The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-10-22
SIMS LITTLE GIRL
BY MARY HARTWELL.

"Come out here, George Burks. Put
that glass down: can't wait minute
business acknowledgements the Com
pany-
"Now I've COL you by the arm, boy,
want la tell You something; then If you
want tn 20 back into the saloon, you may
II don't often NEEDLE in other folk =
business, do |? When tough old fellow
like me sets out to warn a body, YOU may
know IT'S because he sees sore need of IT,.
I've had an eye on you ever since the
Company promoted you To an engine,
and want you Ia make Il fair tri p of
your life You're fine, bright young
ster. don't never say things 10 com
plimrnt
Just takin' drinks for good fellowship?
Yes, know all bout that. Been there
| myself. Sit down on the edge of the plat
form here.
"Ofall men in the world, take it, en-
| uiuccrs ought Ia he last Ia touch the bot
| tie. We have life and property trusted
| Ia our hands uncommon. Ours is grand
business. don't think folks looks at il
| as they ought to. Remember, when |
was Il young fellow like you, just set u-c
| with an engine, ! used to feel like n
| strong angel or somethin' rushing oven
| the country, maxim that iron beast do
| lust as wanted him to. The power sort
of made me think fast, square up, and
| feel much ot Il man.
Il was doin' well when ] married; and
| | did well long afterwards. We had Il
nice home, the little woman and me;
our hearts was set on each other, and
she was a little proud of her engineer.
1 She used to say go, anyhow. She was
sort of mild and tender with her tongue
l Not one of her loud ones. And pretty
too. But YOU know what il is 10 love "a
woman, George Burks; | saw you walk
in with blue-eyed little thing last Sun
day: ,.
girl. How | left when | came home
and they put her into my arms the first
time My wife, she just laughed out loud
Ia see me handle that little thing SD DIRK,
ardly.
81 never liked little children much, but
took that 'un powerful. Everyday
took her.
| George, boy, did you ever take time
Ia - and peep at young ferns i'll tho
Spring? You see 'cm all doubled to-
gcthcr like teenty fist. That's what
she was at first all fist and squirm; bean
" curled up tight. Then they unfol,
|
delicate, finer'n you can put into words
That's lust the way she did. Ever,
night | come home found her grOwet
and plumpened out more. Used to tOs
her up, and she'd squeal like squirrel
and come down on my face in fits %
laughter.
"Oh, | darscn't think about her Gun
ningncsS! But the very first word sh,
l learned to say, was 'PapaI
1--WE talked good deal about what W,
should call her, my wife and |. W.
went clean through the Bible, and 81
down all the fine story names we hear,
of. But nothin' seemed To suit. use,
To puzzle the whole length of my rout,
To find out Il name for that little girl
NV wife wanted To call her Eudor
Isabel. But that sounded like folderrol
Then we had up Rebecca, and Maud
and Amanda Ann, and what not. Final
", whenever ! looked ut her, ! SCENE,
to see Katie She looked Katie, tool
to calm Eer Katie, and she learned ii
and Katie she was.
DI ~ tell you, George, that was Il chill,
to he noticed. She was rOunder an,
prctticr made n a WAX figger, her eye
was bigger and blacker'n any grow
woman's you ever saw, set Ike stars nm
der her forehead; and her hair was tina
light KIND that all runs to curls ant
glitter.
"Soon's she could toddle, she used T.
come dancin' to meet me. I've soiled
many of her white pinafores, buryin' IN
face i'm them before | was washed, am
sort of pravin' soft like under the roo
of my heart, God bless my baby!-GO,
bless my little lamb!
"As she grew older, used to talk t.
| 4 -, l. t,,. ..,f.
cab, and showed her the 'tachments u
the engine, and learned her signals am
Il. such things She took such an interes
and was the smartest little thing! Seeme
as if she has always knowed 'em. Sh
loved the road. Remember once hear
ing hcr say to II playmate, There's m
papa. He's an engineer. Don't yo
wish lac was your papa"
s "My home was close 10y the track
Often and often the little girl stood i
our green yard, waving her mite of
IA hand To me as we rushed by.
"Well, sir, them was happy years.
n most kills me to look over 'em now.
was dom too well. Had an idea | wa
a man mssle to prosper. ! felt good
all the wssrld, and that 'ud been well,
|. I'd showed my good fellowship som
other way. But men are fools, ! was s
easy couldn't refuse social glass, an
! was always free toasting others. Many
the time we've stood, three or four foo
of us, clinklin' our glasses and drinkir
to Observation-Disclosures the very thin
= that made us fit for anything but brOtl
ers. 1t pleased me most To have thel
pledge my little girl. And they MOI
they'd feast her, the deeper I'd drinl
J AID | was drinking death TO her All
damnatIOn to me.
"I'll cut il off short. Didn't mean
say but Il few words To you, but got
thinkin' so. Can't spin it out niue
longer, or there'll be no man left of m,
"Well, one day started OH my HON
: trip, full of that good fellowship you WI
imbibin' awhile ago. Made the engin
lwhizz! We was awful jolly, the firema
and me. Never was drunk when ! g
on my engine before, or the compan
would have shipped me. Wasn't II
such time ever made on that road b,
fore nor since. ] had just sense enOug
to know what ! was about, but M
enOugh To- handle an emergency. w
fairly rOared down on the trestle tn,
stood ut the entrance of our town.
81 had a tipsy eye out, and, GeOrg
as we was flynn through the suburbs,
see NV little girl on the track ahea,
r wavin' II red flag, and standing stoC
!. still
i "The air seemed full of Katies.
could have stopped the engine, if l.
only had sense enough to know what
take hold of To reverse her! But | va
too drunk! And that grand little ang
stood up TO it, trying To warn us in tim,
AMI we just swept right ahead into Il pm
of ties some wretch had laid on I'll
track!-right over my babyl-Oh, M
lbaby!-GO away George.
There! And do you want me to to
you how the sight of that mangled lit
mass killed her mother? And do yO
want me Ia tell You walk alive tO-da
the murderer of my own child, vii
stood up to save me? And do You wal
me To tell you the good fellowship yO
were drinkin' awhile ago brought all tn
on me?
"You'll let this pass by, maxim u
your mind 10 he moderate. Hope yO
will. was u moderate 'un.
go Godi Oh, my baby y
IL can knock down any man twice m
size for good reason, George Burk
but my heart just meIts To water for ths
little girl. "-HOusehoh Mdgdzine.