Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-02-21
Ghuife Atisfellany.
WHAT AN ENGINEER TOLD.

WHAT AN ENGlNEEk TObOs
I am an engineer. Ever since the G.
Road was laid, I've travelled over it every
day, or nearly every day, of my life.
For good while I've had the same en-
gine in charge--the San Francisco-the
prettiest engine on the road, and as well
managed, if 1 say it, as the best.
1t was Southwestern road, running, we
will say, from A. to Y. Ala. my good
old mother lived; at u. had the sweet
est little wife under the sun, and baby,
for a rainy day. Twas an old kind of
man. Being shut up with the engine,
watching with all your eyes and heart
and soul, inside and out, don't make
man talkative.
NV wife's name was Josephine, and I
called her Jo. Some people called me
unsociable, and couldn't understand how
a man could feel friendly, without say
ing ten words an hour. So, though had
few old friends-dear ones tool did not
have so many acquaintances as most peo-
pie, and did not care to have. The house
which held my wife and baby was the
dearest place on earth to me, except the
old house which held my mother up in
A.
Inever belonged to club, or mixed
myself up with any strangers in any such
way, and never should If it had not been
for CRANKY. You see CRANKY was one of
the shareholders, handsome, snowy fell
low liked to talk to him, and we were
friends. He often rode from H. to A.
and back again, and on one occasion he
said:
/" You ought to belong to the Scientific
Club, Guelden.
"Never heard of it,, said 7.
u cnsI hn ktxrrn naf
once fortnight, and have a jolly good
time. We want thinking men like you.
We have some among Us now. / I'll pro-
pose you, if you like"
was fond of such things, and I had
ideas that I fancied might be worth some
thing. But then an engineer do MT have
nights and days, to himself, and the club
would have one fortnight from Jo. Isaid :
81 III ask her. If she likes it, yes. w.
'"Ask whom ?" said he. -tr
"Jo, said I. H .a... ~
:" If every man had asked his wife,
every mans wife would huve said, lean
not spare YOU, dear, and we should have
| had no club at all, said CRANKY.
But made no answer. At home l
| told Jo.. She said: .,,I, lrN. d
81 shall miss you Ned, but you love
! such things, and then if CRANKY belongs
4 to it. they must be superior men,"
NO doubt" said |.
at is MT everybody who could be made
a member, +" said 10. "Why, of course,
you must say yes. I,l.ia
So said yes, and Cranky proposed me
Thursday fortnight ! went with him tc
the rooms. There were some men with
brains there, and some without. The
real business of the evening was the sup
per, and so it was, every evening.
! I had always been temperate man,
actually did not know what effect wine
would have upon me; but coming t.
drink more of 1t than ever had at the
club table, I found it put the steam on
After so many glasses wanted to talk
after so many more i did. fa.
I seemed like somebody else. Th'
words were so ready. My little ideas
come and were listened to. L made sharl
hits ! indulged in repartees; told sto
ries I even came to puns, | heard some
body say to CRANKY: By George that
/ duh at first. o., Yet knew II was bettel
to be quiet Ned 'Guelden, with his tel
words an hour, than the wine made wi
/ was. It.-sL.fift,.o.J %.
i Twas sure of it when, three hours after
Il / stumbled up stairs to find Jo waiting TO
me, with her baby on her breast.
}. "You we been deceiving me, said Jo-
4 " / suspected it, but / was MT there. 4
scientific club could n'tsmell like bar
room. q tu,, ,f..;l a., -i---L- ..A'
(which means Lido, I" y said 7, waving
in the middle of the room like a sigma
flag at a station, and seeing two Joes, II
Rand look like one, said 10; and sh
went and locked herself and the baby u
I'M the spare bedroom. .y.r.
4 "Ned,' said she, "do you think thin
: SO much Ikea bottled-up and strapped
down demon as steam is, is fit to be pu
into the hands of a drunken man? An,
some day, mark my words, the time vii
come when not only Thursday night bu
all the days of the week will be thesame
we often heard you wonder what tn
feelings of an engineer, who has abou
the same as murdered a train fun of pee
pie must be, and you will know II y2
do MT stop where YOU are. A stead
hand and o. clear head have been you
+ blessings all these years. Do MT throN
them away, Ned. If you do MT care TO
my love, do MT ruin YOURSELF
NV little 10. She spoke from he
heart, and bent over and kissed her.
One club night, as was dressed to &c
10. stood before me. 2 's'i, i..u2liI, J
-"Ned, ~ said She i never had a faul
to find with you before. You I'VE bee
Y kind and good, and loving, alwaysi' bu
should be sorry we ever met If you ar
Z going on this way; do MT ask me what
mean. You know. 10 siR,3+ii 7tl y
NJo, % saidI, "It 70 only on clu
, nights, you know .i,gs tns'u i"'li3s ~,
q 1t viii grow" said she. 2''oal 'h}-
Then she put her arms lovingly aroun
my neck FaH ~ pnh ~, ~
EDO MT be afraid, child;q 7 III neye
pain you again. y
And / meant IL; but at twelve o'clocl
that night felt that I had forgotten m.
!, PROMISE and my resolution.
could MT 60 home to Jo. 1 made u
nv mind To sleep ON the club sofa an
>, leave the place for good next day; =
Nj Already / felt my brain reel as neve