The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-03-19
Catching the Morning Train.

find that one of the most serious oh
lection to living out of town lies in tn,
difficulty experienced in catching tn,
early morning train by which l mus
reach the city and my business. 1t i.
by no means pleasant matter, under
any circumstances, to have ones move
ment regulated by a timetable, and tc
be obliged to rise to breakfast and to
leave home at certain hour, no mat.
ter how strong the temptation to
delay may be. But sometimes the
horrible punctuality of the train is pro.
ductlve OF absolute suffering. For in
stance: look at my watch when !
| get out OF bed. and find that | have
apparently plenty of time. SO 1 dress
leisurely and sit down to the morning
meal in frame of mind which is calm
and serene. just as l crack nv first
egg hear the down train from Viii
mington. start in alarm; and taking
out my watch 1 compare it with the
clock and find that it is eleven minutes
slow. and that I have only five minutes
left in which to get to the depot.
just as get to the gate find that
have forgotten my duster and the bum
die 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 undig-
nltied and it attracts attention; but
walk furiously. go faster and faster
as get away from the main street.
When half the distance is accomplished
L actually do hear the whistle; there
can be no doubt about it this time. /
, long to run, but know that il l do |
Will excite that abominable speckled
dog sitting by the sidewalk a little dis
tance ahead of me. Tim l really see
the train coming around the curve
close BY the depot, and / feel that I
must make better time; and l do. The
dog Immediately manifcsts an interest
In my movements. He tears after me
and Is speedily joined BY five or six
other dogs, which frolic about nv leps
and bark furiously. Sundry small
boys. as go plunsing past, contribute
TO the excitement by whistling with
their fingers. and the men who are at
work upon tie new meeting house stop
to look ut me and exchange iocular re-
marks with each other. I do feel ridic-
ulous, but must catch that train at
all hazards.
L become desperate when / have to
siacken my pace until two or three wo-
men who are standing on the sidewalk
discussing the Infamous price of butter,
scatter to let me pass. I arrive within
few yards of the station with NV
duster fling in the wind, with NV coat
tails IN horizontal position, and with
the speckled dog nipping at my heels,
Just as the train begins to move l put
on an extra pressure, resolving to get
the train or perish. and 1 reach it lust
as the last car is going by. l seize the |
hand-rail, am jerked Violently around
but finally, after a desperate effort, / |
get upon the step with nv knees, and |
am hauled in by the brakeman, hot.
dusty, and mad, with my trousers torn |
across the knees, my legs bruised, and
three ribs of my umbrella broken.
just as l reach a comfortable seat in /
the car the train stops and then backs
up on the siding, where it remains for
half an hour while the engineer repairs
dislocated valve. The Anger which
burns in my bosom as reflect now upon
what has proved to have been the folly
ot that race, is increased as I look out
of the window and observe the speck-
ed dog engaged with his companions
n an alteration over bone. A man
who permits his dog to roam about the
streets nipping the legs of every one
Who happens to go at a more rapid
sait than walk, is unfit for associatinp
With civilized beings. He ought to be
placed on q desert island in mid-ocean.
md be compelled to stay there.-Mar
4deler, in E:rchdn0e