, 1883-06-30
THE YOUNG ENGINEER.
A Mothers Story.

Mothers story.
"The 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
spoilt 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
then when, baby in my arms, with
/ yellow curls and laughing eyes and
a skin like a rose-leaf, the people
hurrying in and out Of the trains
would turn to look and smile at him,
and praise him to each other, speak.
ing low, may be, but not too low fol
a mothers quick, proud ears to hearI
"For we lived in alittle house close
by the station, and when ] heard the
whistle Of his fathers train, ! used
to snatch the boy from his cradle, OF
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 loving word that my heart
lived on all day. -
"NOt the least bit afraid was the
baby Of all the whistling and clang-
ing OF bells, the groaning OF the
wheels and putting Of the steam. He
would laugh and spring so in my
arms that could scarcely hold him,
till his farther 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 a little older, he
was never playing horse or soldiers,
like other little fellows around II
was always a railroad train that he
was driving. All the smoothest strips
out Of my billets Of kihdling wood
went to building tracks over the
kitchen floor, hither and thither,
crossing and recrossing each other.
"Don't move my switch, mother
dear ? he used TO cry out to me,
You'll wreck my train for surep
$50 l 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 houl
together, making believe attend the
valves and shouting 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 go, but his father always babe
him wait till he was older. So l had
said,
"'Don't tease father any more
Jack DEAR and like the true little
heart he was, he had not said anoth,
er word about II for matter Of six
months or more.
"But that day such a wishful look
came into his face, and he pulled
himself up tall and straight, and said
quite softly, his voice trembling a lit.
tie, Father, do you think 1 am grown
enough now?
'Looking at him, saw two tears
in his pretty eyes. think his father
saw them, too, for he turned to me
in hurry, and said he:
we meet the up-train at Lang
ton, Mary, and VIII Brown will bring
the little chap back all straighty ]
know. What do you say p
"What could say but yes? AT
supper-time he was back again, but
he could not eat. His eyes were like
stars, and there was a hot, red spot
on each cheek, so that l feared he
would be i'll. And l had thought he
would never be done talking, but
now he said scarce a word.
What was it like, Jackie p !
asked him.
"'O mother ? he said, 1T wasn't
like anything ? He sat for minute
thinking, then he said, Unless il
was like--that you read last Sun
day.
"'And what was that, Jack?, l
asked, for l had quite forgotten.
Don't you know mother?' "The
wings Of the wind y''
"That was not his last ride on the
engine by many times for, as he grew
older, his father would take him
often on Saturdays or otheE half-hol.
days. He was perfectly tTusty and
Obedient believe he would have his
right hand cut off sooner than have
meddled with anything but he
knew every valve and screw and
guage, and watch every turn Of his
fathers hand and learned the signals