Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-01-21

my father and left home. finally turned
up in New York with 81 in my pocket.
got job running a freight elevator in
the very house in which / am now a
partner My haste to get rich drove the
thoughts of my parents from me, and
when l did think of them the hard words
that my father last spoke to me ranked
in my bosom. Well, / went home /
didn't see much change in Chicago, but
the magnificent new depot in Milwaukee
thought was an improvement on the old
shed that they used TO have. 1t was only
thirty miles from Milwaukee to my home,
and tell you, John, that train seemed to
creep. / was actually worse than school
boy going home for vacation. At last
we neared the town. Familiar sights met
my eyes, and, darn it ALL they flied with
tears There was Bin Lyman's red barn,
just the same; but, great Scotti what
were all Of the other houses. We rode
nearly mile before coming to the depot,
through houses where only occasionally
saw one that was familiar The town had
grown to ten times its size when | knew
it. The train stopped and / jumped of.
Not face in sight that I knew, and
started down the platform to go home. In
the Office door stood the station agent.
walked up and said: .Howdy, Mr.. Col
linsr
HE stared at me and replied, You've
got the best OF me, sir.
81 told him who was and what had
been doing in New York, and he didn't
make any bones in talking to me. Said
he: It's about time you came home. You
in New York rich, and your father
scratching gravel to get bare living
II tell you, John, it knocked me all in
a heap. / thought my father had enough
to live upon comfortably. Then a notion
struck me. Before going home tele-
graphed to Chicago to one of our CORE
spondents there to send me 81 900 by first
mail Then / went into Mr.. Collins
back office, got my trunk in there and
put on an old hand-me-down suit that
used for fishing and hunting. My plug
hat replaced by a soft hat, took my valise
in my hand and went home. Somehow
the place didn't look right The currant
bushes had been dug up from the front
yard and the fence was gone. All the old
locust trees had been cut down and young
naples were planted. The house looked
smaller somehow too But went up to
the front door and rang the bell. Mother
came to the door and said: We don't
wish to buy anything to-day, sir
''It didn't take me minute to survey
her from head to foot. Neatly dressed,
John, but patch and darn here and
there, her hair streaked with gray, her
face thin, drawn and wrinkled. Yet over
her eyeglasses shonc those good, honest,
benevolent eyes / stood staring at her
and then she began to stare at me.
saw the blood rush to her face and with
great sob she threw herself upon me and
nervously clasped me about the neck,
a
.Iin,mv e
saTben cried too. John. lust broke
down and cried ike n babv She got me
into tho bonsa bngoing md kissing mo
and then She went 10 the back door and
cboptad sCeoroen
ssFatber came in IN a moment and from
the Kitchen osked sWhat Won want Car
,Ines,
l.The,, bo come In He tnavv ma in
moment He stuck ont his hind and
C,.aened mine and said sternlv tWell
1o,,ng MON do you nronose IN behave
Yourself now,
s.Ho tried to mt on a brave front but
ho broke down There we three sat. like
xvbinned school children All vhimnerlng
At last sunner time came and mother
went ont 10 nrenare Il. went into the
Kitchen with her
ueWhere 40 Won live .Timmvy, she
nskes
UsTn New York n renlied
"eWhat Won woryin' at now. Jimmy''
n.f,r, xvorkipo IN a drv oooda etore {,
aaTbar I s,,,s,ose vo,; don,t live verv
b,,b for 7 hear tell q, them c,tv clerks
What don't Ger enonch nonev IN keen
NV ard so,I tocether So III, inst tell
ron J;n,r,v ,re rot rothin, INT roast
''
spareribs for supper. We Z got any
money now, Jimmy. We're poorer nor
Jobs turkey
81 told her that would be delighted
with the spareribs, and to tell the truth,
John, haven't eaten meal in New York
that tasted as well as those crisp roasted
spareribs did. / spent the evening play
ing checkers with father, while mother
sat by telling me all about their misfor
tunes, from old white Mooley getting
drowned in the pond to fathers signing a
note for friend and having to mortgage
the place to pay it. The mortgage was
due inside OF a week and not a cent to
meet it with-just $500. She supposed
they would be turned out of house and
home, but in my mind / supposed they
wouldn't At last 8 o'clock came, and
father said: Jim, go out to the barn and
and see IL Kit is all right Bring In an
armful of old shingles that are just inside
the door and fill up the water pail Then
We'll go off to bed and get up early and
go a-fishing'
81 didn't say word, but went out to
the barn, bedded down the horse, broke
up an armful Of shingles, pumped pail
of water, filled the woodbox, and then we
all went TO bed.
Father called me at 4.30 in the morn
ing, and while he was getting cup of
coffee skipped over to the depot cross
lots and got my best bass rod. Father
took nothing but trolling line and spoon
hook. He rowed the boat with his troll
ing line in his mouth. while stood in the
stern with silver sinner rugged on. Now,
John, / never saw a man catch fish like
he did To make long story short, he
caught four bass and five pickerel and
never got bite.
AT noon we went ashore and father
Al Tea