The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-31
TIE OLD FOLKS VISITED.

"Heli0, Jim W here nave you been lately?" shouted a broker the other evening to portly, finely dressed man in the corridor of the St. James, where a reporter for New York pa per was also lounging. The gentle man stopped, shook hands with his friend, and replied:
 "l've been home to see my old father and mother, and tell you, old man, I wouldn't have missed that visit for all my fortune"
 "Kinder good to visit your boy hood home, eh?"
 You bet. Sit down. I was just thinking about the old folks, and feel talkative. If you have few moments to spare, sit down, light cigar, and listen to the story of rich man, who had almost forgotten his father and mother.
 How I came to visit my home hap pened in a curious way. Six weeks ago went down to Fire Island fish ing. 1 had lunch put up at Crook & Nash's, and you can imagine my astonishment when opened the ham, per to find package of crackers wrapped up in a piece of newspaper. That little newspaper was the patent inside country weekly published at my home in Wisconsin. l read every word in it, advertisements and all. There was George Kellogg, who was schoolmate of mine, advertising hams and salt pork, and another boy was postmaster. By George, it made me homesick, and I determined then and there to go home, and go home l did.
 "In the first place, I must tell you how I came to New York. had 8 tiff with my father and left home. l finally turned up in New York with a dollar in my pocket. l got job running freight elevator in the very house in which'I am now partner. My haste to get rich drove the thoughts of my parents from me, and when did think of them the hard words that my father last spoke to me ranked in my bosom. Well, l went home. I didn't see much change in Chicago, but the magnificent new depot in Milwaukee thought was all improvement on the old shed that they used to have. It was only thirty miles from Milwaukee to my home, and tell you, John, that train seemed to creep. was actually worse than a schoolboy going home for vacation. At last we neared the town. Familiar sights met my eyes, and, darn it all 1! they filled with tears. There was Bill Lyman's red barn, just the same, but, great Scott! where were all the other houses2 We rode nearly mile before coming to the depot, though houses were only occasionally, l saw one that was familiar. The town had grown to ten times it's size when knew it. The train stopped and I jumped of. Not face in sight that knew, and started down the platform to go home In the office door stood the station agent. I walked up and said {: 'Howdy, MT. Collins.'
 "He stared at me and replied:
 "You've got the best of me, sir
 'I told him who I 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.'
 "I tell you, John, it knocked me all in heap. thought my father had enough to live on comfortably. Then a notion struck me. Before going home telegraphed to Chicago to one of our correspondents to send me Sl ,OOO by first mail. Then I went into MT. 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 I 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 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 sur vey 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 shone 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 8 great sob she threw herself upon me, and un.xroualu olannnd x,aa a ohns.k AhA