The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-09-19
His Baby Was Dead,

- ''.''
The Jolly conductor had been laying
off for few days, on account Of sirkc.a
ut home, but one day no appeared o.
his train, looking pale and the brake
man who had run with him for year.
knew the conductors mind was away ai
The bedside Of his sick baby. WI
pune in hand. and his heart in Lis
throat the conductor entered the smo,.
ing car, and said, "1ickets," in n voio.
not NJ all like its usual sound. Itw..
more Ike an appeal to the Heavenly
Father to watch over the baby at home
Fonr drummers were sitting together in
two seats, all good friends Of the con-
ductOr, and as hc took their thousand
mllc tickets 10 punch, one said, cold
man you were up late last night. b..
ware Of the wine cup" and no laughed.
and she other boys laughed, and the con.
ductor tried 20 smile, but he couldn't.
Another drummer who had Travelled with
the conductor for years, and loved him
as brother, thinking no was little of
sad, 40, boys. wait til be goes through
the rain and collects few cash farc-
aud he viii brighten mp. Then | will
tell him the last story" and they 81.
laughed AZ their old friend. aud le
punched the last Of their tickets auI
went on with forced smile, and rs 70
trnr drop rolled down his dark check the
boys thought he had cinder in his eve.
The last drummer slapped him on the
arm and said, "como back COON to your
owu chickabiddy," and as he went ont O
the car laugh arose, and he stood on
the platform minute because lac fel
faint, and then entered the other car.
lie knew almost every passenger, and
ON any other day he would have been
proud to have them speak to him as
they did, md chair and joke, but that
day every word seemed to DO bullet.
He was present in body, but his MUD
was far away, and when he put II chccl,
IN the band Of II lndys tmbm hat, in.
stead OF putting it on the window, and
she bushed, and the passengers laughed,
they thought Inc did it for joke, but il
WIN because he did not know what he
was doing, his mind being with the sic,
baby ut home. He hurried along, and IL
lady with little three year old girl was
next, child just the Ogc of his sick
one. The mother had thought it would
please tho conductor TO let tho child
hand the ticket to him. and the Tito
one had the tickc. in it's fat hand, and
was shrinking back behind its mamma,
trying to muster up courage to hand the
ticket to the big conductor, who had
often held hor in his lap when she was
on his tram, when he would laugh 80
hearty that the child would be surprised
and he would tell her Of his little baby
at home. Tho child pcckcd around
mammals shoulder, and saw the con.
ductor before he saw her, and he looked
no changed and sad that the little one
opened her eyes in wonder, and handed
up tho ticket carefully rs though he
would bite, and when ho saw her h.
almost tainted, and when she said
where's DOR baby" he thought d
heat woaldjump out of his breast Th
tearsrIn down his face aud howhspcrcd
"shc may be dying now," and rs h.
went ont on the platform ut n station h,
felt TINT it wOuld almost BE- II mercy j
the tram would run over him.
lie went in the cur and finished his
work, aud returned to tho smoker aud
sat down in the end seat, then got ncr.
vous and went in tn baggage car, pass
ing the largo hearted drummcrs, who
wcreiuG offun and wanted him to be
and they said, Come, old boy, sit dow
here md have n smoke" but he said il,
n husky voice that he hadn't time. and
M ho went out the door he bracel I'm
enough to turn and smile at tho bo,,
through the window aud throw kiss nj
them, bccanse he didn't want them t.
think he would so back entirely on old
friends, but when he got in the baggage
car md sat down in chair. he looked
like man that had lost every friend. A.
the next station a woman with It'll.
glrl was cross to tho child, and jerked j
along by tho arm, and he snatchod d.,
little one from the mother and tender,
lifted it on the car. and tho motb6
ooked indignant. aud she got on the c
md pushed the little one along the nis
md set it down in the seat as though ST..
would like to break its bones, and H.
looked at her as though, if sl
we're man, he would eyerlastingly win
'he platform with her. He got on Il
'ar IN the rear OF tho smoker, that tin.
because his old friends, the drummer
were 80 thoughtless of his feelings II,
va not realize that thew were unawoIe
o. ms sorrow. Every kindly expressim
rom the passengers seemed 10 him liz.
WI uhieeling remark. and he wonll ho,
glvon months SALARY to have been 4,
home, on anywhere that anybody selt =,
bad as ho did. Y &, II - N
At the next station he got dispotc,
md his hand shook like leaf. nnd i. |
lare not look Mt it ont doors, but he wei,
n the smoker and sat down in front d
he drummers, and opened the dispatch
'lanced at it aud put his head on HI.
andand leaned his elbow on the window
he boys looked at him and one snil
't thinking TINT anything had occurrr
ore than the usual order to hold II, !
hin for another to pass, "Hello. Il,
] man has got his discharge. O.
We been expecting IL since helcollectrd
VI twenty cents from the tramp last