The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-06-24


knew it was Bob that was hurt before
I saw him. He'd been dared by one
of the younkers to reach barrunnine
above; in jumping he'd. slipped, and
his legs had been both crunehed W
like dry sticks between two of the
wheels.
helped take him to the doctor iiv.
ing hard BY. He looked at him, and
said there wasn't DO hope; he must
just die 10 a hour, or maybe half.
We bore him home on shutter, and
laid him on the bed. He wasn't SEN
sible. and rested as still and white as
if he'd been dead already. Presently
the men that brought him went away,
| for they had their living TO get, and
couldn't stay from work. The doc
tor'd given me something that might
bring him to his senses, and / put it
on a Handkerchief, and held it to his
nose. After q bit, his lips moved
just little, and then he opened his
eyes and looked up at me. / took hold
of his hand, which lay out of the COW
erlid-it felt cold as ice. "Doyou know
me, Boil" / whispered, and he
squeezed my 6rgers the least bit. In
q while there come q whining and
scratching at the door. l wouldn't
have moved, but he looked so wistful
that l knew he'd heard il, and wanted
me to open. l got up, and let In the
dog. Tt was an ugly, speckled mongrel
bet to see it come in there was as If 1t
had had sense. It knew, as well as |
did. what had happened; that there
wasn't no more merry larks with its
master; that it wouldn't need to go
waiting again at the factory gate, and
lump about him at his dinner; aud 1t
Just lay its black nozzle mp against his
breast. and looked with his two eyes
into his D, like the good. old, faithful
beast it was. "I1l treat him kind.
Bob" 1 says, and Bob seemed to
smile little, at least l thought so;
but maybe twas only fancy.
We waited so several minutes, and
then got up quiet, and went to a
corner OF my box, where I'd an old
Bible. 1t was worn well, for it had
been my mothers, but I'd not used it
much myself. more shame. and /
didn't know what to begin on, only it
seemed but right he should hear
something good. So I read about lit
tie David going out against big Coli
ath, and piercing his forehead, and
cutting off his head: for knew he'd
have liked that when he was well.
While / was in the midst, there come
an old grizzled man, one of them that
had brought Bob down. He was
Methodist, and had been to seek the
minister, but couldn't happen on him.
So he took the Book from me, and
read O deal about peace. and
hope, and pardon. and better
country where angels lived, aud /
there was no sin or pain. till it
seemed quite easy to be good, and /
wondered I'd never thought of those
things before. Then be knelt down
by the bed, aud prayed; wiping off
the great drops as they formed on
Bob's brow; and then Bob, who'd
seemed to follow all through, but
whose eyelids had dropped, opened
them again full, and rose nearly up
from the pillow. and said: Goodbye
-old-Jake." quite plain. and then
fell back dead.
I was bound to 90 to the factory
next morning, though | had no heart
for it, but that must go on. well or i'll.
Id money enough to get Bob buried
0SCOAbAJ W 0Ay oAAfCA W0dCAs
for as for his stepmother she'd not
come nigh him while he was alive,
and / wasn't going to beg money to
put him in the grouod. r''.7
Most of the chaps liked him, he was
50 good-natured, and some said they'd
come to his funeral. There was a
great noisy piston Bob had used to
call Tommy Shoooo- Shoooo, from its
T..
worked just by there; and the day We
buried him, [ tied q bit of black stuff
round the bottom oft, just for mourn
ing, like. A youugster was going to
pull it off, but the old man that had
prayed by Bob calls out: . Let il
bidel" Then they were all quiet, and
whispered jake and ! crept away
to my place.