The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-02-17
Fsv sA< s4TkssAex Trstss~v. ! HER RAILROAD BOY,
sY tAMEs HAslry.

Al sixteen he was as tall and hand some boy as one rarely saw. and better oy tar, as manly at heart as he sas sn stature. Not marvel of ofpcrfcc,ion hy any ueaGS bat he saw his own faults and others vices, and for the love he bore his poor, lone mother. he restrained hss own esii impulses and while not seciuding himself from youthful associates he ssili thought of her wishes, her welfare. her love and. above all. her loneliness. l can sometimes fancy even nos can hear him as he enters the house seeking h,s bother. l sometimes fondly believe hear his hearty voice as he meets her and calls cut 10 her. Hello. Sallie." and then he would kiss her and she would gare with loving pride upon her manly boy who had so tar oatgrown her as so delight in calling her by SO patroniring a pet term. Though that was no, her name, yet she liked it. l, was his hoyish caprice to call her so. and she humored it. She would rather have him greet her with his ready. hearty Hello. Sall,e- than 10 have heard all the mos, finished and digniticd salntations of good esen- ing. mother that were ever uttered.
 She vas no cold. precise, forb,dding mother. He knew tha, when he entered that house he entered no, the presence of tormality and restraint. but the abode of chcerfuinesA of hght and warmth. and fl needed it sympathy and comfort Tier was happy. sunny disposition. and he felt free to tell her of his boyish freaks. of his little adventures, of the sights and happenings of the day. because he knew that she would enjoy anything tha, had pleased him. that she would laugh with him over the things that we're amusing. and advise him as to what had been wrong.
 It seemed to her such little while since he had been babe such a h,tle while since she had taken him m her arms and tied dainty knots of ribbon in the little short sleeves upen his shoulders. such little while since she had made glossy ringlets in his dark. wayy hair
 Such little while too. sinoe she had clad him in his long. white gown. tucked the clothing around him in hts httle trun- dle bed and sa, by his bedside un,i! his eyes were closed in sleep
 Now he seemed to her almost man. man in form and development, man fh passions and feelings. but Slll boy m eSpenenee. That she could one day he IS proud of him as a man as she was of him as boy was her great desire. She had sc2thcfcd many storms. she had breasted the breakers. had ovcrrldden them and now rested ln still wa,ess. He had all this yet to undergo and she knew tha, some day they mus, part. and 90 one bright day he lef, her. \ glad. hopeful smile upon his face. and she. bearing up brasely. smiling too upon him,wasing hum good bye. and inurmuTing. God bless my boy. while grea, tear drops courscd down her cheeks.
 Poor railroad boy. poor railroad boys mother. twas but little while till that fond mother was hurying through win ters snow and ice, coming as quic kly as trains could carry her coming hundreds and hundreds of miles to see her boy.
 The train had come m. The mother was ushered into his room. In ono sec ond she was on her knees beside him She clasped her arms around his dying body. She kissed him. She lmplored him only to speak 10 her. Ah, the vital spark was nearly ex,inguished. The physicians. his comrades, kind-hearted sympa,hixers. too. had labored hard to preserve his life until tha, mother could reach him and he should see her and once more know her, but she came al- mos; too late.
 They called him once more hy name, boldly and firmly. l, aroused his fleet. ing mind. He turned upon his pillow, he opened his great dark eyes, he saw her loving face bent over him, he gave his hand to her, with pi,eous effort he calculated the fond old words: Hello, Sallie." The tears giistened in his eyes. and slowly the heavy lids dropped over them ; closed nevermore to wake or ,o weep, and God will deal tenderly with