The Dawson journal., 1885-01-08
THE DEAR OLD MOTHER.
A Touching Little Episode of Rail
road Travel.

cred as she sat down near the
stove and wrung her blue, rough
fingers to warm them. The pas
sengers all felt sorry for her, for
she had kind. benevolent face,
and seemed to be grieved about
something.
Il wonder-I wonder-I won
der if [ will get there in time"
she mumbled over and over again.
''Poor boy! He was always good
to me, and I wonder if I will be
with him when it comes"
"Ticket," said the conductor.
The old lady opened her bas-
ket and was a long time looking
over it, although she searched
diligently, and when she got
through she looked very white
and sad, and softly said to the
conductor;
"Stop the train and put me off.
[ bought my ticket yesterday and
put it in my purse, but 1 have
forgotten my purse and left it
home. Oh, sir! I am SO sorry, but
I am going to ST. Louis to see my
poor boy who worked in a found
ry till yesterday, when a great
wheel fell over on him and crush
ed him so badly they say he'll
die, but | have forgotten my pock-
et-book and now [ will never see
my poor boy again in this world.
Put me off, but ] don't know how
in the world | will get back home
OF go on" and the pleasant ridges
on her face were drawn up into
corded lines, and the blue veins
stood out in great knots, and she
clenched her bony fingers in ago
ny as the tears started from her
eyes. The passengers were all
looking on, and when the conduc-
tor passed on as if he had lost his
mother, his great hand grasping
his punch trembling'and his eyes
brim full, a quiet, 'big-hearted pas
senger whispered to him and then
went through the coach ahead of
him asking for half-dollar cotri-
buttons, but the passengers would
not give, and'as the train slowed
up at the next station, the conduc-
tor walked up to her and gently
put his hand on her'shoulder.
"Never mind" she said swallow
ing a great lump that kept COM
ing in her throat. "Tll get of
peaceably," and then her frame
was convulsed with shudder, and
as the brakeman opened the door
to call the name Of the station, the
snow w-burdened air came in and
blew off her bonnet, and she utter
ed sharp cry as the conductor
pressed her back into her seat and
said:
Don't get off, mother. Your
fare is paid clear throughsto-."He
stopped and said in deep agony
of mind:
"My God!" and as thu passen-
gers gathered around he. compile
ted his sentence:
Her fare is paid clear through
to heaven, and as the passengers
look on her glazing eyes, her ago
nized features resumed their won't
ed pleasantness, for she was trav-
cling on a pass written in letters
of living light and had reached
the end Of her journey and met
her son, who had died in an hour
before, while the others, bound
for the same station, were but III
the middle of their wearisome
journey. The conductor and
brakeman tenderly lifted the va-
cant tenement Of her soul and
complied with her request.to put
/ her off at the next station, and
they were seen to give something
that looked like money to the sta
tion-agent, and when the train
was started again, the passengers
all shook hands with them and
wished them safety and comfort
in all Their undertakings, and a
pretty girl that had been flirting
began to cry, and a woman with a
baby took it up and both Joined
the pretty girl, and one by one
the res tof US united our tears
with theirs. and the fat woman
hugged the brakeman of our
coach, and so we went on our way
]