The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-15
Catching the Morning Train.
MAX Adeler. in Exchanged

maA AucItI, III C2cHange.I
find that one of the most serious OBJ
jections to living out of town lies in the
difficulty experienced in catching the
the early morning train by which | must
reach the city and my business. 1t is by
no means pleasant matter, under any
circumstances, to have ones movements
regulated by a time table, and to be
obliged to rise to breakfast and to leave
home at a certain hour, no matter how
strong the temptation to delay may be.
But sometimes the horrible puuctuality
of the train is productive of absolute
suffering. For instance: | look at my
watch when l get out of bed, and find
that have apparently plenty of time, so
l dress leisurely and sit down to the
morning meal in frame of mind which
is calm and serene. Just as | crack my
first egg hear the down train from
Wilmington. | start in alarm; and
taking out my watch | compare it with
the clock and find that it is eleven
cAO", ohO biiab navy OBil AfC
minutes left in which to get to the
depot.
Just as | get to the gate | find that |
have forgotten my buster and the bundle
my wife wanted me to take up to the
city to her aunt. Charging back snatch
them up and tear down the gravel walk
in frenzy. | do not like to run through
the village; it is undignifed and it at
tracts attention; but | walk furiously. |
go faster and faster as get away from
the main street. When half the distance
is accomplished actu ally do hear the
whistle; there can be no doubt about it
this time. l long to run, but [ know that
if do | will excite that abomiDable
speckled dog sitting by the sidewalk
little distance ahead of me- Then /
really see the train coming around the
curve close by the depot, and | feel that
| must make better time; and do. The
dog Immediately manifests an interest in
nv movements. He tears after Inc and
is speedily joined by five or six other
dogs, which frolic apout my legs and
bark furiously. Sundry small boys, as |
go plunging past, contribute to the ex-
element by whistliug with their fingers
and the men who are at work upon the
new meeting house stop to look at me
and exchange jocular remarks with each
other. / do feel ridiculous, but must
catch that train at all hazards.
become desperate when | have TO
slacken my pace until two or three wom-
en- who are standing upon the sidewalk
discussing the infamous price of butter,
scatter TO let me pass. l arrive within a
few yards of the station with my buster
flying in The wind, with my coat tails in
horizontal position, and with the
speckled dog nippiug at my heels, just
as the train begins to move. / put on
extra pressure, resolving to get the train
or perish, and reach it just as the last
car is going by. l seize the hand-rail, /
am jerked violently around, but finally,
after desperate effort, l get upon the
step with my knees, and am hauled in
by the brakeman, hot, dusty, and mad,
with my trousers torn scrost the knees,
my legs bruised, and three ribs of my
umbrella broken.
Just as reach a comfortable seat in
the car the train stops and then backs
up on the siding, where ii remains for
half an hour while the engineer repairs a
dislocated valve. The anger which
burns in my bosom as | reflect now upon
what has proved to have been the folly
of that race, is increased as look out of
the window and observe the speckled dog
engaged with his companions in an alter
cation over bone. A man who permits
his dog to roam about the streets nip
ping the legs of every one who happens
to go at more rapid gait than a walk,
is unfit for association with civilized
beings. He ought to be placed on des-
ert island in midocean, and be compell'
to stay there.