The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-01-20
JamIe's Good.NIglt.

At late hour the other light a poor
old man, weak with bunler and stiff
WITH cold, entered the Cenral station to
ash for lodgings. While he sat by the
stove to get VAIN they herd him groan
like one in distress, anc tle captain
asked:
hurtP'
1t is here, answered tie old man, AZ
he touched his breast. 1t all came
back to me an hour agoas l passed
window and saw bit d boy in his
night gown. 1 would t God that |
were dead!"
"What is i'll" asked thu captain as he
sat down beside the man.
&c 1t is the heart ACHE is remorse,"
the old man answered. II have wanted
| to die-I have prayed ordeath-but life
still clings to this poor old frame. /
am old and friendless snd worn out,
| and v ere some wheel 3, crush me it
would be an act of mercy"
He wiped his eyes on hs ragged sleeve
made great effort to control his feel
ings, and went on:
Forty years ago 1 hadplenty. A wife
sang in my home, and young boy rode
on my knee and filed thehouse with his
shouts and laughter. Isought to be a
good man and kind father, and people
called me such. One night came home
vexed. found my boyailing and that
vexed me still more. dbn't know what
| allied me to act so thst night, but it
seemed as if everything went wrong.
The child had bed beside us, and every
night since he had been able to speak,
he had called to me before closing his
eyes in sleep, good night, my pap Oh,
| sir, and hear those words sounding in
my ears every day and every hour, and
they wiring nay old heart until l am
faint"
For moment he sobbed like a child,
then he found voice to continue:
God forgive me, but / was cross to
the boy that night. When he called tc
me goodnight, l would not reply
Coco. night, my pap he kept calling
answer. He must have thought me
asleep, for he finally cuddled down will
a sob in his throat. I wanted to get ur
and kiss him, but I kept waiting an6
waiting, and finally fell asleep"
WellP" queried the captain, as The
silence grew long.
When awoke it was day. 1t wa:
a shrek in my ears which broke my
slumbers, and as l started up my pool
wife called: oh! Richardl Richard
our Jamie is dead in his bedr 1t wa
so. lie was dead and cold. There wert
tears on his pale face-the tears he haC
shed when he had called: Goodnight
my PAL and l had refused L
answer | was dumb. Then remors
came and Iiwas frantic. l did not know
when they buried him, for I was un
der restraint as lunatic. For FIVE Ions
years life was dark midnight to me
When reason returned and l went
forth into the world my wife slept be
side Jamie, my home was gone, m,
friends had forgotten me, and / had n,
mission in life but to suffer remorse.
cannot forget it. It was almost 81 lif
time ago, but through the mist of years
across the valley of the past, from th
little grave thousands of lies away,
hear the plaintive call as [ heard it tina
night: Goodnight, my pap Send m
to prison, to the poorhouse, anywher
that may halt long enough to die
am an Id wreck, and l care not hoy
soon death drags me down."
He was rendered food, but he could no
eat. He rocked his body to and fro ant
wept and sobbed, and by and bye, whe
sleep came to him, they heard him whis
per:
Goodnight, my boy, good night
my Jamie !'-Detroit Free Press.