The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-04-21

VIC should call her; my wife and LIVE
went clean through the bible, and set
down all the fine story names we heard
of. But nothin seemed to suit. |
used to puzzle the whole length of my
route to find a name for that little girl.
Ny wife wanted TO call her Eudora Is
abel. But that sounded like folderol.
Then we had up Rcbcccar, and Maud,
and Amanda Ann and what not. Fin
ally, whenever | looked at her, |
seemed TO SEQ Katie She looked Ka-
tie. | took to calm her Katie, aud
she learned it, so Katie she was.
| tell you George, that was child
to be noticed. She was rounder and
prctticr made n wax iiggcr, her eyes
was bigger and biackcr II any grown
womah's you ever saw, set like stars
under her forehead; aud her hair was
that light kind, that all runs to curls
and glitter.
Soon's she could toddc, she used to
come dancm' to meet me. I've soilcd
many of her pinaforcs, buryin my
face in them before was washed, aud
sort of prayin' soft under the roof of
my heart, God bless my little baby
God bless my little lamb ~
As she grew older, used to talk to
her about engine-cvcn took her into
my cab and showed the 'tachmcntS of
the engine, and learned her signals aud
such things. She tuck such an inter
est, aud was the smartcst little thing
Seemed as if she had always known EN-
She loved the road. Remember one,
hearing her say TO playmate, There :
my papa he's AN engineer. Don't you
wish he was your papa 2
Ny home was close by the track
Often and often the little girl stood in
our green yard, waving her mite Of a
hand as we rushed by.
Well, sir, them was happy years. Ii
most kills me to look over them now
was doin' so well. Had an idea !
was made to prosper. | felt good to all
the world, and that nd been well, it |
showed my good fellowship some other
way. But iuen are fools. | was SC
easy couldn't refuse social glass, and
| was always free toasting others. Ma
ny's the time we've stood, three or loul
fools of us, clinkin' our glasses and
driukin' to brotherhood-drinkin, tn,
very things that made us fit for any.
thing but brothers. 1t pleased me mosttc
have them pledge my little girl. And
the more they'd toast her, the deeper
I'd drink. And was drinkin' dealt
to her and damnation to me-
III cut it off short. Didn't mean &c
say but few words to you, but go
to thinkin' so. Cant spin it out much
longer or therc'll be no man left tc
| me.
Well, one day | started on my home
trip full of good fellowship you was i'm.
bibin' awhile ago. Made the engine
whizz. We was awfully joyful, the
fireman and me. Never was drunk
when got on an engine before, or the
company would have shipped me.
Warn't no such time made on that road
before or since. had just sense
enough TO kaow what | was about, but
not enough to handle an emergency.
We fairly roarcd down on the trestlc
that stood at the cnterance Of the town.
had tipsey eye out, and, George,
as we was hyin' through the suburbs,
l see my little girl on the track ahead,
wavin' read flag standin' stock still
on the track.
The air seemed full of ka,ies. |
could have stopped the engine if I'd
only had sense enough to know what
to take hold Of top reserve her. But |
was too drunk. And that grand little
angel stood up to it, trying to warn us
in time, and we just swept right along
into Il pile of ties some wretch had put
on the track right over my baby
Oh my baby!-Go away George.
There +! And doyou want Inc to tell
you how that mangled little Mass killed
her mother ? And do you want me to
tell you | walked alive a murderer OF
Of my own child, who stood up to save
me p? And do you want me to
cllyou the good fellowship you were
drinkiu awhile ago brought all thi.
over me-
You'll let this pass by, maxim up
your mind to be moderate. Hope you
will. was moderate 'un.
%, God Oh my baby y
can knock down any man twice my
size for good reason, George Burks,
hut n,y hoa,t ,,,,t