The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-01-09
up hs mind constantly. t" said the good

The 'pepper-bOX down In ouI
yard Is the liveliest place ! can think o
for green hand" said the Superin'
tendent. - will give him the DAY
watch there"
And so he did, telling big Mike, tho
old and faithful switchman on a side
track near by, to keep a sharp watcl
on him, however.
THERE'S not a man on the road, sir
as needs less " atchin' than Old Serious,
reported Mike, at the end OF a moHth
"he jist minds has own business, an
reads his Bible atween whoiles."
One day, as the Superintendent wa:
walking in the yard, Paul said TO him,
a." l can DO the day and night work both
just as well if you increase my pay and
let me build an addition TO my house in
the shape Of a dry-goods box, in which
| eau stretch myself out between trains
at night; there's room for it In the tri-
angle. Downing, the night watch,
told me to-day that he must throw up
his job, his rheumatism had got such a
hold upon him. Beside. can easily
awake al any given time at night; 1
was noted in the army for thar when
on guard and picket duty"
Very well," replied the Superin-
tendent, u am willing you should try
it. 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 the queer
addition 10 the pepper-box.
The railroad boys called it Old Seri-
ous' Chapel, and made a great deal of
fun Of him and his Bible reading. 1t
came to be quite thing to get up
stories about the poor man. Some said
he was murderer hiding from justice,
others said he was an escaped burglar,
aud al last. rs the months rolled by,
and Paul remained faithful and alert at
his post, they all settled down in the
belief that he was miser, and that,
in the estimation Of the free-hearted
road hands, was the worst character
conceivable.
Somebody started the report that the
pepDer-box man buried his wages each
month under the floor of his domicile:
that lie boarded himself on crackers
and Goldfish, and never had decent
meal, nor smoke, nor a chew. They
did not say he never took a 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 a
company of the hands who had come in
on the different trains, thinking to
have some fun by frightening Old Seri-
Gus, marched in Indian file from the
freight depot up the track to the pep
per-box, and encircling the funny lit
tie structure, looked in at the windows.
The blood-red signal light was burning
brightly, casting lurid glare about
the premises. The poor cripple was
fast asleep on the floor, wrapped in
blanket, his head and shoulders in the
and his feet stretched out
through the little aperture in the wall
into the dry-goods box. His Bible lay
open in the armchair, and few pieces
OF charcoal were family glowing in an
old iron kettle, over which, IN a tin
pail, some kind of broth was simmer
ing.
The hands expressed their indigna-
ton at his miserly habits in low whis-
pers, and presently Bill Edison shouted:
Get up, old pInch-penny, and hand
us over enough of your hoard to buy
us all u hot supper and cigars for the
crowd"
"Yes," said 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 fails"
The crippled watchman not showing
the least fright, incensed the whole
company into roundly abusing and in
sulting "Old Serious"
lie 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 here on this
dry sand while tell you a bit of a
story.
"For many Years ] have been es-
tranged from home and friends and
family, by drink. l shall not weary
you with the details of my life. Twill
simply say that at the same time my
foot was cut off, | had not seen my
wife and children for five years. As
soon as was able to write I sent my
wife letter, telling her that ] was
trying to be man again, and asking
her would she live with me again. She
replied that she would
gladly do so, provided that l could
keep my resolution to let liquor
alcne. ! don't suppose she had much
faith in me at first, but l have written
to her every week, and can see by her
letters to me that there is a new and
growing hope springing UP in her
heart. Now, there's not n man among
you will wonder why look serious,
or that | do double my duty here, al
though it does wear on me little. But
| get extra pay, and have had no time
to fall into temptation. You will now
see the reason why live so cheaply is
to save enough money 10 bring my
family half across the continent before
tln ppnUs fa1Ia that fbn,, o,I I ,,,a,.