The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-02-01
RAILROAD TRAPEZE.

RAILROAD TRAPEZE.
10. 80 stood putting and blowing off
steam at the water tank of little way
side 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 the darkness as noon
day sun; with its breath of fleecy steam
and heart of volcanic fire, and John
Lathrop stood with hand upon whistle
and throttle waiting the signal to ego
ahead"
1t 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 were fast being for
gotten in the rush and roar of business,
in running the mad race for wealth and
following the spend.hrift dictum of
ever-changing fashion.
The spasmodic charity that breaks
out at such times had run its course.
The poor had been warmed and fed
and made happy for a day, and would
be scarcely thought of until the year
had completed its cycle, and the holly
and ivy and evergreens were twined
and fcstooned again in parlor and hall,
and wreathed about the notices of
Christian remembrance hung upon the
walls. Plenty had glori6ed itselfin the
giving, 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
almshouse and prison hearty feast
had been spread. The duty of the rich
had been done, and-well- nothing
more could be expected of them!
Fashion had held fairs, and given balls,
and made itself merry while indulging
in ostentatious almsgiving, because it
was the proper thing to do''-and sub
sided. The sensation of the thing was
over, all its attractiveness lost, and Mrs.
Grundy and Flora McFlimsey and the
rest of the creme de Ia creme must think
of themselves. Strange, how suddenly
forgetfulness of others sutferings comes
how soon the spasm of yearly charity
passes-how speedily the heart of hu-
mainly again turns into stone! But
"the poor ye have always with you,"
and can they not be helped at any time?
That may not be sound philosophy in
the eyes of Heaven, but it is in the eyes
of fashion.
John Lathrop, engineer of No. SO,
was thinking of these things in a some
what cynical manner as he peered out
of the cab-window into the biting cold
and sleet-burdened air-thinking of the
hard winter-the almost starvation
prices to which wages had been re-
duced, and, more than all, of his hum
BILE home and bright-eyed little boyo
half a dozen years, who was then
dreaming that "papa" would be home
to breakfast and spend the next day
Sunday with-them.
ats hard to be poor" he said,
brushing the icy frost from his heavy
beard and mustache, "and it does
seem as if the company might be little
more liberal after the way they worked
us and piled up stamps during the Cen
tennial. But"
"John, here's a tramp" sang out
the fireman from the interior of the
water-tank.
"Thst's nothing new," was the an
swer. "They were as plenty all sum-
mer as blackberries.
"But the poor fellows half starved
and frozen, and begs so hard for
ride"
"Ridep Humph! And get sent up
for thirty days if any of the big guns of
the road find it Quit"
The 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 gain some
thing of shelter, even if little of warmth.
A rapid sign passed between him and
the engineer, and the latter continued:
"Come aboard. III take the chances.
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 a night as this.
Anyhow, I'm not going to leave fell
low-being to starve and freeze to death.
for all the railroad companies this side
of Canada. Blessed if I dol Come
aboard, old fellow"
The tramp obeyed the summons, and