Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-07
HOnOriny His Mother.

HouoT lily latner ana tny mother Is the
first commandment with promise Filial de-
vOtion is one Of the nOblest sentiments which
can animate the human breast 1t is creditable
to the young and to the middle-aged In his
inimitable manner, Burdette, of the Burlington
Ha,cheye, pleasingly pOrtrays a scene at rail-
road station, where great warm-hearted Ger
man comes to say Goodbye" to his mother
before she starts for the west
We were at a railroad junction one night last
week waiting a few hours for a train i'm the
wating-room, in the only rocking chair trying
to talk brOwn-eyed boy to sleep. who talks a
great deal when he wants to keep awake. Pre-
sently freight train arrived. and a beautiful
little Old woman came in, escorted by a great
big German and they talked in German, he CIV
Ing her, evidently. lots of information about the
route she was going. and telling her about her
tickets and her baggage check, and occasionally
patting her on the arm. At first our United
States baby, who did not understand German,
was tickled to hear them talk. and he ''snick-
that was being spoken. The great big
man put his hand up to the good old
lady's cheek. and said something encour-
aging, and great big tear came to her eye.
and she looked as happy as queen. The little
brown eyes of the boy opened pretty big and
his face sobered down from its laugh, and he
said: Papa, it is his mother" We knew it
was, but how should a fOur-year-old sleepy baby
that couldn't understand German, tell that the
lady was the big mans mother? and we asked
him how he knew, and he said: ''Oh, the big
man was so kind to her." The big man hustled
out We gave the rocking chair to the little old
mother; and presently the man came i'm with a
baggage man. and to him he spoke English. He
said: This is my mother. and she does not
speak English. She is going to Iowa. and l
have got to go back on the next train, but want
you to attend to her baggage, and see her on
the right car, the rear car, with good
seat near the center. and tell the con-
ductor she is my mother. And here's dollar
for you, and will do as much for YOUR mother
some time" The baggage man grasped the
dollar with one hand, grasped the big mans
hand with the other, and looked at the little Ger
man with an expression that showed that he had
a mother too, and we almost knew the old lady
was we'll treated. Then we put the sleeping
mind-reader on a bench and went out on the
platform and got acquainted with the big Ger
man, and he talked of horse trading buying and
selling, and everything that showed that he was
live business man. ready for any speculation
from buying yearling colt to a crop of hops or
barley, and that his life was a very busy one.
and at times full of hard work, disappointment,
and hard roads, but with all of his hurry and
excitement. he was kind to his mother and we
loved him just little, and when after a few
minutes talk about business, he said: 90 You
must excuse me. l must go in the depot and
see if my mother wants anything" we felt like
taking his fat red hand and kissing it, Oh the
love OF mother is the same in any language and
1t Is good in all languages.