The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1884-07-04
AN OLD TYPO.
His Home Idea and His Strug-
giles.

giles.
Burlington Hawkeye.
There vas wife aud there was
a boy. Long before any Que now
in the Office had sit in news.room,
prrss-room, business Office or sane.
tum. aud before the old man had
begun to look out at the world |
through spectacles, and bis figure |
was as straight as it was tail, the |
types aud reporters nsed to hear u
great deal OF talk about buying a
house out on the hill, where he
could have u patch OF garden. And
by and by hr was going to quit
sticking type and get into some.
thing that would let him stay home
nights and get acquainted with his
family. Aud the suit OF clothes he
bought in the fall lasted long way
into the next summer, aud then
they came out again in the winter,
aud the old man ''rushed' more
than he ever did again while tina:
dream OF home was Inspiring him.
IL is au old story, this struggle OF a
printer to get home; ANY one OF
these restless mariners OF the land,
drifting from port to port and back
again, lured by the igais Jatuus Of
so many mere cents Thousand aud
u price and u halt after 2 O'Clock,
and big bills with four or five
nights work. Never a wandering
jour printer got d chance to stand
at the old mans case while he was
saving money for house and lot,
and the subs looked ut him with
the despairiug glances OF starva
.tion. But il Is hard, uphill work
, Tor q printer to buy home. Lis
pay is easily reduced aud hardly
raised; u long strike means the
: road for him, aud il he has tami
ly aud can't tramp, he breaks his
heart, puts dust on his head, and
goes out of the union and wearlly
Il works ut the bosses rates. SO th,
= old man worked wearily on, ~
q mauy a printer has worked befor
il and since his time, and the littl
|, plant in the bank began to groy
v. brighter as the old clothes gre'
le shahbier.
le And the boy growing into b
s. tenth year, used to be seen in Il,
ID Office after school, standing ut b
II, mll fathers elbow, learning, in
/ very irregular, boyish, uuappreI
ticed fashion. With II cataract {
- questions, to stick type. The oil
7 mau never intended that the bo
~ should be printer. And he WI
1t so poud of him aud his standing !
shool, and once the boy wrote
at ten line account about a boy tal
IN ing down stairs, that u good ~
| tured reporter sent it in just as
I'd came, although 1t was dull day, an
the scribe wanted awfully to mah
~ 1t a column aud put on a hangiu
no head. Aud the old man sent mar
~ ell copies Of that paper TO ever
It. soul he knew in this world.
n, But one dav an unbidden que
TO came home with the boy and ii
le, down by the hearthstone ia Il
be old mau's home. Aud the lol
days of fever and doctors bill
nd drew out nearly all that little hon
bank account, and one black III
n the old mans case was empty III
ELF the business Office told the und,
taker that all his bills would
ur paid there and be musu't take ~
to money from the old man. Al
in. pale and quiet aud sad, looking O
and worn, was the printer "
ma came next day aud took his {
INT place AT the case. The types did
she click very fast in that alley ]
sh. several days after that. And sou
,as times the printers face would
on. lying Oh the boxes in his fold
Iy- arms, aud how pathetic looked |
halt.tilled stick in the :lasped han
the composing rule fallen out
,ne its place, and the pied type a
leads all tumbling together. Nj
than Que printer, going by to EN-
IS; his stick on the galley, was Il
ncd time bending down to find the Il
see his one followed, and more Il
Ut. one looked across at the hei
liou broken picture of sorrow, leal
ION close down to his copy to read
ate writing that was never blur
'ihe When it camc eff the hook, q
! grimed his eyes with an unstes
Iss hand, saying something about
! o' dust or the glare OF tue light. A
SOL then about five years after Il
ue. the boys mother, weary OF
Oh long pilgrimage, lay down to
zen, Iere iD u cool arbor, rooted with way
VINO grasses and blue violets and aw
' y, to kiss her boy.
.