Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-04-04
SINS LITTLE GIRL.

company. saa
Now I've got you by the arm. boy, /
want to tell you something. Then if
you want to go back into that saloon,
you may.
/ don't often NEEDLE in other folks
business, do [? When tough old
fellow like me sets out to warn body,
you may know it's because he sees sore
need of it. I've had an eye on you
ever since the company promoted you
TO an engine, and | want you to make
Il fair trip of your life. You're fine,
bright youngster | don't never say
things to compliment.
Just takin' drinks for good fellow
ship? Yes, / know all bout that.
Been there myself. Sit down on the
edge Of the platform here
OF all the men in the world, take
it, engineers ought to be the last TO
touch the bottle. We have life and
property trusted to our hands uncom-
mon. Ours is a grand business |
don't think folks look at it as they
ought to. Remember when | was a
young fellow like you, just set up with
an engine, | used to feel like a strong
angel of somethin', rushin' over the
country, maxim that iron beast do just
as | wanted him to. The power
sort of made me think fast, square up
and feel much of a man.
Twas dom we'll when i married, and |
did well long afterwards. We had a
nice home, the little woman and me :
our hearts were set on each other, and
she was little proud of her engineer.
She used to say so anyhow. She was sort
of mild and tender with her tongue.
Not one of your loud ones. And
pretty too. But you know what it is
10 love a woman, George Burks; | saw
you walking with a blue-eyed little
thing last Sunday.
And after awhile we had the little
girl. How | felt when | came home
and they put her isto my arms for the
first time! | looked sort of silly and
sort of glad My wife, she just laugh
ed out loud, to see me handle that lit
tie thing so orkardly.
Ineyer liked little children much,
but took to that un powerful. Every
body liked her.
George, my boy, did you ever take
time to go and peep at young ferns in
spring? You see 'em alr doubled to-
gether, like teenty fist. That's what
She was at first; all fist and squirm
beauty curled up tight. Then they
unfold and spread out, and come up
bright and delicate, and finer n you can
put into words That's just the way she
did. Every night / came home,
found her growed and plump out more.
Used to toss her up, and she'd squeal
ike squirrel. and come down on my
face in fits of laughter.
Oh, l darsn't think about her cum
ningness But the very first word
she learned to say was " Papa!''
We talked good deal about what
We should call her, my wife and l.
We 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 name for that little
girls. My wife wanted TO call her Eu-
dora Isabel. But that sounded like
folderol. Then we had up Rebecca,
and Maud, and Amanda Ann and what
not. Finally, whenever l looked at
her, Iseemed to see Katie" She look
ed Katie took to calm her Katie
and she learned it, so Katie she was.
[ tell you, George, that was a child
to be noticed. She was rOunder and
prettier MAIDEN a wax fgger her eyes
was bigger and blacker'n any grown
woman's you ever saw. set like stars
under her forehead, and her hair was
that light kind, that all runs to curls
and glitter.
SoOn's she could toddle, she used to
come dacin to meet me- I've soiled
many of her white piDafores, buryir
my face in them before | was washed
and sort of prain soft like under the
roof of my heart. God bless my baby
God bless my little lamb y
As she grew older, | used to talk tC
her about engin'-even took her into
my cab, and showed the 'tachments o.
the engine, and learned her signals and
such things. She tuck such an interest
and was the smartest little thing
Seemed as If she had always knowed
EN-. She loved the road. Remember
once hearin her say to a playmate
There's my papa. He's an engineer
Don't you wish he was your papa ?"
My home was close by the track
Often and often the little girl stood il
our green yard, waving her mite of q
hand as We rushed by.
Well, sir, them was happy years. i
most kills me to look over EN- now
| was. dom so well. Had an idea
was man made to prosper | felt
good to all the world, and that nd
been we'll, if I'd showed my good fel.
lowship some other way. But men are
fools, and | was so easy | couldn't re-
fuse a social glass. and | was always
free toasting others. Many's the time
we've stood. three or four of US, clink-
in our glasses and driHkin to broth
erhood-drinkin the very thing that
made us fit for anything but brothers.
Ii pleased me most TO have them pledge
my little girl. And the more they'd
toast her, the deeper I'd drink. And
| was drinkin' death to her and dam
nation TO me.
I'll cut it short. Didn't mean to
say but few words to you, but | got
TO thinkin' so. Can't spin it out much
longer or there'll be no man left of me
Well, one day | started on my home
trip, full of that good fellowship you
was imbibin' awhile ago. Made the
engine whizzl We was awful jolly,
the firemen and me- Never was drunk
when | got on my engine, or the COM
pany would have shipped me. Warn
no such time made on that road before
nor since. | had Just sense enough to
handle an emergency. We fairly roar
ed down on the treStle that stood at
the entrance of our town.
/ had tipsy eye out, and, George
as we was fyiu' through the suburbs, |
see my little girl on the track ahead,
wavin' red flag and standin' stock
still
The air seemed full of Katies. |
could have stopped the engine, if L d
only 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 ii, tryin' to warn US
in time, and we just rushed along into
a pile of ties some wretch had placed
on the track right oyer my baby !
Oh! my baby Go away, George.
There! And do you want me to tel
you how that mangled little mass killed
her mother? And do you want me to
tell you | walk a live murderer of my
own child who stood up to save me
And do you want me to tell you the good
fellowship you were drinkin' awhile