The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-10-16

great deal of fun Of him In his Bible read
ing. It came to be quite the thing to get
up stories about the poor old man. Some
said he was murderer hiding from JUS
ice, others said he was an escaped burg
lar. and at last as the months went bv
and Paul renamed faithful and alert at
his post, they all settled down in the be-
lief that he was miser, and that,in the
estimation of tho free hearted road hands
was the worst character conceivable
: Somebody started the report that the
pepper-box man buried his wages each
month under the floor of his domicile:
that he boarded himself on crackers and
Goldfish, and never had decent meal, nor
smoke, nor chew. They did not say
he ever took drink, for they knew he
could not keep the Job in that event, and
many Of them were teetotalers them
selves. -.,- -.sss..
One moonlight night in autumn COM
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 boz, and
encircling the funny little structure,
looked in at the windows. The blood
red signal light was burning brightly,
casting lurid glow. about the premises.
The poor cripple was fast asleep on the
floor, wrapped in a 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.
A few pieces of charcoal were family
glowing in an old iron Kettle over which,
IN tin pail, some kind of broth was SIM
mering.
The hands expressed their indignation
at his misery habits in low whispers, and
presently Bill Edison shouted, 'Get up old
pitch penny, and hand over enough of
your hoard to buy us all hot supper and
the cigars for the crowd"
eyes," says another, "shell out or we'll
carry you up here apiece: and throw you
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 insulting
"Old Serious
+ He slowly raised himself up, "yened
the door OF his domicile and said, Boys,
[ would invite you in were not my {, lar
tiers so crcumscribed. Perhaps Yo,l will
sit down here on. the dry sand Will tell
you bit of a story.
"For many years I have been estranged
from home ana friends and family by
drink. I shall not weary you with the
details of my life. will simply say
that at the time my foot was cut off I
had not seen my wife and children for
five years. As soon as was able to write
l sent my wife letter telling her that
was trying to be man again, and ask
ing her if she would live with me again.
She Immediately replied that she would
gladly do so provided could keep my
resolution to let liquor alone. 1 don't
suppose she had much faith in me at first
but I have wr1tten.:to her every week, and
l can see by her letters to me that there
is new and growing hope springing up
in her heart.
SNOW, there Is not man among you
who will wonder why I look serious or
that do double duty here, although it
does wear on me 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 to save money
enough to bring my family half across
the continent before the snow falls, tt al
they and may have home teSe' the,
once more"
=. "Hurrah for odd Serious hurr ali TO,
Mr.. Serus," shouted Bill Edison. correct
ing himself. II say, boys, pay !. day was
yesterday and we've all got some stamp.
by us; let's take up collection" an6
pulling off his grimy CO, he passed i,
around, getting gener GUS contributions
from all hands. Thin turning his owl
greasy, black pockets inside OUT, anc
shaking them ir4 droll way over the CAP
ne sad, ''rf 4ere, comrade, take that; ant
40 you ser. that little white cottage W
mere u OF. the cliff It's empty. Ton
lien lids moved up to the other end of tn,
! .oad to-day It's handy to your job; JUS
| the thing. I'll see about it myself a
soon as it's daylight. You just send fol
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, anl
every one Of those wild, but kind hearted
railroad "boys" had hand in settin,
them to housekeeping. And as the.
point to that little "pepper-box'' to thi
day, and tell this simple story they sa
that Paul Serus is a hero, and that some
, how they feel as if they owned share 0
| him, and in his happy, thrifty famil
living in the neat little white cottage o.
the cliff above the crossing.