The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-02-08

Number ninety nine stood putting
and blowing off steam at the water tank
of little wayside station-a beauty and
marvel of brass and iron and steel
strong beyond smile, making play OF
the hundred coal cars it drew swiftly
along, with its eye piercing thedarkness
as MONDAY sun, with its breath OF
-heecy steam and heart of volcanic fire,
and John Lathrop stood with hand
upon whistle and throttle waiting the
signal to ego ahead"
II was midnight, and the dead of
winter. The music of the Christmas
bells had died away, the glad acclaim
that welcomed the New Year had been
hushed and the holy lessons of love,
charity, and goodwill that had been
preached and sung We're fast being for
gotten in the rush and rear of business,
in running the mad race for wealth and
following the spendthr1ft dictum of ever
changing fashion.
The spasmodic charity that breaks out
at such times had run it's course. The
poor had been warmed and fed and
made happy for day, and would be
scarcely thought Of until the year had
completed it's cycle, and the holly and
ivy and evergreen we're twined and
festooned again in parlor and hall, and
wreathed about the notices of Christ
ian remembrance hung upon the walls.
Plenty had gloriied itself in the Civ
ing, and poverty and vice and crime
must live upon the recollection of what
they had received until the coming of
another Christmas and the dawning of
another year. Aye, wealth had given
and plumed itself upon its iberality.
In alms-house and prison hearty feast
had been spread. The duty of the rich
1had been done, notwithstanding
more could be expected of them
Fashion had held fairs, and given balls,
and made itself merry while indulging
in oBtentatious almsgiving, because it
was the proper thing to do"-and
subsidized. The sensation of the thing
was over, all it's attractiveness lost, and
NOW Mrs. Grundy and Flora McFlimsey
and the rest OF the creme de tG creme
must think of themselves. Strange,
ahow suddenly forgetfulness OF others,
suferings comes-h0w soon the
4spasm of yearly charity passes.-how
speedily the heart of humanity again
turns into stone! But "the poor ye
have always with you" and can they not
Zoe helped OF any time That may not
TOO sound philosophy in the eyes of
heaven, but it is in the eyes of fashion.
j ohm Lathrop, engineer of No. 80,
yves thinking of these things in some
what cynical manner as he peered out
.-ot the cab window into the biting cold
;a4d sleet- burdened air-thinking OF the
&aard winter - the almost starvation
prices to which wages had been reduced,
and, more than all, of his humble home
and bright eyed little boy of half 6
dozen years, who was then dreaming
that "papa" would be home to break
fast and spend the next day Sunday,
with them.
@1Tt's hard to be poor" he said
brushing the icy frost from his heavy
beard and mustache, land it does
s EN- as if the company might be g
Little more liberal after the way they
worked us and piled up stamps during
The Centennial. But"
eJohn, here's tramp" sang out the
fireman from the interior of the water
6ank.
'sThat's nothing new" was the an
sswer. "They were as plenty all sum
ymer as blackberries. -
esBut the poor fellows half starved
land frozen, and begs so hard for ride.
FsRide9 Humph And get sent uE
vfor thirty days if any of the big guns
of the road find it out !"
SsThe light from the open furnace
door shone full upon the face of the
tramp as he stepped from the desolate
icy tank where he had paused to gair
something of shelter, even if little o.
warmth. A rapid sign passed between
him and the engineer, and the latter
4 continued:
e'Come aboard. I'll take the chances
II don't think the conductor will give me
away, and mighty clear of the brakes
men showing their faces more than they
can possibly help such night as this
anyhow, I'm not going to leave fel
low being to starve and freeze to death
fo1all the railroad companies this sid'
sG1Oanada. Blessed if 7 dol Conn
board, old fellow"
The tramp obeyed the summons, AM
.Lisscanty clothing and numbed hand
and feet and pinched-up face told hoy