Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1884-02-14
Too Late.

Too Lato.
10 ali who have ever felt mors tha
mere thought of it should be caution
enough against breaking tue laws of din.
y, a right conduct. But thousands
VINO are unintiuenced by higher mora
restraints rush into wrong doing withou
hlnking ofthe seif-reproach and punish.
ment tnat are sure to CINE The follow
youth who are in DANCE of hreakino
their mothers hearts by disohedieneaa T
hasty, unflis.. -woTds:
They were sitting in the waitino-room
OF q depot together-the dapper little
mar who looked as though he might be
a commercial traveller, and the great
rough fellow whose cowhide boots.
Shaggy garments and broad, brown Mex
lcan nat teid that he was fresh from
some semi-civilized region OF the ives.
n westerner sat looking out of thu
window upon the dreary confusion o.
tracks, switches, frogs and snortin9
irelgnt engines. Just at that
ne seemed i X a man without q frien
IN the world, and out of pure sympsth,
the commercial traveller attempted Ia
strike up conversation.
Got long to waltz" he asked, in d
friendly tone.
.Boutan hour" was the short answer
Going far?"
Nigh onto a hundred miles hack In
the kentry."
Yes. where?"
Stranger, I'm going home. Home
Q Been away long?"
Bout ten years.
len years, md now You are goina
Iionlel Well, that's pleasant. / know
I'm only away about a month at a time,
yet when | come back, Pm as happy as
a gosllng IN q sun-shower. Fact; you
wouldn't think Pm sentimental, vet
when Pm on my way home, the cars
never seem to 60 fast enough, and /
can't think OF ANYTHING but home, home,
all the time Pm there. N.Y. but I'd
like to be In your shoes for q short time,
INST 70 feel how happy you must be-
Folks all well, / suppose?n
Stranger, I'm going back to my
mothers funeral. It's ten year, ten
long, long year, since | saw her last, and
then went away saving | never wanted
10 see her again. / did that to my
mother. But | was not much more than
a boy then, and | didn't know what /
was doing. 1t was my mother, but I'm
not to be blamed too harshly.
And after / went away | never sent
a letter Aeme-not one, but / always
meant to. She used to write me such
heart breaking letters that |, great rough
miner IS | was, couldn't keep the tears
back. You see, / didn't write because
| was always ~a-a-thinking that | would
strike rich, and then | would 90 home
and just show the old folks what money
and ease waSy but-but-but. stranger. i
put it off too long. ] was going home
next week. | was going to surprise 'em,
and 1 had enough money to make their
old age COMFORTABLE: but. stranger, she
went home before / did"
And b wiped his horny. sunbrowned
hand across his eyes, There was silence
for a lew minutes, then he continued:
Don't think worse OF me for that,
stranger; / may be a man grown, bat
somehow | can't keep tears out Of my
eyes. They will come. You see, / was
the youngest. / was1tbe baby, her boy
she used 10 call n.e; and when ! grew up
| wanted TO see the world, to see life.
But she wanted me to stay at home, and
/ was hot. headed and-and | went away.
But 1 always dreamed of coming back,
and here, when / was ready, it was too
late, too late. All, strangerl l can't help
il" and the returning miner bowed his
head on his hands and was silent.
But the other said nothing. There
was a Temp in his throat that prevented,
and he looked toward the window I'M
der p~retence of wiping his FOREHEAD with
his handkerchief, but it was only to con-
ceai the moisture that came unbidden In
his eyes.-Texas Siftings.