The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-10-17
A MODERN HERO.

1t was a very humble house. Only a
fat of three rooms on the third floor of
a tall tenement house in the back street
near the river A bedroom, a tiny par
lor and kitchen, which was also an
eating-room, made up the suite. The
Briggses did all their daylight living in
the last-named apartment. The floor
was painted yellow; the walls were
whitewashed; the furniture was home
ly, substantial and well-kept.
Everything was shining clean, and
both windows were full of plants. many
OF them in flower. Mrs. Briggs was
fully persuaded in her own mind that
no other woman in the city had such a
tale of daily mer3ies as herself. Among
them were the southern exposure of
those windows and the circumstance
that gap in the buildings back of
them let in the sunshine freely. Her
nasturtiums blossomed there all winter;
from pot she had suspended by
strings from the top of the casing,
sweet alysseum flowed downward like .
fountain of soft green waters tipped
with white; scarlet geraniums shot up
rank shoots that had to be pruned into
reasonableness, and as to Christmas roses
-'But theren' the worthy soul would
assure her acquaintance, "Lseg do beat
everything"
This winter the Gala was about to
bloom. A kind lady had given the
bulb TO Mrs. Briggs son Top, Junior
last year, and there was no telling
the store he set by it.
uNNplie fa p1.,oso.., o1ioe HN1,0 Co,;o,,
was an engineer on the great North
East, West u South Railway. He sat
at the tea-table with his wife and son
at tve-thirty one cloudy February after
noon, His next train went out at six
forty-five. He had run Her into the
station at four, and his house was but
two blocks away. Mrs. Briggs could
see from those unparalleled kitchen
windows the bridge by which
the track crossed the river separating
the town from the marshes, and could
calculate to q minute when the familiar
step would be heard on the stairs.
"You see we live by railroad time
was her modest boast tAnd my nus
band always comes straight home. !"
She did not emphasize the my" know
ing in her compassionate heart that
other husbands were prone to lag by
the way until they came home late and
crookedly.
Top, senior, was on time to-day. 81
ken trust Her with Bartlett, YOU see, =
he remarked to his wife. '.de won't
leave tel she's all trig an tidy for the
next trip. | wish / could be as sure O
Stokes,n
Mrs Briggs looked up inquiringly.
'Stokes is clever fellow" pursued
Top Senior, respectfully, slicing vigor
ously into the cold corned beet for he
was hungry. "Smart as steel trap
and Understands his business. / never
see fireman what had a better chance
@ risin' to an ingineer. He knows Hel
pretty highs well es l do. Eve took
real comfortin learning. hiIu az could.
But I'm afeerd, sometimes, he's on q
down-grade of bad habits and the
brakes don't work"
The sharp eyed boy at his fathers
elbow here changed the subject by ask
ing Hey you noticed my lily to-day,
motherP I guess itlI be wide open by
the time you get in tonight, father"
They all turned to look at the tai
stem crowned by the unfolding calyx
Juniors gon' to be master-han6
with flowers" observed the mother
He saves me pretty nigh ali the trou
Bile q taSin' keer of EN-. I've beer
thinkin that might be good business
for him when he grows up"
She was always forecasting his futur,
with more anxiety than generally enter
into maternal hopes and fears Wher
but year old, he had fallen from Til,
arms OF neighbor who had caugh
him up from the floor in fit of tipsy
fondness. The child's back and biz
were severely injured. He had no
walked step until he was five years o
age, and would be lame always. Ell,
was now twelve--a dwarf in statue
hump-backed, weazen-faced ana shriIl
voiced, unsightly in all eyes but those
OF his parents. To them he was a mir.
acle OF precocity and beauty. Hi.
mother took in fine ironing to pay fol
his private tuition from public school
teacher who lived in the neighborhood
lie learned fast and eagerly His faith
er, at the teachers suggestion. sub
scribed to a circulating library and the
same kind friend selected books for tho
cripple's reading. There was hundred
dollars in the savings bank, against The
name OF ''Topliffe Briggs, Junior, =
deposited, dollar by dollar, and repre-
senting countless acts of sclf-denial OF
TIE part of the industrious couple, anC
his possible profession was a favoritt
theme of family converse.
''For that matter, there's lot O. thing.
schoIard Like him ken do reioinec
Top, Senior, with affectionate conf.
dence in his heirs talents and ACQUIRE
ments. 9 Tain't like 'twould be will
a Teller like me whose arms an legs Il
bis hull stock in trade Why, min