The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-08-09
wruATTnE ENGINEER ToLD.

| am m engineer Ever since the
-road was laid. I've Travelled over il
every day, or nearly every day, Of my
life.
For n good while I've had the same
engine in charge the san Francisco--
the prctticst engine on the road aud as
well managed il Fay il, as the best,
II was south western road, running
well say. from \. to H. At A. my
good old mother lived at Il, ! bad the
sweetest little wife under the sun, and a
baby aud | always h1l dollar or two
pat by for a rainy DAY was au odd
Kind ofa man. Being shut up with the
engine. watching with all your eyes and
heart aud sonl inside aud out, don't
make q man O. katiyc.
Ms wiics uamc was Josephine. aud !
called her 10. Some people called me
unsormblc, md could ut understand how
a man could feel friendly without say
ing ten words an hour So, though |
had q lcw Old friends dear ones. too
/ bad not ns many acquaintance o.
most people, aud did not care 10 have.
The house that held my wife aud babies
was the dearest place on earth to me,
except the other house that held my old
mother up at \.
ia never belonged TO club OF mix
ed myself up with strangers in any
such way. aud never should If Il badu I
been for CRANKY. You see Grauby was
OF c Of the shareholders, a haud.omc,
snowy fellow liked to talk to him
aud We we're friends. llc often rode
from T. TO A., aud back again, with me,
aud once hc said
'Iou ought to belong to the Scientific
Club, Guuldon
"Ncycr heard Of il, said ].
II am member" said he we
meet once 4 fortnight. and have n jolly
good time. We want thinking men
like you. We have some amongst us
now. I'll propose you If you like. ~
was fond Of such things, aud ! bad
ideas that | iancied might be worth
something. But then an engineer don't
have nights or days to himself, aud the
club would take one evening n fortnight
from Jo. said
"I'll ask her If she likes it, yes
"Ask whom T. said he.
do said |
If every man had asked his wife,
every mans wife would have said, cant
spare you my dear, aud We should have
had no club at all said CRANKY.
But / made no answer At home !
told 10. She said:
II shall miss you Ned but you do
love such things, and then If Mr. Gran.
by belongs, they must be superior
men"
mo doubt" said !.
at isn't everybody who could be
made a member" said Jo. "Why of
course you must say yes.
So | said yes, aud CRANKY proposed
me. Thursday fortnight went with
him to the rooms. There were somc
men with brains there, some without. .---
The real business of the evening was
the supper, and so it was every evening.
I'd always been a temperate man. ]
actually did not know what effect wine
would have upon me; but coming to
drink more Of it than | ever had before
ut the club table, ! found il put the
steam on. After so many glasses
wanted to talk after so many more !
did.
1t seemed like somebody else, the
words we're so ready My little ideas
came out and were listened to. | made
sharp hits | INDUCED in rcpartee !
told stories; even came to puns. ]
heard somebody say to CRANKY; "by
George, that's man worth kno6ing.-
! thought him dull at first" Yet /
knew it was better to be quite Ned
Guelden, with his ten words an hour,
than the wine-made wit ! was.
was sure of it when, three hours af-
ter, | stumbled up stairs at home to
fnd 10, waiting for me, with her babe
on her breast
you've been deceiving me, said Jo
GIVE expected it, but wasn'tsure. A