Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-07-25

CATCHING THE TRAIN.---One Of the
greatest delights of boarding IN the couu-
try for the summer is the pleasure man
derives from his efforts to catch the early
morning train by which he must reach the
city and his business. When lie gets out
Of bed he looks at his watch, and finds he
has plenty of time so he dresses leisurely
and sils down to breakfast in calm and
serene state OF mind. Just as he cracks his
first egg he hears the up-train. He starts,
jerks out his watch, compares it with this
clock, and finds it is eleven minutes slow.
and that he has only four minutes left in
which to get to the depot. In 4 fearful
hurry he tries to scoop the egg out Of the
shell, but it burns his fingers the skin is
tough, and after too!ing with it for Il mo-
ment il mashes into a hopeless mess, and
he gets his fingers smearcd he drops the
whole concern in disgust, grabs hot roll,
and scalds his tongue with quick mouth
full of coffee then he stutls the roll in his
mouth, while his wife hands him his satch-
ell and tells him she thinks she hears the
whistle. lie plunges madly around tho
room looking for his umbrella then kisses
his wife as well rs he can with all that un-
swallowed bread distendng his cheeks,
his cheeks, says good-b to the children in
u lump, and makes dash for the door.
just as he gets to the gate he finds that
he has forgotten his duster, and he charg-
eS back after it, snatches it up, and tears
down the gravel walk in iienzy. He
doesn't like to run through the village, be-
cause that would be too undigpiiied, but
he walks furiously. lie goes faster and
faster. Half way down he does hear the
whistle for certain. lie wants to run, but
he knows that he will start up that yellow
dog there by the sidewalk if he does. Then
he actually sees the train coming into tho
depot, and he feels that he must make n
rush. He does. The yellow dog becomes
excited, and tears after him. Six other
dogs Join in the chase, one after the other,
and bark iuriously and frolic around his
legs Small boys contribute to the excite
ment us he goes past by whistlng on their
fingers, and the men at work on the new
meeliug-house knock off to look ut him and
laugh. He feels ridiculous, but he must
catch that train. He gets desperate whcn
he has 10 slacken up until two or three wo-
men, who are on the sidewalk discussing
the servant-girl question and the price of
butter, scatter to pass. He arrives within
one hundred yards of the depot with dus-
ter flying in the wind, coat.tais horizontal,
and the yellow dog nipping his heels, just
as the train begins to move. lie puts on
extra pressure, and resolves TO make that
train OF perish. He reaches it as the hast
car is going past. lie scizes the hand rail,
is violently jerked around once or twice,
but finally hands on tho step on his knees,
and is hauled in by his coat collar by the
brakeman, hot, mad, dusty, with his trou-
sers torn across the knees, his skin bruis-
ed, and three ribs in his umbrella broken.
just as he gets comfortably into the car
the trp in stops, backs up on the siding and
l,,. I,,lf
ncer fixes broken valve. Then he is
madder than ever, and determines that he
will move in town sD.morrow, and sWears
while hc looks out of the window and
watches the dogs that followed him cnSag-
cd IN II contest over n bone which the yell
low dog found on the platform Of the sta
ton, aud he registers a silent VOW TO devote
his first holiday TO hunting up that dog and
Draining him with n club.--har ddter.