The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-09-19
THAT ENGINEER.
-SGitnsr's.

"Now, George" said mother, "when
you run into Chicago to-day, 1 don't
want you TO forgit that lambs wool.
Them storekeepers'll try to put You of,
and say they don't have no such goods
on hand this time O year, but want
you to foller 'em up, and git it, for L
want to go right to knittin' your socks
for next winter. There's nothin' so
good for mems socks as fine, hard-spun
lambs wool"
"Not even yak, mother % asked
George mischievously, as he snatched
up his hat and belongings, as if the
alarm of fire had been sounded.
az don't know nothin' about yak.
That may do for wimmen's wear, but
for mems there's nothin' like hard-spun
amb's wool"
"I'n remember" promised George,
fully primed and charged. "Now, good
bye. Home on time at nine"
The old woman's cheek had a 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,
cherishing eyes, received mothers un-
speakable reply, and dashed off to his
engine.
1t was little after sunrise. His
boots rang along the pavement, and his
whistle rang along the breeze. George
was handsome and strong, as twenty
two has right to be. He wore blouse
instead of business coat and that
great, fresh, downy rose-his face
would soon be coated with the locomo-
tive's breath. But he was wholesome,
splendid man.
Perhaps Jennie thought so. She was
sweeping the front steps of her paternal
mansion as he passed. Her hair was
gathered atop her head in curly coil,
some crinkles of it just dropping over
her forehead. The S eeves were pushed
back from the pink, round arms-for
women, as well as men, when they go to
work with a will, begin like pugilist.
Jennie had her morning complexion on.
As her eye met Georges, she put on an
additional morning 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. "Mother thinks heap
of her. She's got more sense than hall
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 that he had not gotten Jennie out
of his head when he leaped on his en-,
gine. But suspect, if mothers verdict
had been against her, he would have
stood her lawyer. He was only making
mother compliment his choice. He was
skulking behind mother! For some
young men are shy!
While he and his iron horse, and his
row of baggage-car and passenger
coaches rushed across the land that hot
day, nobody looked in the engine-cab
for romance yet there the fire of the
world was glowing under a dark blouse.
Nobody looked into it for int gritty and
worth yet there stood six feet OF in
tegrity and worth, which had come up
to manhood through thick and thin, and
had carried his mother to comfort, and
which kept his character like his bur,
nished engine. Neither did anybody
look in that cab for heroism ; but it was
there, potent and still, like electricity In
acloud. All, my countrymen are capa
Bile of some things As for locomotive
engineers, / suppose there are men moi
OF the best among them-as among par
sons-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 a train has gone over g