The Dillon tribune., 1881-03-19
Jamie's GOod.N Night.

At late hour the other night poor old
man, weak with hunger and stiff with cold
entered the Central station to ask for iodg.
ings. While he sat by the stove to get
warm they heard him groan like one in dis.
trcss, and the captain asked:
"Are you sick, or have you been hurt!"
ut is here" answered the old man as he
touched his breast vt all came back to
me an hour ago as I passed window and
saw bit OF a boy in his night-gown. !
would to God that was dcad!"
"What is it?' asked the captain as he sat
down beside the man.
ut Is the heart .ache-it j. ren,orse," the
old man answered. II have had them
gnawing away at my liz. for years. have
wanted to die! have prayed tor death
but lite still! clin.s to this poor old frame.
am old and triendless and worn out, and
were some wheels to crush me it would be
an act Of mercy"
lie wiped his eyes I'M his ragged sleeve,
made great effort to control h,s feelings,
and went ON:
"Forty years ago had plenty. A wife
! sang in my home, and II young boy rode on
my knee and tilIcI the house with his
shouts and laughter. ] sought to be good
man and a kind father, and people called
me such. One night came home vexcd,
| found my boy ailing and that vcxed me
still more. don't know what allied me to
act so that night, but it seemed as ii every.
thing went wrong. The child had a bed
beside US, and every night since he had beer,
able to speak, lie had called to me before
closing his eyes in sleep, goodnight, my
pa! Oh, sir, and hear those words sound.
ing in my cars every day and every hour
and they wiring my old heart until | am
faint"
For moment he sobbe>l like child
then he found voice to continue:
God forgive INT, but was cross to tn.
boy that night. When he called to IN,
good night, | would not reply Good Night
my pa! he kept calling, and ,icnd .a.:t
was, would make no answer. lie ma,
have thought me asleep, ior he finally cad
died down with sd, IN his throat;
wanted to Sc: up and kiss him hat | l.c;,
waiting, and waiting, and linaiy ! e!
asleep.
"Welli' queried the captain, as the ii
lencc grew long.
"Whcn awoke it was day. !, wis
shrek in my ears which, broke my s,u,n
bcrs, and as started mp my poor lie c.,!i
ed: Oh! Richard! Richard! our Jamie ,
dead in his hcd!' l, was SO, he was a.a,
and cold. There wcr. tears on his pal
face the tears he had Sized when he ha
: called: Good night, my pa" and had re
: fused to answer! | was dumb. Then re
morse came and was frantic. did ma
know when they buried him tor ! was ua
der restraint AZ ll,,,l,it. For live Ions
wears Iii. was :. dark midnight to ms
When reason returned and went tor,t. il.
to the worldm wife slept beside Jamie, ~
home was gone, my tricutis had iorgottc
me and had no mission in ll;. but to sui
Ter retnorse. can,nt .orget. It was n
most lifetime ago, but through the mi.
fyears, across the valley Of the past, fro,
the little grave thousands Of miles axa,,
hear the plain,ive call AZ / heard it tn.
night: Good night, nv pa! Send me
prison, to the poor house, anywhere that
may halt long enough tn tlic! am an ri
wreck and care not how soon death dra.
me down."
lie was rendered food, hut he could NJ
eat. lie rocked his body to and fro, Al
wept and sobbcd, and by and by, whe
sleep came to him, they heard him whi
per:
"Good night my hoy. good night m
Jamie!-Detroit Free Press.
-~>~~--~-. >.-,-,--->..-.
"Oh, smile As thou vert wont to smile
! sung the idol of little Tot,.llckins soul OF
!, evening III he sat on the lounge in the pa
a Tor. lie had recently, at her reque.
: sworn off the use Of Intoxicating fiuid
y As she repeated the refrain he looked /,
calmly with strange tar-off look in h
y thirsty eye and reached Tor his hat. "Yo
don't know, Maria, 20" don't know" sa
little Toddlckins, what u weight that sof
y has lifted from my heart" lie smiled tn
e evening an was his wont, but she new,
= again sang 50 touching ballad.