The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-03
Her Railroad Row

At sixteen he was rs tall and han1
some boy as one rarely saw. and bet
ter by far, as manly Heart as he was
IN stature. Not Il marvel Of perfection
by any means, but hesaw his own faults
and others vices, and for tie love ne
bore his p0or. lone mother, he restrained
his own evil impulses and waile not Sc
Guiding himself from youthful associates,
ne still thought of her wishes, her well
fare, her love, and. above all, her lone
illness. | can sometimes fancy even now
| can hear him AS he enters the house
seeking his mother. l sometimes fond
ly believe | hear his hearty voice as he
meets her and calls out to her, Hello,
Sallie, and then he would kiss her and
she would gaze with loving pride upon
her manly boy who had so far outgrown
her as to delight in calling her by So
7atronizing apetterm. Though that was
not her name, yet she liked it. 1t was
MS boyish caprice to call her SO, and
she humored it. She would rather have
him greet her with his ready, hearty
Hello, Sallie" than to have heard all
the most finished and dignifed saluta-
tons of good evening, mother" that
was ever uttered.
She was no cold, precise, forbidhng
mother He knew that when he en-
tered that house he entered not the
presence of formality and restraint, but
the abode of cheerfulness, of light and
warmth, and if needed, sympathy and
comfort. Hers was a happy, sunny
disposition, and he felt free to tell her
of his boyish freaks, of his little adven-
lures, of the sights and happenings of
the day, because he knew that she would
enjoy anything that had pleased him,
that she would laugh with him over the
things that were amusing, and advise
him as to what had been wrong.
1t seemed to her such little while
since he had been babe, such little
while since she had taken him in her
arms and tied dainty knots of ribbon in
the little short sleeves upon his shoulders,
such Il little while since she had made
glossy ringlets in his dark, wavy hair
Such little while too, since she had
clad him in his long, white gown, tucked
the clothing around him in his little trun-
die bed and sar by his bedside until his
eyes were closed in sleep.
Now he seemed to her almost a man,
II man in form and development, a man
in passions and feelings, but still hoy
in experience. That she could one day
be as proud of him as man as she was
of him rs boy was her great desire.
She had weathered many storms, she had
breasted the breakers, had overriddeIl
them and now rested in still waters. He
had all thisy vet to undergo, and she kneN
that some day they must part, and SO
one bright day he left her. A glad,
hopeful smile upon his face, and she,
bearing up brayely, smiling too upon
him, waving him good bye, and muir
muring, God bless my boy" while
great tear drops coursed down her
cheeks.
Poor railroad boy, poorraiIroad boy
mother, t was but little while till that
fond mother was hurrying through win
ter 5 snow and ice, coming as quickly as
trains would carry her; coming hun
dreds and hundreds Of miles to see heI
boy.
ne lIdlll iltlti Ct'iitt III. ne IDpLlhcl
was ushered into his room. In one
second she was on her knees beside him
She clasped her arms around his dying
body. She kissed him. She iHplored
him only to speak to her. All, the vita
spark was nearly eXtinguished. The
physicians, his comrades, kind-hearteC
sympathisers, too, had labored hard tC
preserve his life until that mother coulC
reach him and he should see her anC
once more know her, but she came al
most too late.
They called him once more by name
boldly and firmly. 1t aroused his fleet
ing mind. He turned upon his pillow
he opened his great dark eyes, he saw
her loving face bent over him, be gave
his hand to her, with piteous effort he
calculated the fond old words: Hello
Sallie." The tears glistened in his eyes
and slowly the heavy lids dropped owe
them; closed ncvermore to wake or Il
weep, and God will deal tenderly witt
him. james Hasley in the ArkanSG
IfaUeler.