The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-10-01
FOUND ON THE TRACK.


FOUND ON THE TRACK.
Wet and dreary. It is midw1nter: the
scene in Kirlington, on the london and
Northwestern; the time 1915; just after
the night mail has flashed through with
out stopping, bound for Liverpool and
the North. The railway officials points
men, signalmen, porters, platelayers-are
collecting preparatory to going off duty
for the night.
upon the platform.
II saw him in the hut just after the
1915 went through. Can't have come to
any harm surely"
mo; he said he'd seen something drop
from the train, and he went down the
line to pick it up"
And Dan had picked up something. It
was baskets common white wicker
basket-with a lid fastened down with
string. What did it contain? Refresh
ments? Dirty clothes? What?
A baby! child half dozen weeks
old, no more; pink and white piece of
human china as fragile as Dresden and as
delicately fashioned and tinted as biscuit
or Rose Pompadour.
"Whcre did you come across it? asked
one.
"Lying on the line, just where it fell.
Perhaps it did not fall; perhaps it was
chucked out. What matter? I've got it
and got to look after it; that's enough for
me. Some day maybe Ill come across
them as owns it; and then they shall pay
me and take it back"
''Is there nothing about him? Turn
him over"
The little mites linen was white and
of fine material, but he lay upon an old
shawl and few bits of dirty flannel.
All they found was dilapidated purse
"a common snaplock bag-purse of faded
brown leather. Inside was brass thin
bic, pawn ticket and the halt of Bank
of England note for e1OO.
"What goods half bank note to
you?"
''Half loat's better than no bread.'
'Yes;you can eat one, but you can't
pass the other. Won't you catch it from
your wife! How'll you face her, Dan?
What'n she say?"
''She'll say done quite right" replied
Dan, stoutly. "She's good sort, God
bless her.
$50 are you, Dan; that's a fact. God
bless you, too," said more than one
rough voice in softened accents. "Per-
haps the child1l bring you luck after
ALL"
= x
Winter-tide again six years later, but
this season is wet and slushy. Once
more we are at Kirklington, long stray
Cling village, which mi ght have slumber-
ed on in obscurity forever had not the
Northwestern line been carried close by
it, to give it a place in Bradshaw and
certain Importance as a junction and cen
ter for goods traffic. But the activity
was all about the station. All the per
manent officials had houses and cottages
there; in the village lived only the field
laborers who worked at the neighboring
estate, Or sometimes lent their hand for
job of navvying on the line These
poor folk had gruesome life of it,
hard hand-to-mouth struggle for bare ex-
istence' against perpetual privation, &C
companied by unremitting toll. -.
A new parson--Harold Treffrv-had
come lately to Kirklington. He was an
ernest, energetic young man, who had
won his spurs in the East End parish,
and,had now accepted this country liv-
ing because it seemed to open up a new
field of usefulness. He had plunged
bravely into the midst Of his work; he
was forever going up and down among
his parishioners, solacing and comforting,
preaching manful endurance and trust
fulness to ALL ~"
He is now paying round of parochial
visits, accompanied by an old college
chum, who is spending some days with
him, "'
"Yonder,".. said Treffy, pointing to
thin thread Of smoke which rose from
gaunt trees into the sullen wintrv air.
''yonder is the house-if, indeed, it de-
serves SO grand a name-the howell, rather,
of one whose case is the hardest Of all the
hard ones in my unhappy cure. This
man is mere hedger and ditcher, one
who works for any master, most often
for the railway, but who is never certain
of a JOB all the year round. He has a
swarm OF young children, and he has just
lost his wife. He IS absolutely prostrat-
ed; aghast, probably at the future before
him and his utter incapacity to do his
duty by his motherless little ones. Jackp
said the parson, stopping short suddenly,
and looking straight into his companions
face, II wonder whether you could rouse
him? If you could only get him to make
sign; to cry or laugh or take the small
est interest in common affairs. Jack, L
believe you're the very man. You might
get at him through the children2-that
marvellous hanky- panky Of yours, those
surprising tricks; child takes to YOU
naturally at once. Try and make friends
with these. Perhaps, when the father