The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-03-16
Story Of . Tough Winter Thirty Years
Nd Ago.

They used to have tough winters in
New York. That delightful editor, Lewis
Gaylord Clark, told in his department of
the old-time Knickcrboeker Magazine, a
touching story of the cold winter nights
thirty years gone. He got into stage
one night at his Office, way down town,
and was for some blocks the sole occupant
Of the draughty, cracking vehicle. Then
it stopped and took in a pompous old fel-
low, swathed In furs and warm woods.
The fare in those days was six cents, and
the newcomer poked f1ve-dollar bill up
at the driver, who dumbly shouted back
that he could not make the change, his
fingers were 20 cold, and so the pompous
man curled up in his comfortable clothes
and the editor sat and thought what
small mean soul that man had in him.
They rode on and on; finally, with a
great deal of smoky breath, the drivers
thick voice came through the hole:
And the rich man looked insulted and
shouted, "No, 1 tell you; there's that
hill," and again he offered it.
But the driver faced round, saying:
"I'm too cold to make change"
And the stage drove on, the rich man
doing and Mr.. Clark thinking him over
and making up his mind that he had the
roundcst-s houldercd, narrowest- chestcd
soul that was ever made, inside him.
On, on they rode, till the stage was way
up town-up as far as Blocker street,
which was up town then. Here the rich
man got up to leave, and to Clark's great
Indignation handed up the five-dollar bill
again, but to Clark IS utter amaZement and
abashment, also said:
Hand in six cents to the company and
put the rest in your pocket; it's a cold
night, that'll help warm ye."
He bounced out and Clark felt Mr.. r.
E. Morse tugging at his heart strings:
He wanted TO run after, shake hands and
ask that mans pardon, but the resolve,
like most good ones, came too late.
And the editor fell to moralizing. per-
haps to sleep. Anyway, the first thing he
knew he was carried away past his street,
and the omnibus had swung round into
the stable yard. Two or three grutf men
with lanterns surrounded them and were
pulling at the drivers legs, with Eli
Bill! Wake up old man,
Mr.. Clark tumbled out and finding
something was wrong fingered moment
to see, to his horror, the miserable
driver lifted from his seat a corpse frozen
to death on the perch; his lines still lying
in the still fingers, the CLASSY eyes open,
as if in death the poor driver meant to
look out for his horse.
Then Mr.. CLARK remembered the Incl
dent of the five dollar bill and went with
the dead into the office. There tucked in
side the mans ragged mittcn was the
money, and very willingly the man in
charge acknowledged his right to it.
But the worst part of the nights work
remains. Bill had wife, ami some Of
the men told how the poor, devoted crca-
ture these cold nights had nice warm
supper and rousing fire in waiting for
her man who drove the last stag, up
And Mr. Clark volunteered to precede the
sad sight which was to blind those faith
full, watching eyes with bitter tears, and
break the news gently to the poor widow.
Then he describes the far up room in
the miserable house on Tenth avenue,
where the light of the little window
strcamed out far into the night, beacon
to the honest heart coming home to her
the CHEEKY face at the opening door that
shrank fearfully back at stranger; the
neat room, with the comfortable supper
smoking on the stove; the little table set
for two; the numberless evidences of the
womans thrift and love, and then, alas
the dreadful story.