The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-11-24
THE YOUNG ENGINEER.

"The young man you met at the gat
sir2 Yes, that is my sonny boy Jacl
'You noticed the scars on his face. si
and thought, maybe, that they spoile
features meant to be handsome?
"Ah, sirl that was because you did M
know. Why those red marks make hi,
more beautiful to me now than when
baby In my arms, with yellow curls an
Laughing eyes and skin like rose leat
the people hurrying in and out of th
trains would turn to look and smile q
him, and praise him to each other. speak
ing low, maybe, but not too low for
mothers quick. proud ears to hear.
For we lived in little house close b,
the station; and, when heard the whis
tie OF his fathers train, used to snatch
the boy from his cradle, or off the foo
where he sat with bis little ,playthings
and ran down to the farther end of the
long depot, where the engine alway,
naited, to get the smile and loving word
that my heart lived on all day.
''Not the least bit afraid was the babv
OF all the Whistling and changing of bells
the groaning of the wheels and pnfino al
the steam. He would laugh and sprino
so in my arms that could scarcely hol3
him, till his father would reach down
sometimes and lift him up into the en-.
glneer's cabin and kiss him for one pre-
clous minute, and then toss him down tn
me again.
When he grew little older he was
never playing horse or soldiers like the
other little fellows around; it was alwavs
q railroad train that he was driving. All
the smoothest strips out of my billets of
klndling wood went to build tracks over
the kitchen floor, h1ther and thither.
crossing and recrossing each other.
Don't move my switch. mother
dear, he used to cry out to me. sYonIl
wreck my train for surep
so had to go softly about nv work
with scarce place sometimes to set NV
foot. And all the chairs in the bonsa
would be ranged for cars, the big rocker
with the tea bell tied to it's back. for the
engine; and there he would sit perched
up by the hour together, making believe
attend to the valves and shouting to the
firemen.
Il shall never forget the first time his
father took him to ride on the engine
Jack had begged over and over to 90.
put his father always bade him to wait
Ill ne was little older. So T had
said,-
Don't tease father any more, Jack
dear. And, like the true little heart he
was, he had not said another word abont
1t for matter of six months or more.
But that day such wistfnl look came
into his face; and he pulled himself mn |
tall and straight, and said quite softly
his voice trembling little, Father. do
you think 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 a
hurry, and said he,-
We meet the up train at Lancton.
Mary; and Will Brow will bring the lit
tie chap back all straight, know. What
do you say?'
What could say but yes? At supper
time he was back again; but he could not
eat. dis eyes were like stars; and there
was hot, red spot on each cheek so
that [ feared he would be i'll. And / had
thought he would never be done talking
but now he said scarce word.
What was it like, Jackie?' I asked ,
him. "'Aoo
o mother he said, 1T wasn't like :
anythingP He sat still for a minute think. :
ing. then he said, Unless it was like
that youread last Sunday +
And what was that, Jack?' I asked
for had quite forgotten.
Don't you know. mother?' "The :
v lngs of the wind?'" /
That was not his last ride on the en- a
Rlne by many times: for, as he grew old Il
Or, his father would take him often on !.
Saturdays or other hal HOLIDAYS. He Il
was perfectly trusty and obedient. be. u
lleve he would have had his right hand
cut on sooner than have meddled with n
anytnlng, but he knew every valve and e
screw ana glage, and watched every "
turn OF mis- fathers hand. and learned i
the signals all along the line. SO that nv :
husband said to me- more than once. =
believe in my heart, Mary. that If ii
was to be struck dead on the engine a
Jack could rush her through without
Dreakr :,
He was IN school, and learning fast. q
out, out OF hours; he was always study "
ng over books about machinery AMI a
steam. Such an odd child as he was q
With thoughts far beyond his yearsl n
sometimes, sitting here by myself. 7 90
over in my mind the strange things he r
lsed to say to me in those days. -
remember that one evening he had n
been reading for long time in some Il
book that he had got out of the nnh1;c .,
library; but by and by he stopped and n,
eaned his head on his hand, looking in1o -
he Goals. All at once - =
Mother, said he, isn't it a wonder +
ul thing that God could trust men with II
To- AAon Will u
With what, Jack?' ii
with the steam-the power in II =,
mean! It was long time before he dill o,
sut when the right time came and some Q
'ody listened, then he told n
Oh, motherr said he. with his eves W
Inning, what must it have been to he as a.
ames Watt. and to listen to such a Sc. te
ret as thatp -,
In minute he spoke again. r.
And it's never safe to forget to liz. or
sn. because we can't know when He m
hight speak, or what there might be to
ear. -;
II could not answer him for a choking be
my throat. but I laid down nv knit ",
ng, and put my arm around him: and da
Q looked up into my face with some
llng In his eyes that never forgot. We
We were getting on we'll then. The on
tile house and garden were almost paid stl
n; and we thought that nowhere in the tb
orid were happier peopls than we, or a II
Fighter. cozier home. My husband and th
we're always talking of this and that to th
H. N