Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-01-09

that met them. "Now pass round The
punch, and lets have the solids in from
what's-his name's.n
Here's biz of roast for one thing"
cried one OF the las: arrived. aud raised
to view halt-scorched hare, that he
held up by the hind legs.
Where did you get that creatuie?"
And hat are you going to do with him p
"Tnis fellow wished to 10 himself the
honor OF making part Of Henie's treat
to. nigh, but probably was in too much of a
hurry, aud did himself little too brown"
laughed the poSsessor OF the hare. The
reI lights OF my Pluto routed him out
OF the hole in the snow where he sat
cro2ched on the bank rs comfortable as
you please, and he Jegau TO rUn wager
with our train. For two or three mir-
utes, perhaps. | saw the stupid, little
black rascal skimmiug ovor the snow in
the second track alongside the engine
gave short MI! That scared him /;
he put on a squirt, 80, ahead into the red
light OF The signal lauttr perhaps thli
blinded him-he doubled before the en-
giue rs be would bsiore a dog, right
across the track | looked 10 The other
side to see when he woald come in siSht
agail, but he didn't appear. | thought
he was either killed or had run back
under The train, and forgot the creature.
But when we'd cot to Sedsird', and The
CRATE Of my engine was being cleaned
out, the fellow down underneath there
with the poker called OF! from the ash
hole: "Iioruig, liornig. you've lgougbt
roast wiki you. believe tie fire OF
The Pluto has scorchcd tho fellows
brains. Come down and seeN Sure
enough, as true rs | 81, here, there lay
my hare underneath in my ash box, dead
aod half >towed. The s>'.-}ox must
have caught him on the jump. lie was
in hurry to be roasted
Loud laughter followed the young CT
gineer's S.ory.
"Now laugh. will you, YOU stupid
b,oCs heads, "a, the poor beas. - growleG
Zimmermanh. a. IA filed the glasses :;
because YOU don't know wh,. q cursed
pleasan, feeling one has under an a,L-
box"
"Aud DO you know lha, jhea?' cried
several voices in tones OF strong doubt.
IL know everything, Is yon rascais
know right well, aud have been through
verything that can happen between the
uuderside OF the rails and the top of the
smoko-stack
"But you haven't been iu the ast-SoN?"
/ laughed the company, a little derisivc!y
Not exactly replied the old man,
very eravely, "bu. under il, and partly
too, very near in i. Bl. tel you, I've
been by when splendid train Of mag
uiicent cars. full O; people in high spir-
its, with one i)l,- before you could lifl
your hand to your pipe or .iSh, q match
was nothing but heap Of kinding-
wood and broken screws and pieces Of
ax,es and wheels, out Of which came
groans aud cries tor hep, while despair
ing men stood round i, wringing their
hands; and locomotives, ike kittens
on roof leapiag down the bank, and
rolled once, twice. three times over and
over, wheels up and smokestack under
meath. aud all was steam. fragments. fire,
Kissing, and shrieks; but never 10 five
and thirty years railro4diDg has my
heart stood 80 sill as it did under the
ast-boxr
Tell Us about it. L Uucle Zim, tell US y
cried voices one could see were used to
making themselves heard above the
clatter, rattle aud clank of the locomo-
tive.
Wei, well I'll do it," he replied. a:
he slowly undid his tobacco pouch ant
began to Gil his short pipe. though
don't like to go over the story. To thi:
day there's always something turns over
under the third rib here when think o.
it"
"You see, boys. the hands that worked
this punch in those days came near be
ing the hands OF a widow then, and my
Carl and Julia weren't born yet, though
you might even then have called me
Stout Franz"
But what's that to DO with it uncle {?
asked the circle.
"Well, then, in the d-ls name
light up your plagued elegant cigar;
again. They sui, you dolls in glass
cases, as the short pipe suits US stout
fellows under the free heavens. Pas:
the glasses this way. and then hold youl
saw till get through.
1T was upon New Years eve in the
year 1914, thirty good years ago and {
devil OF a storm, driving snow and slee
mixed together. 1 was a young fellow
I'd been married about year. Yor
know the station is horrible place fol
service. Let storm come which way
il will it always sweeps clean across the
square, that's open and level as the tor
OF this table. In toward the town there
is little cut with two tracks, one or the
other of which always chokes up in the
first hour of drifting snow. Just as you