The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-12-18

lntently watchful of me, he re-
piied (but without sound), Yes.
!, My good fellow, what should do
there? However, be that as it may,
never Z. was there you may swear.
1 think may, he rejoined. Yes,
| am sure / may"
:, His manner cleared, like my own.
lie replied to my remarks with readi-
ness, and In Well-chosen words. Had
ne much to do there2 Yes; that was
to say, he had enough responsibility
TO bear; but exactness and watchful-
ness were what was required of him,
and OF actual work-manual labor
ne had next to none. To change that
signal, to trim those lights, and to
turn this iron handle now and then.
was all ne had to do under that head.
REGARDING those many long and lonely
hours of which / seemed to make so
much, he could only say that the rou-
tine OF life had shaped itself into that
form, and he had grown used to it.
He had taught himself a language
down here-if only to know it by |
sight, and to have formed his own
crude ideas of its pronunciation, could
be called learning it. He had also |
worked at fractions and decimals, and
tried little algebra, but he was, and
nad been as boy, poor hand at
ngures. Was 1t necessary for him,
When on duty, always to remain in
that channel of damp air, and could
ne never rise into the sunshine from
between those high stone walls? Why,
that depended upon times and cir
cumstances. Under some conditions
there would be less upon the line than
under others, and the same held good
as to certain hours of the day and
night. In bright weather, he did
choose occasions for getting a little
above these lower shadows; but being
at all times liable to be called by his
electric bell, and at such times listen
ing for 1T with redoubled anxiety. the
relief was less than | would suppose. l
All that | have here condensed he
said In quiet manner, with his grave
regards divided between me and the
Ire. he threw in the word Sir"
rom time to time, and especially when
le referred to his youth, as though to
equest me to understand that he
damned to be nothing but what /
ound him. He was several times in
errupted by the little bell, and had to
cad off messages and send replies.
'nce he had to stand without the
DOR and display flag as the train Z
assed, and make some verbal COM
to the driver. In the dis J,
barge of his duties [ observed him :
De remarkably exact and vigilant,
lreaklng OH his discourse at sylla- y,
lie; and remaining silent until what va
had to do was done.
lie took me into his box. where
lere was a fire, a desk for an official
ook In which he had to make GER
In entries, a telegraphic instrument ocs
Ith It's dial face and needles. and
g little bell of which he had spoken. 1
my trusting that he would excuse
Q remark that he had been we'll iScC
ucated, and Q hoped | might say
tnout otfense,) perhaps educated ''O
owe that station, he observed that
stances of slight incongruity in such
Sc would rarely be found wanting
long large bodies of men; that he
d heard it was so in work houses. oc3o
the police force, even in that last -
sperate resource, the army; and 81
lt ne knew it was so, more or less. n
any, great railway staff He had FER
IN when young, (if could believe
sitting in that hut; he scarcely
lld,) q student of natural philoso-
7, and had attended lectures: but
had run wild, misused his oppor- ooso
titles, gone down, and never risen =
In. He had no complaint to offer
ut that. He had made his bed @o
he lay upon it. 1t was far too %
to make another.
n a word, should have set this
down as one of the safest men
be employed in that capacity but
the circumstance that while he
speaking to me he twice broke off
! fallen color, turned his face to- WI
d the little bell when it did NOT
). opened the door of the Init
CHI was kept shut to exclude the
ealthy damp, and looked out to. Pa
is the red light near the month
he tunnel. On both of those &C.
ons he came back to the FIRE with
ilnexplicable air upon him which
d remarked, without heing able
'tine when we were so far asunder.
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