Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-14
SIfEM, NAN AND JAPHET

1t was a good many years ago that was
the youthful telegraph operator in the
night yardmaster's Office at the terminus
of one Of the great railroads.
Mr. Toby was the night yardmaster's
name, and he had worked for the railroad
company since he was a little boy and
once, when he was coupling some cars, his
arm was caught between the bumpers and
so badly crushed that the doctors had to
cut it off Then the railroad company
made him night yardmaster-a very re
sponsible but not very laborious position
Mr.. Toby had been on duty every night
for great many years when | came to do
his telegraphing for him, and never was
man more faithful or highly esteemed by
his associates than the old one armed yard
master.
Mr.. Toby was a very kind and tender
hearted man. | remember one night when
some of the men opened freight car they
found d poor, starved kitten, which had
been locked in at Baltimore, and had come
all the way through without anything to
eat or drink for ten days or nights Poor
! Tabby She was terribly poor and thin
and so weak that she could hardly stand
alone and who was it but Mr.. Toby that
walked away home, about mile distant
and brought a bottle of milk to feed and
warm kitty, after he had fixed her Up
nice bed of cotton waste" back of the
stove, and then nursed her back to health
day by day, or rather night by night, and
adopted her
But it was about Mr. Toby's mice was
going to tell you. The yardmaster's office
was not very gorgeous place and about
all there was in it, besides chair, clock.
a stove aud bulletin board, was an old TIA
BILE in one corner where Mr.. Toby sat and
wrote, or sat and ate his midnight lunch
or Just sat and did nothing. Away back
in the corner was little hole on a level
with the table, and there lived three little
mice and sometimes, after Mr.. Toby had
eaten his lunch, they would creep out eau
tiously ON the top of the table and gather
up the crumbs, and by and by, after they
must have seen what kind, gentle man
the old yardmaster was, they would ven
ture ont a little way while he was eating
pick up little morsels which he would put
close to the hole for them, and then scam
per back until finally the little creatures
became so brave that they would come out
every night and help the old man eat his
lunch, and allow him to handle them with
out exhibiting the least signs of fear
1t was funny to see the three, bright
eyed little fellows sitting on the table in
row, waiting patiently for the old man to
throw them their share of the lunch in
small installments
He taught them number of little tricks
and named them Shem, Ham, and Japhet,
though never thought that they answered
to their names very readily. 1t was only
when Mr.. Toby was alone that his little
pets seemed very tame ; and it was only by
our sitting in farther corner and keeping
very quiet that he was able to entice them
out to perform for our benefit
One night | carried up an order from the
train dispatcher to the yardmaster, which
read as follows -
DEsPATcHER's OFFICE, H. % p. M-Toby
Sd. Hold No go for orders, 12H. G. B.
No, go was through freight which left
at midnight or shortly after, and the de
spatcher wished to run special as far as
he could, and to inform No 60 at the last
moment at what station to wait until it
passed Mr.. Toby signed the order, and l
went back into my own little Office.
The engine had not yet come from the
round house, the train was not quite made
up, and the conductors car was still in the
passenger yard, half mile away, so the
old yardmaster sat down by the table to
wait.
1t had been a hard day for him. His lit
tie daughter had been sick and all dav,
when night workers rest, he had not closed
his eyes in sleep, and the old man was al
most worn out 1t was warm and quiet in
the little Office. Only the solemn ticking
Of the big regulator ON the wall broke the
stiffness. The old man laid his head upon
his arm on the table TO rest it a little it
ached SO. He felt so drowsy He shook
himself and looked at the regulator.
No. go would not be ready in thirty min
utes. There was no hurry.
lie laid his head ON the table again, aud
almost in second he had dropped asleep.
The solemn regulator licked off min
ute, ten minutes, twenty minutes and still
| the old yardmaster slumbered on. The en-
| CINE from the round house changed noisily
| by. He must waken now but he only
stirs uneasily, and does not rouse.
No 60 has the right of way and the
conductor, ready to go promptly on SEIZED
ule time, comes up TO the platform, sees
through the window the old mans bowed
head, smiles good -naturedly, tucks his train
report under the door, and goes away TO
his caboose without disturbing him
1t is ll.5S, In two short minutes the
heavy train if not warned, will rush away:
and terrible disaster must ensue. But
the old yardmaster does not move.
Suddenly there is an inpatient little
squeak III lne corner ana llny Shen pOkeS
his nervous little nose out of the hole in
the wall 1t is supper time, and their land
lord seems to be little negligent Shem
and Ham creep stealthily out upon the ia
BILE TO reconnoitre There is not a single
crumb anywhere, IL is shameful Japhe
joins his brothers. Still Mr.. Toby makes
no move. The three hungry little crea-
lures put their noses together for consulta-
ton.
Would it not be advisable to give their
kind master a little hint
1t would.
They creep noiselessly up TO the bowed
gray head, Shem and Ham ON the right
side and Japhet ON the left. BY rising on
his launches Japhet can just reach the
tip of the old mans ear, Shem and Ham
take stations close by his nose and chin,
and at a signal from Japhet they each give
quick nip with their sharp little teeth
The old man moves. Three little tails