLIGHT: and il wasn't at all l
likely that the leopard would change his
spots at that late day. No, it could not |
be Johns rich relatives, who We're always
in such psuic lest the upper tendon should |
discover that their cousins, the Hsrrises, |
lived in an Questionable part Of the city, |
dined at one O'Clock, and noticed trades !