The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-10-10

and her hair was that light kind that
runs to curls and glitter.
"Soon's she could toddle, she used
to come dancin' to meet me. I've
soiled a many of her white pinafores
buryin' my face in them before /
was washed, and sort of prayin' soft
like under the roof Of my heart,
God bless my baby God bless my
| little lamb"
CAS- she grew older, l used to
talk to her about the engin'-even
took her into my cab, and showed
her the 'tachments of the engine,
and learned her signals. She tuck
such an interest, and was the smart
est little thing! Seemed as if she
had always knoWed 'em. She low
ed the road. Remember once hear
ing her say to a playmate, There's
my papa. He's an engineer. Don't
you wish he was you papa?"
my home was close by the track.
Often and often nay little girl stood
in our green yard, waving her hand
to me as we rushed by.
"Well, sir them was happy years.
1t most kills me to look over 'em
know. l was doin' too well. Had
an idea l was a man made to pros
per. 1 felt good at all the world, and
that 'ud been well if I'd showed my
good fellowship some other way.
But men are fools. / was so easy /
couldn't refuse q 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 the brother
hood-drinkin' the very thing that
made US fit for anything but broth
ers. 1t pleased me most to have
them pledge my little girl. And the
more they toasted her the deeper I'd
drink. l was drinkin' death to her
and damnation to me.
cpl cut it off short. Didn't mean
to say but a few words to you, but
got to thinkin' so. Can't spin it out
much longer, or there'n be no man
left me.
"Well, one day 1 started on my
home trip, full of that good fellow
ship you was imbibin' a while ago.
Made the engine whizz? We was
awful jolly, the fireman and me.
Never was drunk when 1 got on my
engine before, or the company would
have shipped me. Wasn't no
such time ever made on that road
before nor since. 1 had just sense
enough to know what 1 was about
but not enough to handle an emer-
gency. We fairly roared down on
the trestle that stood at the entrance
of our town. II had q tipsey eye
out, and, George, as we was foin'
through the suburbs, l see my little
girl on the track ahead, wavin' a red |
flag and standing stock still!
"The air seemed full of Katies, |
could have stopped the engine, if I'd
ouly had sense enough to know
what to take hold of to reverse her!
But / was too drunk! And that
grand little angel stood up to us try
ing to warn US in time, and we just
swept right ahead into pile of ties
some wretch had laid on the track! |
oh, my baby Go away George. |
"There! And do you want me to
tell you how the sight of that man
gled little mass killed her mother? |
And do You want me to tell you
to walk alive to-day the murderer of
of my own child, who stood up to
save me? And do you want me to
tell you the good fellowship you
were drinkin' q while ago brought
all this on me?
"You'll let this pass by maxim
up yonr mind to be moderate.
Hope you will. l was a moderate
'un.
("Oh GOdl Oh my babyD /
s 81 can knock down any man twice
my size for good reason, George
Burks, but my heart just melts to
water for that little girl."- Wood's
Household MdgGziRe.