The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-11-17
From the London 1imes.l
THE BABY'S BANK.

"No," said the engineer. as he closed
one valve and opened another, " [ wasn't
always an engineer. | wasn't anything
for long time, | had the knowledge
IN my head all the while, but it was lost
under a heap of rubbage. What fools
men are when they're left to themselves
sometimesi Now, look at me. Would
you say | was ever tramp ?"
A tramp His white muscular throat
white and wholesome under the coal
dust-his strong, well-knitted frame.
clear eye, and firm hand denoted a man
OF pluck and courage-a practical work
er, not the idle, nerveless, relaxed object
which IS denominated a tramp. and
which is blight on the face of nature
No; this man, guiding the good engine
Mohawk, was never tramp, and we
told him SO.
But [ vas, gentlemen" he said,
coolly sighting long stretch of road over
the backbone of his engine, and letting
her out little for dead level heat. 81
was not only tramp, but the meanest
kind of one, and [ worked harder and
suffered more to get into that condition
than [ ever did to reach tbs" and he
looked proudly at the polished trim
mings of his flying steed.
"1'll tell you how it was" he said. at
last, as he slowed up to round a curve
aod then went easily on past the fields,
clad 10 their sun uer rdBIa, past woods
that were fapOramIc IN ii flash of
beauty and away into the open country.
. was a tramp-no matter how [ came
to be, or why [ lost home, friends, self
respect, and all that makes manhood
but | didn't wear red ribbon as nv
watch-chaln then, and my brain was
muddled- there were many more like
me, and [ went from bad to worse. but [
had never broken the laws; wronged
any one but myself, when | fell In with
some fellows who thought they had
found a tool, and they had. They say
every man has his price, and they Of
fered me mine; it was the price Of nv
soul, too, and | agreed to take the money
and do the work.
- 1t was thIs-to sneak around and get
acquainted with the inside of a house
the house of the richest man in the
place, and to show them the way; they
said l looked most respectable for the
purpose. Gentlemen, you wouldn't
have trusted one OF the gang with q ten
cent piece, least of all me, as [ looked
then, but felt almost proud of the COM
pllment, and that afternoon | was to 90
up to the house to look for work or ask
for food, just as it happened to strike
me, when there was no one home but
the women folks, and look around to see
how we would get IN that night, for rob-
blng, and perhaps murder, was what
they meant.
= 1t was just such pleasant, peaceful
afternoon as this, and all the doors and
windows open, and not a soul saw me as
| lounged in through the garden and up
to the veranda, The gang | had fallen
In with had made one mistake-they had
kept me sober for the work, not clear
headed, but sober enough to make me
feel that | was doing a mean, dastardly
trick, to make me for the first time in
many day ashamed of my own com
pany. But I'd gone so far | must go on.
l had walked up the steps and into the
house without seeing a soul, and l
stepped into q long, cool room, and there
| saw on the mantle, in a great gold
framed glass, white face and two red,
blood-shot eyes-my own; but what a
fright they gave me; and then [ saw
something else, small iron bank such
as children keep pennies in. II was
made of latticed bars of wrought on.
and between every bar the gle Of
quarters aud half dollars, and Ter
gold coin. hadn't penny nv
name. | was hungry, tired, foo e,
and disguised with what | bad u =
taken. 1t came over me like a b
that [ could take this money and " It
of the gang; II would be dishones., D.. out
notsuch as they had planned. Preached
ont my hand and stopped. There at my
very feet, on a white lace pillow and all
white aud fluffy like an angel, lay the
lovellest baby | ever saw in my life
She was asleep, but as | looked at her
IN startled wonder, she opened her eyes
as wide aud as bright as daisies, held up
both pretty hands, laughed like a bird
signing, and said, Joe, Joe, which
wasn't my name at all. | didu't touch
the baby's hand, and / didn't touch the
baby. While l stood there little pale
woman came out Of her room and nearly
tainted when she saw me, and l sat
down there and told her the whole story;
and asked her to have me sent 70 jail for
protection to myself and others. She
sent for her husband, and all the time
we were talking the baby laughed and
eooed, and called me by the name she
gave me, joe and the rest of the gang
were waiting at the turn Of the road for
me to come back to them.
4" didn't give them up-it wasn't
worth while, when had put the people
they had designed on their guard, and
LETT the town that night; | didn't 90 to
jail: the man whose house was to be
robbed gave me some work, but [ didn't
reform all III a minute, and he never
could have reformed me at aIl-it was
the baby that dld. She trusted me;
when felt the old boy getting the bet
ter of me, l went to the baby and she
smiled at me and | grew strong right
of-it made man of me- Inever could
tell what that baby saw in nv face TO
make her help me in that way, but it
wasn't Of this world. She knew she
could save me, and she did it. That
was ten years ago gentlemen, and I am
more OF man than | ever was, and it's
her doing"
she must be quite large girl now"
we SAID, inquiringly.
Maybe so! | don't know how that
is; some folks say they don't reckon
them by months and years! I'd like to
feel she's the same sweet, smiling baby,
holding out her hands in that confding
way, and call me that same name-but
never wanted any one to call me that
same since she said it the last time. She
was going to sleep never to wake up, the