Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-05-17
The Baggage-Master's wire's story.

nr MANY xrtr DAll,..
"Dinner ready? said the baggagc-mas-
ter TO his wife.
"Of course 81" said the wife, in tone of
astonishment.
"Yes, yes said the haggage-master
you're afraid OF your glass"
And then they laughed together.
" You don't know what he means" said 1
the rosy little woman TO me.
"Why, when I'm in a temper | smash |
things" said the husband, and went his way /
"ln a temper" said the wife. "Why !
Tom couldn't be in temper if he tried /
Tom in temper Good gracious But IN |
tell you what he means If you like--for you
couldn't get it out OF him. And as I've half
an hour before me, and my daning in my
hand, and you're waiting for the stage, it
won't waste time for eitherof us. There was
a time when didn't think much about that,
but that was a good while ago.
My husband was baggage-master on this
very line when married him, and they said
he was the most careful one ever known
No forgetfulness in him. Never drank
drop, and never snubbed the poor bewidered
people who asked questions. Good-natured
he was rs could be, and as firm as if he hadn't
been good-natured, and | was silly, ire
sponsible girl, who had been at school a day
or two before that of my wedding, and knew
rs much of housekeeping as a mouse.
He had saved good deal of money! and
had built a pretty house with only four
rooms in it beside the kitchen, but each as
pretty as a picture, and a big bow-window in
the parlOr, that had cost ever so much. In
the window plants were set, and an aquarium.
No one had prettier parlor anywhere. II
was the pride of my heart
The great road ran just past the corner;
it was at lilliput junction that we lived
and down below us was the depot. 1t took
just five minutes to walk to the depot and
the train Stacked up going through the
town. When Tom ate breakfast at home,
which wasn't often, he kept ten minutes 10
get to the cars before they started, and so
was never in hurry.
Well, one morning he had had breakfast
at home, and had fifteen minutes to spare
when some one came rushing past the house
on horseback, and cried out to Tom that old
Hill, brakeman on the road, had Just been
very much hurt by train, and he was going
for a doctor. Tom liked old Hill, and he
started to his feet at once. Bessie said
he, ! must see the poor old fellow. | have
ten minutes or more for it, | can run to
&
dear, and have them at the door for me when
pass Remember how important it is.
You see the great bunch of keys was
heavy, and he didn't carry them all with him
down to where old Hill was and back. And
| said | didn't wonder at it, as | lifted them
from the table, checks and chains, and all.
And | meant TO stand at the door as he
came up; but there was time to spare. So
Just ran into the back yard to tell Mrs.
Jones, next door, over the fence, about the
accident TO poor lIill--and | got talking,
and the time passed. as time will in chat
and ten minutes is nothing, you know.
And our house was OH the street--one of
/ a row. There was no getting to the back
1 door, without going around the whole of
/ them Aud the door had patent lock, and
/ the big bow window was fastened down
and while | was chatting like a magpie
didn't see my husband flying up the road,
with three good minutes before him, to get
his KEYS and run TO the depot in. Bessie
he cried at the gate, but ! didn't hear.
Bessie, he shouted, rs he shook the door
and there were my ears filled with the story
my neighbor was telling me about the tipsy
woman she'd seen run over and you see Tom
had tried the window by this time and found
it down, and he had two minutes and half
left and man that misses his duty on
railroad pays for it, tell you and it wasn't
temper, mark that it wasn't because he felt
like smashing my window, because | kept
him waiting; it was to do his duty come
what might Of it and it was grand in him,
say. The next second Tom was through
the plate-elass with crash, and the bits lay
scattered ON the floor and on the ground and
some were in his flesh, but he had his checks
and his keys, and was off flying There
never was a man that ran race that ran so
fast before; and minute after, when T.,
without my bonnet, and not caring bit
what people thought of me, stood staring
down the road, / saw the up train rush by,
and my Tom standing onthe platform OF the
last baggage car, with his keys and checks
in belt about his waist tying up his bleed
ing hand in his ocket-handkerchief; and in
the midst of it, hurt as he was, much as he
had lost in that great window, angry as he
should have been at ne-for I'd been the
cause of it all-my Tom mods his head at
Inc and shouts at the top OF his voice, so that
heard him above all the sounds OF the
train, All right, Bessie :
"But, oh it wasn't all right with me
until saw him again, and would have gone
down on my knees to beg and pray him to
forgive me, only he wouldn't let me, but
took me ia his arms instead. Hes that kind
of great, strong, splendid man, is Tom, that
he couldn't get mad at woman.
"But it was a lesson TO me, and, as Tom
says, I'm always on time, whatever ! have
TO do
"There's no delay. There's no putting
off in my house, and ] gossip when there's
nothing else TO do.
"' You see you're anxious about your
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