Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-06-27
His Baby Was Dead.

Inc Jolly conductor nau uecu hJluE
off for few days, on account OF sick
ness at home, but one day he appeared
on bis train, looking pale, and the brake
man who had run with him for years,
knew the conductors mind was away
at the bedside of his baby. With punch
in hand. and, his heart in his throat
The conductor entered the smoking car,
and said, "Tickets," in a voice not at
all like lie usual sound. 1t was more
like au appeal to his Heavenly Father
to watch over the baby at home. -Four
drummers were sitting together in two
seats, all good friends Of the conductor,
and as he took their thousand mile tick
els 10 punch, one said, "Old man you
were up late last night. Beware of the
wine cup" aud he laughed, and the
other boys laughed, and the conductor
tried to smile, but he couldn't. Another
drummer who had travelled with the
conductor for years, and loved him as
brother, thinking he was little off,
said, "Oh, boys, wait till he goes
through the train and collects a few
cash fares, and lie will brighten up.
Then 1 will tell him the last story"
and they all laughed at their old friend,
and he punched the last of their tickets
and went on with forced smile, and
as a tear drop rolled down his dark
cheek the boys thought he had cinder
10 his eye. The last drummer slapped
hlm on the arm and said, "come back
soon to your own chickabiddy," and as
he wen! out of the car a laugh arose,
and he stood on the platform a minut e
because he felt fain:, and then entered
the other car. He knew almost every
passenger, and on any other day be
would have been proud to have them
speak 10 him as they did, and chaff and
joke, but that day every word seemed
to be a bullet. He was present in bo.
dy, but his mind was far away, and
when he put a check in the baud OF a
lady's turban hat, instead Of patting it
on the window, aud abe blushed, and
the passengers laughed, they thought
he did 1t for joke, but ii vas because
he did not know what he was doing his
mlnd being with the sick baby at home
He hurried along and a lady with lit
tie three year old girl was next, child
just the age Of his sick one. The mo-
ther had thought it would please the
conductor TO lei the child hand the
ticket 10 him, ana the little one had the
ticket IN its fat hand, and was shrinking
back behind the mamma, trying to-
muster mp courage 10 hand the tcke. TO
the big conductor, who had Otter held
her in bis lap when she vas on the
train, when he would laugh so hearty
that the child would be surprised, and
he would tell her of his little baby al
home. The child peeped around man.
mas shoulder, and saw the conduc"
tor before be saw her, and he looked
so changed and sad that the little one
opened her eyes ln wonder, and band.
ed up the ticket carefully as though he
would bite, and when he saw her lie
almost tainted, and when she said,
"where's 'oor baby" he thought his
heart would Jump out of his breast.
The tears ran down his face aud he
whispered. ''she may be dying now,'
and as he went out on the platform at
station lie felt that i. would almost
be a mercy if the train would run over
him. He went in the car and finished
his work, and returned 10 the smoker
and sat down in the end seat, got ner>
vous and went in the baggage car,
passing the large hearted drumners,
who were full Of fun and wanted him
to be, and they said, "come, old boy,
sit down here and have a smoke won't
you," but he said in a husky voice
that be hadn't lime, and as he went
out the door he braced up enough to
turn and smile al the boys through the
window and throw kiss a! them, be-
cause he didn't want them to think be
would go back entirely on old friends,
but when he got in the baggage car be
looked like a man who had lost every
| friend. AT the next station woman
with a little girl was cross TO the child,
and ierked it along by the arm, aud he
snatched The little one from the mother