The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1891-10-22
Hrhe, Of i. in Leavening P0vsr-U Govt Report Aug 1889
@!a!:!;!! e! Bssi9s Bs%ass1
ABSOLUTELY PURE
POOR LITTLE JOE BRYAN.


A great railway depot may not be the
beet school for = boy, yet poor little Joe
Bryan bad scarcely knosn any ot y. de
could no, remember when the Ions wait
ing rooms. With their tiled h5ors and
dresfy rows Of stationary settlers aud The
crowds OF hurryins people, we're not quite
o. familiar TO bim and more homelike than
hi. mothers small, bare house, which he
knew ss little more than plsce Tor eating
and sleeping
At sn age when 40 ordinary baby might
have been frightened into convulsions by
the shrek Of . locomotive, Joe. securely
isstned 10 bis cab, would stare for hours
through the great windows. undisturbed
by the incesssnt rush and roar OF the ar
irving and departing trains.
He had been only six months old when
the dreadful sceident happened which at
one fell stroke made him fatherless and
transformed him from q strong. well de.
veloped infant, to pitiful creature, which
even death refused to take.
The older men told the story even yet
how Michael Bryan, IS straight and msnly
fellow a. ever left his green, old. ns.ive
island Tor the better chances OF the new
world this side the sea, came wbistling out
OF the round house that morning and step
ped hastily from before an incoming loco'
motive, neither seeing or hearing another
rushing up the parallel track. His mates
cried ont to him too late Nobody who
saw 1t would ever forget the look OF agony
which distorted his handsome face 10 that
one horrible instant, when he recognized
bis doom, or the perpendicular leap into
the air, from which he iell back beneath
the cronchiug wheels.
In the excitement and CONSERVATION oi
the time no messenger had been sent in
advance to prepare the young wife for
her trouble, ~ she stood 10 the doorway
With her baby growing in her arms, when
the stout bearers paused at her gate, with
their mangled burden. See uttered hor'
rible cry and fell iaiutiog the child's ten'
der back striking the sharp edge OF the
door stone.
What pity it WAS not killed outright
said every body but the mother. She her'
self always insisted that only her con-
stapt watching over the little Pickering
life kept her from going mad in the first
dreadful months OF her bereavement
The officers OF the railway company we're
kind to poor Mary Bryan. They paid the
expenses Of the burial, and after little Joe
bad slowly mended, employed her about
The depot 10 scrub the floors and keep the
glass and wood. work bright and neat.
When Joe was seven years old bis mo her
sent him to school. He went patiently
day after day, making no complaint, but
she woke suddenly one night to find him
sobbing his heart out on the pillow beside
her Only by dint Of long coaxiug was she
able to fnd out the csuse Of his rrief.
Some OF the rousher boys more tnought'
less than cruel. let us bope!-hsd called
him Humpy, and asked him il be carried
. bag Of meal on bis back.
Msry famed with the fierce anger oi
motherhood.
You shsnt 20 smother day. she declared
The ruflisnsi won't have my darlin put
upon by the likes Of ,heml
So Joe's schooling had come TO an un
timely end. Yet, mesger as VAS hif ftocR
OF book Learning. the developement cf his
mind far outstripped tie growth OF IA
stunted and deformed boay.
Every body liked the patient little fellow,
tueging mspiully at bis mothers heavy
water buck, md running willingly at The
call Of the station men. At twelve year
old be had picked up no email amount o.
Information, especially on railroad topics
He knew every locomotive on the road, IN
derstood the intricacies OF sidetrscks snt
switches, and could tell the precise mo
mcnt when any particular train might b'
expected, with the accuracy OF iim'
table.
Yet the very quickness aud afdor Of hi'
nature de,peped bis sense { his inhrmity
The glances cast upon hi.a by the strange
eye, some pitifnl. some curious, others
slasl expressive only OF annoyance or dis
gust ranklsd ilAe 81 mspy arrows 10 hi
heart; not one missed its mark. 3ow Wist
fullv lis eyes followed boys Of bis owl
age -s'raigh', handsome, happy - Wb'
,prsug lightly mp and down the s'eIs o
the cosches, or threaded their way alonf
the crowded platforms. For day Of suct
perfect. uniismmeled life be would kavi
bsr,ered al ;ue possible years before bin
Yet be Dever pat bis yestninss into words
even 10 bis mother
Crooked Joe's ron NO said cue Of Li
rough seqnsiu,snces. Heserss bis iroubl
well enough bot be don't le. 90 TO nobody
| Mr.. Crnmr, the telegraph or fs'or a
IJo.s constant friend Ii sbs be vbo a
odd moments bad tsught the boy 20 read
and bad iailis,ei him into some of ID
mysteries q The cl,nlins insira@ent
which 10 Joe's inseinhtise niod scenes
sone strange creature 1tb bidder VI
Of lie osn.
hvu sro~iBg toward dark one NJren
/ ber afternoon. Joe n.rer an ua~eicom
..iior - Eat eu,led 10 tner Of M'
iCrsnp. 1ficf, waiting Tor lis mother 1
spisb her work lie Was iabofsousl. spel
ling cut by the tsdips iieb. the sord