Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-05-14
SELECTED MISCELLANY.
A RAILWAY STORY.
IRON All the Year ROund.l

Pm not romantic man, and, If had
any leaning in that direction, few Mon
day morning visits and reprimands from
the Board Of Directors would have cured
me of the falling; but somehow or other
have found that railway men are made Of
the same stuff as other men, and have
hearts under their uniform coats.
It was no business of mine, II, while ]
was at the London terminus Of the Great
Division of the Longshire Railway, ex.
amined the tickets and unlocked the car
riages ON the departure plaiform--it was
no business Of mine, If tall, fair girl, in
deep mourning, came twice q week regular
ly, and showed me her ticket for Westgate,
return, second class. But somehow II
seemed to be my business, when / had un.
locked an empty carriage and handed her
In as well as | could, that should lock
that door again without banging 1t, and
then take care that no one else went in but
lady-like females.
Ofcourse / could not help il, but from
the very first day-cold, wintry day
when thinly dressed, she came shiVering
along the platform, ] seemed to have some
strange interest In her; and, as the weeks
slipped by, found myself looking out for
her regularly. 1t was easy to see, from
the music roll she carried and the return
ticket, that she went down the line to give
lessons.
called myself fool, and thought Of
my salary as a guard, and my position In
life compared with the graceful, lady-like
girl who used to come floating along to-
ward me every Monday and Wednesday,
looking so pale, and sad, and careworn,
that first began by plying her, and then
well, never mind now.
One cold December day was shifted for
week on the arrival platform, and so miss
ed SEEING her leave; but / carefully watch
ed every train that came In till / saw her
get out. Without seeing me abe hurried
away. Well, there was nothing to sigh for
there, you1l say; but Ibid sigh all the
same, and was turning away, when l saw
the searching porter with music roll in
his hand, which some one had left ina car
rage.
SHere, ! know whom that belongs tor,
l said, snatching 1t from himi and then
seeing that he was going to make bother,
I slipped sixpence into bis hand, and ran
out ofthe station.
Just in time; could see her at the bot.
tom Of the street, and catching hold Of
one Of the boys hanging about for a Job, !
pointed the tall figure out, and told him to
follow her q where she lived, and come
And not send the muslc-roll? ? No; l
meant to take that. | knew not why, but
there seemed something pleasant In being
servant to her, and waiting on herr
and kept telling myself so as walked
back to attend to my duty.
Next morning was In aquiet, shabby
lodge-letiing place leading out Of Cover |
street, north, with musie-roll In my hand,
looking for No. 81. 1t was easy enough to |
find, but something seemed to make me |
walk past two or three times before / could |
summon courage to go up and ring. But |
at last did, thinking how foolish ii was,
when only had TO deliver the lost parcel |
and come away.
So I rang gently, and waited; rang again,
and waited; and then red-faced woman
came to the door.
''You have a young lady who teaches
ar
Second floor 'front.' she said snappish.
y. "Why don't you knock twice. Belps
for grond floor There, go upl"
/ took OF my cap, wiped my shoes, and,
feeling ashamed of my Uniform for the first
lime in my life, went slowly up to the
second floor, and then stopped; for could
hear piano, and the sweetest voice ever
heard was singing to 1t in low tone. |
stopped, listening and drinking In the
sweet sounds with my heart beating, for II
was long way up; and ] should have
stopped longer, had not heard some one
coming up stairs. Then knocked, and a
voice cried, "Come in!" ~
turned the handle two or three times.
for 1t was old and worn, and then, enter.
Ing, stood blushing like great girl, and
trembling before the tall, pale lady and
some one lying upon sofa, in front of a
fire
Such a bare. chilly room, and 80 cold
and pale both the Inmates looked, as /
stood observing all could at the first
glance.
"Oh, mamna a, the music!" cried the
pale girl, rising from her selt by the
piano, and running toward me; and then.
as ] clumsily held it out, saw that was
recognized, as she thanked me for bringing
It, and also for what she called my kind. |
ness at the station. /
'Ask him TO take glass Of wine, Louise, % |
said the lady on the sofa, when saw the |
color flush in her daughters cheek as she |
said hastily:
II think. mamma, we have none in the |
housc.O
/ clumsily protested that would rather |
not take any wine, and was backing to- |
ward the door, when o sudden pain shot |
through me, for had detected motion on |
The part Of the pale girl, and caught sight
Of shilliDgin her hand. ! suppose show |
ed what felt, for she paused and colored |
deeply, and, as ! stood outside, she once |
more thanked me, passed the shilling |
hastily into her left hand, and held IT out
% me.
have some recollection of having taken
L, and pressed Il to my quiyering lips, and
then as l was laundering along the streets
In sort Ofa wild dream, seeing nothing,
hearing nothing, but right apparently lost.
The days went on iill Christmas eve. I |
had watched for her next coming to the
station, and, as usual, seen to the carriage
IN which she went. knew / had nothing
10 hope for, being only railway servant,
and she LADY, but, for oil that, Il seemed
my duty TO watch over her; though since
he day when l returned the folio her bows
1ad been o little more distant, as abe hur-
led into the carriage. i
But Il was Christmas eve, and all through
hat week / had eaen her uI4olidaoa ~ I Ii