Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-12-19
THAT ENGINEER.
MARY HARTwELL.

CHOW, George, y said mother, "when you
run into Chicago to-day, I don't want you
to forgit that lamb's-wool. Them store
keepers IL try to put you off, and say they
don't have no sech goods on hand this
time o. year, but I want you to foller 'em
up, and git it, for I want to go right to
knittin' your socks for next winter. There s
nothin so good for mems socks as fine,
hard-spun lamb's-wool.'' s I'd
sNot even yak, mother ~ asked George
mischievously, as he snatched up his hat
and belongings, as if the alarm Of fire had
| been sounded. I'll r
81 don't know nothin' about yak. That
may do for wimmen IS wear, but for mems
there's nothin' like hard-spun lambs
wool.'' .s; s.as s
ssI'll remember y promised George, fully
primed and charged, CHOW, goodbye
Home on time at nine"
The old woman's cheek had flush like
winter apples. George took hasty nip at
| it-he always did when he started on his
trips looked at her with his big, cherish
Ing eyes, I0CGltGu lllOUuCl uuoPCcthesU1O
reply, and dashed off to his engine.
1t was.a little after sunrise, His boots
rang along the pavement, and his whistle
rang along the breeze. George was hand
some and strong, astwenty-two has right
to be. He wore blouse instead of a bust
ness coat and that great, fresh, doao'ey
rose-his face-would soon be coated with
the locomotives breath. But he was a
wholesome, splendid man.
Perhaps Jennie thought so. She was
sweeping the front steps of her paternal
mansion as he passed. Her hair was gath
cred atop her head in a curly coil, some
crinkles Of it just dropping over her fore
head. The sleeves were pushed back from
the pink, round arms for women, as we'll
as men, when they 60 to work with will,
begin like apugilist. Jennie had her morn
ing complexion on. AS her eye met
Georges, she put on an additional morn
ing complexion.
George touched his hat, Jennie bent her
head shyly. The young man squared his
shoulders and walked ON like a brigadier-
general.
::'That's nice girl,'' he communicated
to his sleeve. ssMother thinks heap of
her. She's got more sense than half OF
'em, mother says. And she's smart and
modest like in her ways, Mother says she's
uncommon pretty, too.''
These opinions of mothers so edited him
4Lo4 hol n1lt Of hic
head when he leaped on his engine, But
suspect, if mothers verdict had been
against her, he would have stood her law
yer. He was only making mother compli-
ment his choice. He was sl4ulking behind
mother For some young men are shy
While he and his iron horse, and his row
of baggage-car and passenger coachesrush-
ed across the land that hot day, nobody
looked in the engine cab for romance; yet
there the fire Of the world was glowing I'M
der dark blouse. Nobody looked into it
for integrity and worth yet there stood
six feet of integrity and worth, which had
come up to manhood through thick and
thin, and had carried his mother to COM
fort and which kept his character like his
Furnished engine. Neither did anybody
look in that cab for heroism but it was
there, potent and still, like electricity in
cloud. All, my countrymen are capable OF
some things! AS for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
suppose there are men not of the best
among them-as among parsons-but the
deeds Of some do speak for them. Now
when ones mind has run in one channel
for length Of time-or might say, in
more appropriate figure, when train has
gone over great deal Of road, some re-
suits are generally arrived at. ass
So it came to pass, when George dashed
up street in Chicago after his mothers
lamb's-wool, while his engine cooled, and
the train was being made for the home
trip, that he dived into a jewelers. store,
and asked sheepishly to see some rings.
'sRings, eh % murmured the salesman,
looking amiably at the man of SCOT. For
Chicago isn't afraid of coalsmoke. The
men who bring her the dollars do not al
ways come in elaborate toilet.
ssRings,' y emphasized George, 'sand don't
be afraid of your high-priced ones, with
stones in 'em." ',.}
('sIf I give her one," in the parenthesls
of his sleeve, s'I want it to be a ring thatll
last, and always be fine and handsome, and
do to 60 down in the family, like moth
er's.'0
Diamonds, emeralds, opals, pearls, were
flashed in his face. but still his fingers
went searching.
ssWhat's this 20 he asked, picking up a
small, strong circle, with amethysts set
around it. FLooks like a grape, sort OF,
when the SUN shines through it.
"That? oh, those are amethysts. Not
as expensive as these jewels, but a very
nice, firm stone.'
ssThis suits me,'' observed George, div
ing for his wallet, ''this is what was look
| ing for"
So he paid for it, and darted out to hall
passing horse-car, tucking that little mo
rocco case under bills, away down out OF
sight, as another secret was tucked under
his left breast-pocket.
As he rushed back across the afternoon
landscape, curling his iron horse with this
bit. giving him rein by another motion
making the villages resound, watching ms
road with a keen, yet tender eye, Georges