The Republican journal., 1873-06-26
Catching the Train.

One OF the greatest delights of board
ing in the country 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 he gets out of bed he looks at his
watch, and finds he has plenty of time;
so he dresses leisurely, and sits down to
breakfast in a 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 the clock, and
finds that it is eleven minutes slow, and
that he has only four minutes left in which
to get to the depot. In fearful hurry he
tries to scoop the egg out Of the shell. but
it burns his fingers; the skin is tough, and
after fooling with it for moment it
mashes into Il hopeless mess, and he gets
his fingers smeared he drops the whole
concern in disgust, grabs hot roll, aud
scalds his tongue with quick mouthful
OF coffee then he stutfs the roll in his
mouth while his wife hands him his
satchel, and tells him she thinks she hears
the whistle. He plunges madly around
the room looking for bis umbrella; then
kisses his wife us well as he can with all
that unswallowed bread dstendng his
cheeks. says goodbye to the children in
lump, and makes dash for the door
Just as he gets to the gate he finds that
he has forgotten his duster, and he charges
back after it, snatches it up and tears
down the gravel walk in u frenzy He
doesn't like to run through the village,
because that would be undignified. but he
walks furiously He goes faster and faster
Half way down he does hear the whistle,
for certain. He 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 in
to the depot, and he feels that he must
make a rush. He does. The yellow dog
becomes excited, and tears after him
Six other dogs Join in the chase. one at-
ter the other, aud bark turiouslv and trolic
around his legs. Small boys contribute
to the excitement rs he goes past, by
Whlstllng on their fingers, and the men at
work on the new meeting g-house knock
off to look at him and laugh. He feels
ridiculous, but he must catch that train.
He gets desperate when he has to slacken
up until two or three women, who are on
the sidewalk discussing the servant girl
question and the price of butter, scatter
to let him pass. Tie arrives within one
hundred yards of the depot with duster
flying in the wind, coat-tals horizontal
and the yellow dog nipping his heels, just
as the train begins to move. He puts on
extra pressure, and resolves to make that
train or 10 perish. He reaches it as the
last car is going past. He seizes the
hand-rail, is violently jerked around once
or twice, but finally lands on the step on
his knees, and is hauled in by his coat
collar by the brakeman, hot, mad, dusty,
with his trousers torn across the knees,
his shins bruised, and three ribs in his
umbrella broken.
Just as he gets comfortably into the car
the train stops. backs up on the siding,
and lays there tor half an hour while the
engineer fixes q broken valve. Then he
is madder than ever, and determines that
he VIII move in town tomorrow, and
swears while he looks out of the window
and watches the dogs that followed him
engaged in a contest over q bone which the
yellow dog found on the platform of the
station; and he registers a silent VOW to
devote his first holiday to hunting up that
dog, and Draining him with a club.