Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-28
UNDER THE ROOF TREE.

"Hello JIM Where have you been /
lately?p shouted broker the other even
ing to a portly, fnely-dressed man in the
corridor of the st. James. The gentleman
stopped, shook hands with his friend, and
replied: 1--WE been at home to see my
old father and mother, the first in sixteen
years, and tell you, old man, l wouldn't
have missed that visit for all my fortune"
"Kinder good to visit your boyhood
home, Ell"
"You bet Sit down. | was just think
ing about the old folks, and feel laxative
If you have few moments to spare, sit
down, light cigar, end listen to a story of
rich man, who had almost forgotten his
father and mother"
They sat down, and the man told his
story.
''Hcw I came to visit my home hap
pened in curious way. Six weeks ago |
went down to Fire Island fishing. / had a
lunch put up at Crook & Nash's, and You
can imagine my establishment when l
opened the hamper to find a package of
crackers wrapped up in piece of news
paper. That newspaper was little patent
| inside country weekly published at my
home in Wisconsin. read every word Of
/ 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 l determined
then and there to go home, and go home l
did.
" In the first place ! must tell you how
| came to New York. | had tiff with
my father and left home. finally turned
up in New York with dollar in my
pocket. got job running a freight ele-
vator in the very house in which l 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, | went home / didn't
see much change in Chicago, but the mag
nifcent 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 schoolboy
going home for vacation. At last we
neared the town. Familiar sights met my
eyes, and darn it all, they filled with tears.
There was Bill Lyman's red barn, Just the
same; but great Scott what were all of
the other houses? We rode nearly mile
before coming to the depot, past houses,
were only occasionally | saw one that was
familiar. The town had grown to ten times
its size when knew it. The train stopped
and jumped off. Not a face in sight that
/ knew, and ! started down the platform
to go home. In the Office door stood the
station agent. | walked up to him and
said: How-dy, Mr.. Collins?'
"He stared at me and replied You've
got the best of me, sir
q / 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
Il 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 $1,000 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 | use for
fishing and hunting My plug hat | re-
placed by 4 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 maple trees
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
1t didn't take me a minute to survey
her from head to foot. Neatly dressed,
John, but patch and a darn here and
there, her hair streaked with gray, her
face thin, drawn and wrinkled. Yet over
her eyeglasses shone these good, honest,
benevolent eyes. / stood staring at her
and then she began staring at me. saw
the blood rush to her face, and with a
great sob she threw herself upon me and
neryouSly clasped me about the neck, hys-
terically crying: It's Jimmy its JIMMY
"Then | cried, too, John. | Just broke
down and cried like baby. She got me
into the house, hugging and kissing me-
and then she went 70 the back door and
shouted, 'Georgep
"Father came in in moment, and from
the kitchen asked, What do you want
Car line p
"Then he came in. He knew me in
moment. He struck out his hand and
grasped mine and said sternly: Well,
young man, do you propose to behave
yourself now|
He tried to put on brave front, but
he broke down There we three sat like
whipped school children, all whimpering.
At last supper time came, and mother
went out to prepare it. l went into the
kitchen with her.
1" Where do you live, jimmy she
asked
"' In New York. replied.
"' What are you workin' at now,
Jimmy?'
90 Pm workin in dry goods store.
Then | suppose you don't live very
high, for | hear tell o them city clerks
what don't get enough money to keep body
and soul together. So I'll Just tell you,
Jimmy, we've get nothin' but roast sparibs
for supper. We amt got any money now,
Jimmy. We're poorer nor Jobs turkey
" l told her | would be delighted with
the spareribs, and to tell the truth, John,
| haven't eaten a meal in New York that
tasted as well as those crisp roasted spare
ribs did. | spent the evening playing
checkers with father, while mother sat by
telling me all about their misfortunes from
old white Mooley getting drowned in the
pond to fathers signing note for friend
and having to mortgage the place to pay
it, The mortgage was due inside Of a
week and not 4 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 o'clock
came and father said: Jim, go out to the
barn and see if Kit is all right. Bring in
an armful of old shingles that are Just in
side the mill aud fill up the water pail.
Then We'll go off to bed and get up early
and go fishing
| didn't say word, but l went out to
the barn, bedded down the horse, broke
up an armful of shingles pumped up
pail of water, filed the woodbox. and then
we all went to bed
"Father called me at 4:30 in the morn
ing, and while he was getting coffee I
skipped over to the depot cross lots and got
I l,,.-t 4 Il