The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-22
SIMS LITTLE GIRL.

pany.
''Now I've got you by the arm, boy,
want to tell you something. Then if
you want to go back to that saloon, you
may.
l don't often meddle in other folks
business, do 1? When tough old fell
low like me sets out to warn body,
you may know its because he sees sore
need of it. I've had an eye on you ever
since the company promoted you to an
engine, and want you to make a fair
trip of your life. You're fine, bright
youngster. I don't never say things to
compliment.
Just takin' drinks for good fellowship?
Yes, I know all bout that. Been there
myself. Sit down on the edge of the
platform here.
OF all the men in the world, take
it, engineers ought to be the last to
touch the bottle. We have life and
property trusted to our hands HneOm-
mon. Ours is a grand business.
don't think folks look at it as they ought
to. Remember when I was a young
fellow like you, just set up with an en-
gine, I used to feel like a strong angel
or somethin', rushin' over the country.
maxim that iron beast do just as I
wanted him to. The power sort of
made me think fast, square up, and feel
much of man.
I was d0in' well when I married, and
did well long afterwards. We had a
nice home, the little woman and me. our
hearts were set OH each other, and she
was little proud of her engineer. she
used to say so, anyhow. She was sort
of mild and tender with her tongue.
Not one of your loud ones. And pretty
too But you know what it is to love q
woman, George Burks. I saw you walk
in with blue-eyed little thing last
Sunday.
And after awhile we had little girl.
How felt when | came home and they
put her into my arms for the first time !
I looked sort of silly and sort of glad
My wife, she Just laughed out loud to
see me handle that little thing so ork-
ardly.
never liked little children much,
but 1 took to that 'un powerful Every
body took to her.
George, boy, did you ever take time
to go and peep at young FERNS in the
spring? You see 'em all doubled to-
gether, like teenty fist. That's what
she was at first; all fist and squirm /;
beauty curled up tight. Then they I'M
fold and spread out, and come up bright
and delicate, and fner'n you can put
into words That's just the way she
did. Every night came home, L found
her growed and plumpened out more.
Used to toss her up and she'd squeal like
a squirrel, and come down on my face
in fits of laughter.
OF daresn't think about her cunning
nessl But the very first word she
learned to say, was Papap
We talked a good deal about what we
should call her, my wife and l. We
went clean through the Bible, and set
down all the fine story names we heard
of. But nothin' seemed to suit. l used
to puzzle the whole length of my route
to find out a name for that little girl
My wife wanted to call her Eudora Isa-
bel. But that sounded like fOlderol
Then we had up Rebecca, and Maud
and Amanda Ann, and what not. l
seemed to see Katie She looked
Katie. I took to calm her Katie, and
she learned it. So Katie she was.
tell yop, George, that was a child to
be noticed. She was rOunder and
prettier made n a wax figure her eyes
was bigger and blacker n any grown
wOman's you ever saw, set like stars
under her forehead; and her hair was
that light kind that all runs to curls and
glitter.
Soon she could toddle she used to
come dancin' to meet me. I've soiled
as many of her white pinafores, buryin'
my face in em and sort of prayin' soft
under the reef of my heart, God bless
l,,1 ,N1 Ion n
As she grew older, used to talk to
her about engin' even took her into
my cab, and showed her the 'tachments
of the engine, and learned her signals
and such things. She tuck such an in
terest, and was the smartest little
thing Seemed as if she had always
lnowed 'em. She loved the road. Re
member once hearing her say to play
mate, 'There's my papa. He's an en-
gineer. Don't you wish he was your
papa?'
Ny home was close by the track.
Often and often the little girl stood in
our green yard, waving her might of q
| hand to me as we rushed by.
Well, sir, them was happy years. 1t
most kills me to look over EN- now. I
was doin' too we'll Had an idea | was
man made to prosper. l felt good to
all the world, and that 'ud been we'll if
I'd showed my good fellowship another
| way. But men are fools. I was so easy
I couldn't refuse a social glass, and l
was always free toasting Others Many s
the time we've stood, three or four fools
of us, clinkin' our glasses and drinkin' to
brotherhood, drikin' the very thing that
made us fit for anything but brothers.
1t pleased me most to have them pledge
my little girl. And the more they'd
toast her, the deeper I'd drink And l
was drinkin' death to her and damna-
tion to me.
I'll cut it off short. Didn't mean to
say but few words to you, bat I got to
thinkin' so. Can't spin 1t out much
longer, or there'n be no man left me.
Well, one day I started on my home
trip, full of that good fellowship you
was imbibin' awhile ago. Made the en-
gine WIZ We was awful jolly, the
tiremen and me. Never was drunk
when l got on my engine before, or the
company would have shipped me.
/ Wasn't no such time never made on
that road before nor since. I had inst
sense enough to know what was about,
but not enough to handle an emergency,
We fairly roared down on the trestle
that stood at the entrance of our town.
had tipsy eye. out, George, as we
was flynn through the suburbs, L see
my little girl on the track ahead, wavin'
a red flag and standin' stock still
The air seemed full of Katies. 1 could
have stopped the engine, if I'd only had