The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-10-22

watch, told me to-day that he must
throw up his job, his rheumatism had
got such a hold upon him. Besides,
can easily wake up at any given time
at night; was noted in the army for
that when on guard and picket duty"
Very well, replied the superinten-
dent, 81 am willing you should try 1t.
Downing spoke to me just now about
giving up his job"
In this case little Mike, the night
watchman, was instructed to have an
eye out to see that Paul kept the right
signal lights at his window. So Paul
made queer addition to the pepper-box.
The railroad boys called 1t Old Serious
chapel and made great deal of fun of
him in his Bible reading. 1t came to be
quite the thing to get up stories about
the poor man. Some said he was a
murderer hiding from justice, Others
said he was an escaped burglar, and at
last, as the months went, and Paul re-
mained faithful and alert at his post,
they all settled down to the belief that
he was miser, that in the estimation of
the 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 never took drink, for they
knew he could not keep his job in that
event, and many of them were tee
totalers themselves.
One moonlight night in autumn
company of the hands who had come
in on 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 encircling the funny
little structure, looked in ut the win
dows.
The blood-red signal was burning
brightly, casting a lurid glow on the
premises. The poor cripple was fast
asleep on the floor, wrapped in blanket
and his feet stretched out through the
little aperture in the wall into the dry
goods box. A few pieces of charcoal
were family glowing in an old iron ket-
tie over which, in tin pail, some kind
of broth was simmering.
The hands expressed their indignation
at his mserly habits in low whispers,
and presently Bill Edison shouted:
Get up, old pinch-penny, and hand
over enough of your hoard to buy us all
hot supper and the cigars for the
crowd"
eyes," said another, "shell out or
We'll carry you up here piece and
throw you down the cliff into the river,
and poke you over the falls"
The crippled watchman, not showing
the least fright, incensed the whole COM
pany into roundly abusing and insulting
cold Serious"
He slowly raised himself up, opened
the door of his domicile and said:
Boys, would invite you in were
not my quarters so circumscribed. Per-
haps you will sit down on the dry sand
while tell you bit of story.
For many years have been es-
tranged from home and friends and fam
lily by drink. will not weary you with
the details of my life. L will simply
say that at the time my foot was cut off
1 had not seen my wife and children for
five years. AS soon as L was able to
write, 1 sent my wife letter telling her
that / was trying to be man again,
and asking her if she would live with
me. She Immediately replied that she
would gladly do so, providing l could
keep my resolution to let liquor alone
don't suppose she had much faith in
me at first, but have written 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 not man among you
who will wonder why 1 look Serious
or that 1 do double duty here, although
it does wear on me little. But L get
extra pay, and have had no time to fall
into temptation. You will now see the
reason why l live so cheaply is to save
money enough to bring my family half
way across the continent before the
snow falls, that they and 1 may have a
home together once more"
Z" Hurrah for old Serious, hurrah for
Mr. Serus," shouted Bill Edison, cor
recting himselfa 6 say, boys, pay day
was yesterday, and we've all got some