The Virginia star., 1881-08-27
THE BRAKEMAN's STORY.

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I am. We amt all of us responsible
for our outside husk, no more tnan
borse-chestnut or hazel-nut Is. The
kind of life I lead can't be lived In
white kid gloves and dress coats. l
wasn't brought up with many advan-
tages, and I'm only brakeman on the
Rensselaer, and Saratoga line. Old
Jones was telling you about me, was
he. sir? He'd better hold his tongue.
There's more profitable subjects of con-
yersation than I am. But old Jones
means well enough, and if he told you
to ask me how that stripe Of white hair
came on my black name, 1 amt the
man to 90 back on him. Oh, you
needn't beg my pardon, sir 1 don't
mind talking about it now, though the
time was when I couldn't speak of it
without a big lump coming in my
throat.
We hadn't been married long, Polly
and me. when it happened. Polly was IS
trim, bright-eyed slip Of a, girl as ever
vou'd wish to see. She was one of the
mattresses in the Albany lunch room ;
and the first time I ever set eyes upon
her made up my mind to make that
girl my wife. So, when they raised my
wages. I took heart and asked her if she
would have them with me, with a
wedding-ring thrown into the bargain.
'Do you really mean it, Jake?' said
she, looking me full in the face, with
those dark blue eyes of hers, that are
like the skies at night.
81 do really mean it, Polly" said I.
''Then," said she, putting both hel
hands in mine, 'I'll trust you. I've nc
living relation to advise me, so car
only take counsel with my own heart. .
So we were married. rented little
lone-story house, under the hill on the
height, that overlooked the Hudson-s
cor place with good sisod ~oed-pil'
at the rear, for winter meant winter II
those parts, and the snow used to bt
drifted up even with our door-yart
fence many aud many cold gra,
morning. And everything went smooth
until Polly began to object to my mates
at the White Blackbird, and the Satur
day evenings I spent with the boys
after my train was safely run onto th'
side track at the junction.
"Why, Polly. girl" said I, where
the harm? A man can't live by himself
like an oyster in it's shell, and socia
glass never yet harmed any one."
mo-" said Polly. "not social glass
Jake, but the habit. And if you woul'
only put every five-cent piece that yo7
| spend for liquor into little Bertie's tin.
savings bank"
''Pshaw p said I. "I'm not drunk
ard, and T never mean to become one
J And no one likes to be preached to b.
his wife, Polly. Remember that m
girl, and you'll save yourself deal c
/ trouble"
: I kissed her, and went away. Blu
{ that was the beginning of the little
; grave shadow that grew on my Polly
; face, like creeping fog over the hills
J and that she has never got rid of since
It was sore point between us-wha
( the politicians called vexed question
} felt that Polly was always watchin
me; and / didn't choose to be put i
leading-strings by woman. So
shame to say it, went to the Whit
Blackbird oftener than ever, and I didn
/ always count the glasses of beer that
drank, and once or twice, of particu
larly cold night, let myself be pei
. suaded into drinking something stronge
, than beer; and my brain wasn't the kin
t that could stand liquid fire with in
: punity. And Polly cried, and lost m
, temper, and-well I don't like to thin
of all these things now. Thank good
,, ness they're over and gone!
! That afternoon, as stood on the bac
/ platform of my car, with my arms folc
} ed and my eyes fixed on the snow
: waste of fiat fields through which th
iron track seemed to extend itself hk
, an endless black serpent, ! looked m
i own life in the face. I made up m
mind that I had been behaving like
brute.
'What are those senseless fellows 9
the White Blackbird to me-" muttere
, I, ''as compared with one of Polly
i sweet bright looks? i viii give th
I whole thing up. I'll draw the line iui
here now. We shall be off duty earl
tonight. I'll go home and astonis
Polly"
But, as night fell, the binding drift
: great storm came with it. We wer
: belated by the snow which collected o
the rails, and when we reached Earldal
there was . little girl. who had bee
sent on in the care Of the conductor who
must either wait three Of four hour