New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-04-18
Her Railroad Roy,

AT bNtceu nc WSS rs tall ana mana
some q boy as one rarely saw, and bet
ter BY far, rs manly heart as he was
in stature. Not marvel of perfection
by any means, but hesaw his own faults
and others vices, and for the love he
bore his poor, lone mother, he restrained
his own evil impulses and while not Sc
Guiding himself from youthful associates,
he still thought Of her wishes, her well
fare, her love, and, above all, her lone
illness. | can sometimes fancy even now
/ can hear him as he enters the house
seeking his mother. sometimes fond
ly believe l hear his hearty voice as he
meets her and calls out to her, ..Hello,
Sallie, and then he would kiss her and
she would gaze with loving pride upon
her manly boy who had so far outgrown
her as to delight in calling her by so
patronizing apet term. Though that was
not her name, yet she liked it. It was
his boyish caprice to call her so, and
she humored it. She would rather have
him greet her with his ready, hearty
''Hello, Sallien than to have heard all
the most finished and dignified saluta-
tions of ':good evening, mother that
was ever uttered.
She was no cold, precise, forbiddine
mother. He knew that when he en-
tered that house he entered not the
presence of formality and restraint, but
the abode of cheerfulness, of light and
warmth. and if needed, sympathy and
comfort. Hers was happy. sunny
disposition, and he felt free to tell her
of his boyish freaks, of his little adven-
lures, Of the sights and happenings of
the day, because he knew that she would
enjoy anything that had pleased him,
that she would laugh with him over the
things that were amusing, and advise
him as to what had been wrong.
1t seemed to her such little while
since he had been babe, such little
while since she had taken him in her
arms and tied dainty knots of ribbon in
the little short sleeves upon his shoulders,
such little while since she had made
glossy ringlets in his dark, wavy hair
Such little while, too, since she had
clad him in! his long, white gown, tucked
the clothing around him in his little trun-
die bed and sat by his bedside until his
eyes were closed in sleep.
Now he seemed to her almost man,
a man in form and development, a man
in passions and feelings, but still boy
in experience. That she could one day
be as proud Of him as man as she was
OF him as a boy was her great desire.
She had weathered many storms. she had
breasted the breakers, had overridden
them and rested in still waters. He
had all this yet to undergo, and she knew
that some day they must part, and so
one bright day he left her A glad,
hopeful smile upon his face, and she,
bearing up bravely, smiling too upon
him, waving him good bye, and MUIR
muring, "God bless my boy,' while
great tear drops coursed down her
cheeks.
Poor railroad boy, poor railroad boys
mother, t was but little while till that
fond mother was hurrying through win
ter 8 snow and ice, coming as quickly as
trains would carry her; coming hun
dreds and hundreds Of miles to see her
boy.
The train had come in. The mother
was ushered into his room. In one
second she was on her knees beside him.
She claspcd her arms around his dying
body. She kissed him. She implored
him only to speak to her. All, the vital
spark was nearly extinguished. The
physicians, his comrades, kind-hearted
sympathizers, too, had labored hard to
preserve his life until that mother could
reach him and he should sec her and
once more know her, but she came al
most too late.
They called him once more by name,
boldly and firmly. 1t 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 pitcous effort he
calculated the fond old Words Hello,
Sallie.' The tears glistened in his eyes,
and slowly the heavy lids dropped over
them; closed nevermore to wake or to
weep, and God will deal tenderly with
him.--Janes Hasley in the arkansas
Traveller.