The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-07-04
HE WENT BACK HOME,

"Hallo. jim! Where have you
been lately z" shouted broker he
other evening 10 il porty, finely
dressed man III The corridor Of the
ST. james. The gentleman stop
ped, shook hands with his friend,
and replied, "l've been home to see
my old fat her and mother, The first
time III sixteen years, and | tell
you, old man, | wouldn't have miss
ed that visit Tor all my fortune"
kinder good to visit your boy
hood home, ell =
"You bet. st down. | was
Just thinking about the old folks,
and feel talkative. II you have a
few moments. TO spare, sit down,
light cigar. and listen to a story
Of a rlch man who had almost for
gotten his father and mother" "
They sat down, and the old man
told his story.
"How | came 10 visit my home
happened in Il curious way. Six
weeks ago | went down to Fire
Island fishing. had lunch put
up at Crook d Nash'S, and you can
imagine nv asluniShment when |
opened The hamper to find pack
age Of crackers wrapped up in a
piece of newspaper. That news
paper was the llttle patent inside
country weekly published at my
- IN |
word of il, advertisements and all.
There was George Kellog, who was
schoolnlate oi mine, advertising
hams and salt pork, and another
boy was postmaster. BY George /!
il made me home-ick, and deter
mined then and there 10 90 home,
and so home | did.
'In he first place | must tell
you how | came TO New York. ]
had TIFF with my father and lett
home. finally turned up in New
York with one dollarin my pocket.
| got job running Il freight ele
VatOr i'll the very honse in winch
am now a partner. Ny 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 nay bosom. Well, | went home.
| did not see much change IN Chi |
cago, but the magnificent new de- !
pot 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, aud | tell you, John,
that train seemed TO creep. | was
actually worse than a school boy |
going home ior vacation. At last |
we neared the town. Familiar
sights met my eyes, and darn il
all, they filled with tears. There
was Bill I.yman's red barn, just
the same but great Scott! what
were all OF The other houses We
rode nearly a mile before coming
to the depot, through houses where
only occasionally | saw one that
was familiar. Tie town had grown
10 Ten times its size when ! knew
i. The train stopped and jump
Ell off. Not a face in sight that
knew, and | started down The plat
form 10 90 home. In the Office
door stood the station agent. l
up and said: 'HOwdy, /
Mr.. Collins
HE stared at me aud 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 talk
ing to me. Said he: It's about
Ime You came home. You in New
York rich, and your father scrath-
ing gravel to get bare living.
Il tell you, John, it knocked me
all in a heap. / thought my father
had enough to hive Oh comfortably.
Then a notion struck me. Before
going home | lelegraphed to Chr /
rago TO one Of our correspondents
here to send me $1,000 by fast
mail Then | went into Mr.. Col
lins' back Office, got my trunk IN
there and but on an old hand me
dow n suit that | used for fishing
aud hunting. My plug hat | re-
placed by a soft hat, took my va
lise in my hand and went home.
Somehow the place didn't look
right. The current bushes had been
dug up from the front yard aud The
Ience was gone. All the old To-
Gust trees had been cut down AMI
young naples we're planted. The
house iIOked smaller somehow,
lno Rnf / sranf un IN the frouf