Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-01-12
THE OLD HOMESTEAD.
Visited for the First Time in Six.
teen Years.

Hello, jim! Where have you been
latelyP" shouted a broker the other
evening TO a portly, iinely-dressed man
in the corridor of the ST. James The
gentleman stopped, shook hands with
his friend, and replied: 1--WE been
home to see my old father and mother,
the first time in sixteen years, and I'll
tell you, old man, l wouldn't have
missed the visit for all my fortune"
"Kinder good to visit your boyhood
home, ehp"
"You bet. Sit down. | was Just
thinking about the old folks and feel
talkative. If you have few moments
to spare, sit down, light cigar, and
listen to a story of rich man who
had almost forgotten his father and
mother"
They sat down and the man told his
story.
"How | came to visit my home hap
pencd in curious way. Six week ago
went down to Fire Island fishing. |
had lunch put up at Crook & Nash's,
and you can imagine my establishment
when opened the hamper to find a
package of crackers wrapped up in a
piece of newspaper. That newspaper
was the little country weekly published
at my home in Wisconsin. l read
every word in it, advertisements and
all. There was George Kellogg who
was a schoolmate of mine, advertising
hams and salt pork, and another boy
was postmaster. BY George! it made
me homesick, and l determined then
and there to go home, and go home ]
did.
''In the first place l must tell you
how l came to New York. had tiff
with my father and left home.
finally turned up in New York with 9
dollar in my pocket. l got a job run.
ming a freight elevator in the very
house in which am now a partner
My haste to get rich drove the thought;
of my parents from me, and when die
think of them the hard words that my
father last spoke to me ranked in my
bosom. Well, / went home. / didn'
see much change in Chicago, but tn,
magnificent new depot in Milwaukee
thought was an improvement on til,
old shed that they used to have. l
was only thirty miles from Milwaukee,
to my home, and | tell you, John, tina
train seemed to creep. l was actual,
worse than school-boy going HON,
for vacation. At last we neared tn
town. Familiar sights met my eyes
and, darn it all, they filled with tears
There was Bill Lyman's red barn, jus
the same, but, great Scott! what wcr
all of the other houses? We rode near
~ mile before coming to the depot
through houses where only occasion
ally saw one that was familiar. TIL
town had grown to ten times its siz
when knew it. The train stopped an
jumped off. Not face in sight tina
knew, and started down the plat
form to go home. In the Office doc
stood the station agent. l walked u
and said: 'Howdy, Mr.. Collins?
"He stared at me and replied
you've got the best of me. sir
II told him who i was and what ha
been doing in New York, and he didn'
make any bones in talking to me. Sal
he: ats about time you came HON,
You in New York rich, and your fathe
scratching gravel to set bare living
IL tell you, John, it knocked me a
in heap. l thought my father ha
enough to live on comfortably. The
n notion struck me. Before going HON
! telegraphed to Chicago to one of on
correspondents to send me $1,000 b
first mail. Then went into Mr.. Co
Inns back office, got my trunk in Their,
and put an old hand-me-down suit tn;
used for fishing and hunting. NJ
plug hat replaced by a soft hat, too
nv valise in my hand, and went HON,
Somehow the place didn't look righ
The currant bushes had been dug Il
from the front yard and the fenc
was gone. All the old locust trees ha
been cut down and young naples wer
planted. The house looked smalle
somehow, too. But | went up to tn
front door and rang the bell. Mothe
came to the door and said: We don
wish to buy any thing to-day, sir
1T didn't take minute to surve
her from head to foot Neatly dresses