The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-09-20
HIS BABY WAS DEAD.
Peck's Sun.

Peck's Sun.
The jolly conductor had been laying
off for Il few days on account of sickness
Mt home, but one day he appeared on
his train locking 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
its usual sound, 1T was more like an ap-
peal to the Heavenly Father to watch
over the baby at home. Four drum
mers were sitting together in two seats,
all good friends Of the conductor, and as
he took their thousand-mile tickets to
punch one said, "Old man, you we're up
late last night. Beware of the wine cup"
and he laughed, and the other boys
laughed, and the conductor tried to
smile, but lie couldn't. Another drum
mer who had travelled with the coaduc-
tor for years, and loved:him as brother,
10 boys, wait viii he goes thnough the
train and collects a few cash fares, and
he Will brighten ND. Then l will tell
him the last ory," and they all laughed
ut their Old friend. and he punched the
last of their tickets and went on with
for. ed smile, and as tear rolled down
his dark cheek the boys thought he had
n cinder in his eve. The last drummer
slapped him on tI,earm and said, "Come
back soon to your own chickabiddy,"
and as he went out Of the car laugh
arose, and he stood on the platform q
minute, beca,s. he felt faint, and then
entered the other car. lie knew almost
every passenger, anu on any other day
he would have been proud to have them
speak to him as they did, and chat and
joke; but that day every word seemed
to be bullet. He was present in body,
bu: his mind was far away, and when
lie put check in the band of q lady's
turban hat, instead of putting in on the
window, amt she blushed, and the pas.
seDgers laughed, they thought he did it
for joke, but it was because he did
not know what he was doing, his mind
being with the sick baby at home. He
hurried along and lady with little
three-year.old girl was next, child just
the age Of his sick one. The mother
had thought it would please the con-
ductor to let the child hand the ticket to
him, and the little one had the ticket in
its fat hand. and was shrinking back be-
hind the mamma, trying to muster up
courage to hand the ticket to the big
conductor, who had often held her in
his lap when she was on his train, when
he would laugh so hearty that the child
would be surprised, and he would tell
child peeked around mammals shoulder
and saw the conductor before he saw
her, and he looked so changed and sad
that the little one opened her eyes in
wonder, and handed up the ticket care
fully, as though he would bite and when
he saw her he 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 and he
whispered ''she may be dying now"
and as he went out
on the platform at station he felt that
it would almost be mercy If the train
would run over him. He went in the
car and finished his work, and returned
to the smoker and sat down in an end
seat. then got nervous and went in the
drummers, who were full of fun and
wanted him to be, and they said,
"Come old boy, sit down here and have
a SMOKE" but he said, in husky voice,
that he hadn't time, and as he went out
the door ne braced up enough to turn
aud smile at the boys through the win
dow and threw kiss at them, because
he didn't want them to think he would
70 back entirely on old friends; but
when he got in tho baggage car and sat
down in a chair he looked like man
that had lost every friend. At the next
station q woman with little girl was
cross to the child, and jerked it along
by the arm, and he snatched the little
one from the mother and tenderly lifted
it on the car. and the mother looked in
dignant. and she got on the car and
pushed the little one along the
Nisle and set it down in seat as though
she would like to break its bones, and
tho conductor looked at her as though
il she were man he would everlasting
on the car i'll the rear of the smoker
that time because his old friends, tie
drummers, were so tboughtless of his
feelings. He did no; realize that they
we're unaware of his sorrow. Every
kindly expression from the passengers
seemed to him like an unfeeling remark
and he would have given a months sal
airy to have been at home, or anywhere
the next station he got dispatch, and
his hand shook like Leaf, and he dare
not look at it out doors, but he went in
the smoker an sat down in front of the
drummers and opened the dispatch,
glanced at it, and put his head on his
hand and leaned his elbow on the win
low. The boys looked at him, and one
said, not thinking that anything had oc-
Cured more than the usual order to
hold the train for anoth-
old man has got his discharge. o, I
have deem expecting it since he cole cted
that twenty cents from the tramp last
week and Knocked it down." Then they
laughed, and one Of the boys touched
the concuctor on the shoulder and said,
"Never mind old boy, us fellows will see
you through, Wewi!l get sample case
for you to carry" The conductor
reached tie dispatch over to the travel
ing man. and said "rexd it," and the
friend read, 'your baby is dead, come
back on No. Give your train to your
head brake man." It was signed by the
division superintendent. The four pair
Of eyes that read the dispatch had tears
in them, and four throats checked up so
YAK ana %a9 Ssn 6 6as an s BOY, eSg
and sat down by the conductor. who was
crying like child. and said, "Old friend
all Of us have babies at home, and not
one of us would have joked you had we
known Of your sorrow. Forgive US, old
pard." The conductor said it was all
right and he knew they pitied
him, b ut it had almost
broken his heart to have them talk SO,
and he went in the paggage-car to pre-
pare to leave the train at the next sta
ton. As be left the train fouv large
hearted drummers, who looked as
though they, too, had been bereaved,
shook hands tenderly with the conduc.
tor, and bid him goodbye, and then
went in the car and agreed that they
couldn't be too careful about their lsvity
and their thoughts were all the after
noon with the stricken conductor and
his dead baby. When the brakeman
went through the train with his palU
face and took tickets the passe ngers
knew something had happened, and to
every question he said. 'sf'he condncfor,a