Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-13

the different trains, thinking to have
some fun by frightening "Old Serious"
marched in Indian file from the freight
depot up the track to the pepper box, and
enclrcling the funny little structure
looked in at the windows The blood.
req signal light was burning brightly.
casting lurid glow about the premises
The poor cripple was fast asleep on the
moor, wrapped IN blanket, his head
and shoulders in the pepper. box and his
feet stretched out through the little aper-
ture IN the wall in the dry-goods box.
few pieces of charcoal were family
glowing In an old iron kettle over which.
In TIN pail, some kind of broth was sim.
meriug. ''i-'
| The hands expressed their indignation
at his misery habits in low whispers. and
presently Bill Edison shouted, Get I'M old
pitch penny, and hand over ENOUGH Of
your hoard TO buy US all hot supper and
the cigars for the crowd
YES" says another, ''shell out or Wen
carry you MP here apiece and throw Won
down the cliff into the river, and poke
you over the falls
The crippled Waterman. not showing
the least fright, incensed the whole com,
pany into roundly abusing and insultinp
"Old Serious
He slowly raised himself up. opened
the door OF his domicile and said. !Bovs
would invite you in were not my QUAR-
tiers so circumscribed Perhaps YOU will
sit uown here on the dry sand while tell
you bit OF story.
"For many years have been estraneed
from home ana friends and family by
drink. shall not weary YOU with the
details OF my life. l will simply saw
that at the time my foot was cut off I
had not seen my wife and children for
I'VE years. AS soon as was able to write
sent my wife letter telling her that I
was trying to be q man again, and ask
ing her If she would live with me again.
She Immediately replied that she would
gladly do so provided l could keep nv
resolution to let liquor alone. | don't
suppose she had much faith in me at first
but l have wrltten,to her every week. and
can see by her letters to me that there
IS new and growing hope springing up
in her heart
NOW, there is nota man among you
who will wonder why | look serious or
that do double duty here, although it
does wear on me a little But get ex-
ira pay, and have had no time to fall into
temptation. You will now see the reason
why live SO cheaply is 20 save money
enough to bring my family half across
the continent before the snow falls, that
they and may have home together
once more"
"Hurrah for 'Od Serious hurrah for
Mr. Serus,n shouted Bill Edison. correct
ing himself. II say, boys, pay day was
yesterday and we've all got some stamps
by us; let's take up a collection and
pulling off his grimy cap, he passed it
around, getting generous contributions
from ali hands. Then turning his own
greasy, black pockets inside out, and
shaking them in droll way over the cap,
he said, There, comrade, take that; and
do you see that little white cottage up
there on the cliff It's empty Tom
t3enolds moved up to the other end of the
road to-day. It's handy to your job; just
the thing. I'll see about it myself as
soon as it's daylight. You just send for
them folks O. yourn right off, and if you
amt got money enough yet to pay the
bills, we fellars will see that it's all right"
Paul's family arrived IL due time, and
every one Of those wild. but kind hearted
railroad "boys" had hand in setting
them to housekeeping. And as they
point to that little "pepper-box" to this
day, and tell this simple story they say
that Paul Serus is hero, and that some
how they feel as if they owned share of
him, and in his happy, thrifty family
living in the neat little white cottage on
the cliff above the CROSSING.