The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-01
THE ENctNEER's STORY,

every day OF nearly every day of my
life.
For good while. I've had the same
engine in charge-the San Francis
co-the prettiest engine on the road,
and as well managed, if I say it, as
the best.
1t was Southwestern road, so we
will say, from A to T. At A, my
good old mother lived; at q, 1 had
the sweetest little wife under the
sun, and baby; and 1 always had a
dollar or two put by for q rainy day.
was an odd 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.
My wife's name was Josephine,
and I called her 10. Some people
called me unsociable, and couldn' t
understand how man could feel
friendly without saying ten words an
hour. So, though l had few friends
dear ones, tool did not have so
many acquaintance as most people,
and did not care to have. The house
which held my wife and baby was the
dearest spot on earth to me, except
the old house that held my mother,
up at A.
[ never belonged to club, or
mixed myself up with strangers in
any such way, and never should, if it
hadn't been for CRANKY. You see
CRANKY was one of the share holders,
handsome, snowy fellow. I liked
to talk with him, and we were friends.
He often rode from z to A, and back
again, with me, and once he said:
''Yon onght to belong to the Scien-
tltic Club, Guelden."
81 never heard of it." said I.
81 am member" said he. "We
meet once fortnight, and have a
jolly good time. We want thinking
men like you. We have some among
us now. I'll propose you, if you
like
/ was fond of such things, and had
ideas that 1 fancied might be worth
something. But then an engineer
don't have nights or days to himself,
and the club would have one evening
fortnight from 10. 1 said:
'IH ask her. If she likes it, yes. -
"Ask whom?" said he.
'tJo," said I.
'lf every man had asked his wife,
every mans wife would have said,
Cant spare you, my DEAR and we
should have had no club at ALL" said
CRANKY.
But I made no answer. At home.
I told 10. She said:
81 shall miss you, Ned; but you do
love such things, and then, if CRANKY
belongs, they must be superior men. -
''No doubt" said I.
cit isn't everybody who could be
made MEMBER said 10. "Why,
of course, you must say yes
So L said yes, and CRANKY pro-
posed me. Thursday fortnight, /
went with him to the rooms. The
real business Of the evening was the
supper, and SO it was every evening.
I'd always been temperate man.
actually did not know what effect
wine would have on me; but coming
to drink more of it than I ever had
before at the club table, I found i,
but steam on. After so many glasses,
wanted to talk; after so many more.
I did.
l seemed like somebody else, the
words were so ready. My little ideas
came out, and were listened to. ]
made sharp hits; I INDUCED in re-
partee; told stories; I even came to
puns. I heard somebody say to
CRANKY:
"By George, that's a man worth
knowing. L thought him dull at
first"
Yet I knew it was better to be
quiet Ned Guelden, with his ten
words an hour, than the wine made
wit was
l was sure of it when, three months
after, L stumbled up stairs to find .Jc
waiting for me with her baby on he,
breast.
You've been deceiving me- said
10. 81 suspected it, but I wasn'
sure. A scientific club couldn't smell
like bar-room."
(Which means [ do, " said 7. waver
ing in the middle of the room like =,
signal flag at station, and seeing tw,
Joes
''And look like one," said 10. ani
went and locked herself and baby il
the spare bedroom.
One club night, as was dressed t.
go, 10 stood before.
''Ned," said she, 81 never had
fault to find with you before. You'v
been kind, and good, and loving. al