The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-08
GOING HOME.
How Great Things Cow Little in Oul
Sight as We Grow Older.


Sight as We Grow Older.
Reader, if you ever left home and
went to great city to seek fortune and
fame, or lodging atpolice headquarters,
then come home on a visit after a year
or two, did you notice how low the
houses once so tall in your eyes ap-
peared?
When fifteen l went forth in the
world and found myself at the end CT
the second day four hundred miles from
home in larger city than l had ever
seen. | was soon familiar with its
principal points of interest, and only
lack of funds with which to purchase
postage stamps kept me from deluging
nv sckOol-mates in Illinois with glow
ing accounts of my wonderful adven-
lures and my hair-breadth escapes.
remember the first time the fire de-
partment was called out after my adj
vent in the city. 1t was before fire ex-
tinguishing had become profession as
it is to-day, and the Tiffin department
was a volunteer affair, which hauled the
old Seneca Chief steamer by hand,
and ran a hook-and-ladder truck and
hand engine by the same motive power
was struck with the apparent ineffi-
cheney of the outfit, and yearned to right
the numerous errors thought / detect
ed in reducing Penner's barn to ashes.
If there is anything boy with the ac-
cumulated wisdom of fifteen long and
weary years ranking in his bosom, can
detect better than another it is an error
in some great enterprise like burning 4
house or barn, and he is not slow in
righting the great wrong to the best of
his ability. | thought the fellow that
held the helm of the heok-and-ladder
truck did not understand his business,
so | walked up to him and seized one
horn of the dilemma. | never exactly
knew whether tainted, suffered stroke
OF paralysis or was kicked by a mule,
but when l recovered from my temper
airy indisposition | was lying on my back
in the mud, and one of my eyes had lost
its cunning. 1t was in mourning nearly
two weeks after that.
Ever since that occurrence, / have
known more about the line of policy
pursued by accomplished firemen than |
ever knew before. | believe | learned
about as much concerning fires on that
occasion as | ever care to know, for ]
wandered around after rising from the
scene of my downfall, until | collided
with q somewhat persistent stream OF
water that the hoseman evidently
thought useless for any purpose except
to eXtinguish the ardOr of Over-smart
boys. l have since observed that all
well regulated fire departments have an
engine for that express purpose, A fire
has no charms for z frst-cliss fireman,
if there is boy with ideas far in adj
vance of his years in the crowd of by,
ISLANDERS. L have seen whole depart
ment of firemen let thousands of dollars
turn to ashes right in front of them,
while engaged in dampening the IRE,
preSsible ardor of youth. In my opin-
ion it is the duty of every city to pass
ordinances prohibiting boys from run.
ming to fires, in order that firemen may
have time to throw little water on the
fire
With all my ineXperience and adj
vanced ideas, l survived the shocks and
rebutfs of an unappreciative world and
was spared to return to my home, re-
storing light, life and comfort to thu
languishing household. When the train
pulled into my fathers post-office adj
dress-that is about all there was of my
native village-I was surprised at the
lowneSs of the two-story brick house
that constituted its business district.
had though it the very impersonation
OF architectural altitude in the good ola |
days, but on my return it seemed 9
very small affair.
So it was with the hopes of high posi-.
ton among my old school-mates, which
had builded seven or eight stories
high before | came home. l found thai |
all that remained of them was the base
ment. and instead of looking up to me.
as | had fondly anticipated, they slapped |
me on the back in the old familiar |
way, and when | resented such famili. I
arity they said | was stuck up-anc |
they were right. ThrOugh Nail.