Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1888-02-25
Under THE OLD R00FfREE.
A RICH NEW YORK MERCHANT
TELLS OF HIS VISIT HOME.
An Interesting and Affecting story
of How lie Found His Parents
Destitute The ST. 900 Joke He
Played ON Them.

IIaycu on lncu
elbow came to visit my home hap
pcncd in II curious way. Six weeks ago
went down 10 Fire Island fishing. l
had lunch, and you can imagine my
when opened the hamper
10 find package of crackers wrapped
up in piece of newspaper. That news
paper was the little country weekly pub
iishcd ut my home i'll Wisconsin. Tread
very word in it. advertisements and Hli.
There was George Kellogg, who WA II
schoolmate of mine, advertising hams
and salt pork. and another hoy was pest
master. By George it made me home
sick, and l determined then and thereto
go home, and go home did.
Sin the first place must tell you hos
came to New York | had n till with
my father and left home. | finally
turned up in New York with dollar III
my pocket. got n iohrunning freight
elevator in the very house in which aio
now partner. Ny haste to get rich
lrove the thoughts of my parents from
MT, and when | did think of them the
hard words that my father 'ast spoke to
mo ranked in my bosom. Well, l went
home. didn't see much change i'll CHI
.ago, but the magnificent new depot III
Milwaukee [ thought was an improve
ment on the old shed thu they used to
have. 1t was only thirty miles fro:H
Milwaukee to my home, and tell you,
John, that train seemed to creep. L was
actually worse than school boy going
home for vacation. At last we neared
the town. Familiar sights met my eyes
and, ,larn it all, they filled with tears.
There was Bill Lyman's red barn, Just
the same; but, great Scott. what We're
all of the other houses! We rode nearly
mile before coming to the depot.
through houses where onlyoccasionallv
| saw one that WAS familiar. The town
had grown to ten times its size when
knew it. The train stopped md l
Jumped off. Not face i'll sight that L
knew, and | started Town the platform
70 go home. In the Office door stool the
station agent. l walked up and said:
'Howdy, Mr.. Collins. :
"He stared at me and replied, you've
got the best of me, sir
81 told hum who was and what had
been doing in New York, and he didn't
make any bones in talking to me. Said
he: Its about time you came home.
' You in New York rich, and your father
scratching gravel to get a bare living.
81 tell you, john, it knocked me all
in heap. l thought my father had
enough to live upon comfortably. Then
notion struck me. Before going home
| telegraphed to Chicago to one OF our
| correspondents there to send me 81 nG
by first mail. Then l went into Mr..
Collins's back Office, got my trunk III
there, and put on an old hand me down
suit that use f5r fishing and hunting.
My plug hat l replaced by a soft hat
took my ralise in my hand and went
home. Somehow the place didn't lool
right. The currant bushes had been
dug up from the front yard AMI the
fence was gone. All the old Locust
trees had been cut down and young ma
pies were planted. The house LOOKED
smaller somehow, too. But | went "
to the front door and rang the bell
Mother came to the door and said: w,
don't want any thing to-day, sir.
'It didn't take me n minute to survey
her from head to foot. Neatly dressed
John, but patch and n darn here ant
there, her hair streakcd with gray, he
face thin, drawn and wrinkled. Ie
over her eyeglasses shouc those good
honest, benevolent eyes stood starr %.
at her and then she began to stare Il
me. I saw the blood rush mp to her fac
and with great sob she threw hersel
upon me and nervously clasped me abou
the neck, Historically crying: It's jim
my; it's Jimmy
"Then 1 clied, too, John. lust brok
down and cried ike a baby. She go
me into the house, hugging and kissing
me, ami hen she went to the back doc
and shouted George =
"Father came in i'll n moment AM
from the kitchen asked: What you want
rar'line! 2
"Then he came in. He knew mo in
moment. He stuck out his hand am
grasped mine, and said, sternly: We'll
young man, do you propose to behav
yourself now?'
she tried to put on brave iron,
but he erOke down. There we thrcc sal
like whipped children, all whimperinq
At last supper came and mother went t
prepare it. / went into the kitchen wit
her.
"'Where do you live, jimmy sh
asked.
"In New York, replied.
"'What are you working at now, jim
my!'
":I'm working in dry goods store.
"'Then l suppose You don't live yer
high, for 1 hear Tell of them city clerk
what don't get enough money to kee
body and soul together. So Ill just te
you, Jimmy, we got nothing but roas
spareribs for supper, We amt &c
any money, Jimmy. We're poorer no
Jobs turkey
81 told her 1 would be delighted wit
the spareribs, and to tell the trutl
John, / haven't eaten n meal in Me-
York that tasted as well as those Girls
roasted spareribs did. 1 spent the CIV,
ening playing checkers with father
while mother sat by telling me all abor
their misfOrtunes, from old white Moo
ey getting drowned in the pond to fail
er's signing note fora friend and ha,
ing to mortgage the place to pay i
The mortgage was due inside of q wee
and not a cent to meet it with-ju.
$500. She supposed they would l
turned out OF house and home, but j
my mind supposed they wouldn't. A
last 9 o'clock came, and father sait
"Jim, go out to the barn and see If n