The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-09
THE YOUNG ENGINEER.
A Mothers story.

'Ihe young man you met at the gate,
sir? Yes, that is my sonny boy Jack.
"You noticed the scars on his face,
sir, and thought, may be, that they
spoiled features meant to be hand
some?
"Ah, sir! that was because you did
not know! Why, those red marks
make him more beautiful to me now
than when, a baby in my arms, with
yellow curls and laughing eyes and a
skin like rose-leaf, the people hurry
ing in and out of the trains would turn
to look and smile at him, and praise
him to each other, speaking low, may
be, but not too low for mothers quick,
proud ears to hear!
''For we lived in little house close
by the station, and when | heard the
whistle of his fathers train, | used to
snatch the boy from his cradle, or off
the floor where he sat with his little
playthings, and run down to the farther
end of the long depot, where the engine
always halted, to get the smile and low
ing word that my heart lived on all day
mot the least bit afraid was the baby
of all the whistling and changing of
bells, the grooming of the wheels and
putting of the steam. He would laugh
and spring so in my arms that | could
scarcely hold him, till his father would
reach down sometimes and lift him up
into the engineers cab and kiss him
for one precious minute and then toss
him down to me again.
''When he grew little older, he was
never playing horse or soldiers, like
the other little fellows around; it was
always a railroad train that he was
driving. All the smoothest strips out
OF my billets of kindling wood went to
build tracks over the kitchen floor,
hither and thither, crossing and re-
crossing each other.
"'Don't move my switch, mother
dearn he used to cry out to me. You'll
wreck my train for surer
$50 had to go softly about my work,
with scarce a place sometimes to set
my foot. And all the chairs in the
house would be ranged for cars, the BIG
rocker, with the tea-bell tied to its back,
for the engine; and there he would sit
perched up by the hour together, max
ing believe attend the valves and shout
ing to the fireman.
81 shall never forget the first time his
father took him to ride on the engine.
Jack had begged over and over to 90,
but his father always babe him wait till
he was older. So had said,"
Don't tease father any more, Jack
dear, and like the true little heart he
was, he had not sad another word
about 1t Tor a matter of six months or
more.
"But that day such wishful look
came into his face, and he pulled him
self up tall and straight, and said quite
softly, his voice trembling a little.
rather do you think | am grown
enough nowP'
Looking at him, saw two tears in
his pretty eyes. | think his father saw
them, too, for he turned to me in a
hurry, and said he:
We meet the up-train at Langton,
Mary, and VIII Brown will bring the
little chap back all straight, know.
What do you say?
"What could say but yesP At sup
perfume he was back again, but he
could not eat. His eyes were like stars.
and there was hot, red spot on each
cheek, SO that feared he would be ill.
And l had thought he would never be
done talking, but now he said scarce a
word.
What was it like, JackieP' asked
him.
% mother!' he said, it wasn't like
anythingp He sat for minute think
ing, then he said, Unless it was like
- that you read last Sunday
And what was that, JackP' | asked,
for had quite forgotten
" Don't you know, motherP' "The
wings of the wind p
"That was not his last ride on the
engine by,meny times for, as he grew
older, his father would take him often
on Saturdays or other half-holidays.
He was perfectly trusty and obedent.
Ibelieve he would have his right hand
cut off sooner than have meddled with
anything; but he knew every valve and
scrGw and gauge, and watched every