The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-06-13
Only A Dog!

1t was not an hour after dawn, yet
the waiting-room of the great Central
Station was full. 1t was always full.
Outside, each minute of the day, trains
came and went. to Canada, to New
England, to the South. to the great
West.
The thronging crowd gathered there
now were of every variety of race and
condition, and their pursuits were as
various. Here were a group of young
fellows, laughing and boisterous, on
their way to Harvard; there poor
family of pale, silent emigrants, going
to seek their fortunes in Dakota. A
party of delicate women and children,
wrapped in furs and attended by liv-
cried servants, were waiting for the
train which would take them to Flori-
da. On this bench sat bonanza king,
who was on his way back to his gold
mines in California, and on that half a
dozen sturdy Norwegians and black
eyed Spaniards, who had just landed
from an ocean steamer, each with his
whole possessions tied in handker-
Denver, Colorado.
Each man was only intent on him
self and his own business. In spite of
the crowd there was marked quiet.
We Americans are silent people. The
soft morning air blew freshly through
the long lines of cars and putting en-
gines; faint hum came from without.
1t was the great city awakening for the
day.
A Scotch colley, belonging to one Of
the emigrants, went from one group to
another, wagging his tail, and looking
up with mild, expressive eyes. full of
good nature and friendly feeling. He
seemed to bind these people suddenly
together with thread of good will.
Children called to him, the students
romped with him, ladies patted his
shaggy head, poor negro in the cor
ner threw him bone.
Just then startled hush fell on the
crowd, and every eye turned in one d.
rection. A woman was washing the
windows of some empty cars drawn on
to a siding, singing as she rubbed the
panes. She had her child with her, a
little fellow 8 years old. While her
back was turned the baby ran to the
door of the car and jumped down on to
tho next track.
Upon this track the Eastern express
train was just approaching the station.
Directly in the path was the baby. A
sort of sob of horror came from the
paralyzed crowd. The dog, with head
erect and fixed eyes, saw the danger,
and with a bound and fierce bark
darted toward the child. The baby,
frightened, started back. The mother
went on washing windows and singing
as the huge engine rushed up abreast
of her car.
There was crunching noise and q
faint little cry Of agony. Even strong
men grew sick at the sound and turned
away. When they looked the baby
was toddling across the platform laugh
ing, and the crushed. dead body of a
dog lay on the track.
Passengers for Pittsburg, Chicago,
and the Westr'
Passengers for Baltimore, Rich
mond, and the South.
So the cry went on, and the surging
crowd passed out, never all to meet
again in this world. But the faces
of men and women were pale, and
there were tears in the eyes of many OF
them. The poor negro and the mill
ionaire, tottering old men and laugh.
ing boys were the better and stronger
for what they had seen, and were
helped upward by SO much, because
even a dumb dog had been friendly il
its life and heroic in its death. Youth''
Companion.