Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-05-15
His Visit To The Old
Home.

A rich man who had almost for
gotten his old father and mother tells
how he came to make them visit.
How | came to visit my home hap
pened in curious way. Six weeks
ago [ went down to Fire Island fish
ing | had had lunch put up for me,
and you can imagine my astonish-
ment when [ opened the hamper to
ind package Of crackers wrapped
up in a piece of the little patent in
side country weekly published at my
home in Wisconsin. [ read every
word of it, advertisements and all.
There was George Kellogg, who was
Il schoolmate of mine, advertising ham
and pork, and another boy was post
master. By Georgel 1t made me
homesick and determined then and
there to go home, and go home did.
In the first placed must tell you
how 7 came to New York. [ had tiff
with my father and left home. l
finally turned in New York with a
dollar in my pocket. I got job run
ming a freight elevator in the very
house in which 1 am a partner. My
haste to get rich drove the thought Of
my parents from me, and when I did
think of them the hard words that
my father last spoke to me ranked
IN my bosom. Well, I went home,
tell you, John, my train seemed to
creep, I was actually worse than
sChooboy going home for vacation. At
last we neared the town. Familiar
sights met my eyes and, upon my
word they flied with tears. There
was Bill Lyman's red barn just the
same; but-great Scott! what were
all Of the other houses? Werode near
" mile before coming to the station,
passing many houses, of which only
an occasional one was familiar. The
town had grown to ten times its size
when 1 jumped off. Not a face in
sight I knew, and [ started down the
platform to go home. In the office
door stands the station agent.
walked up and said; Howdy, Mr.. Col
Inns?
He started at me and replied: You
have got the best of me, sir.
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.
[ 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 go
ing home 1 telegraphed to Chicago to
one of our correspondents there to
send me $1,000 by the first mail.
went into Mr.. Collins back Office,
got my trunk in there and put on an
old hand me down suit that [ used for
fishing aud hunting. My plug hat [
for soft one, took my va
Use in my hand and went home.
the place didn't look right.
The current 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 the front door and rang the bell.
Mother came to the door and said,
We don't wish to buy anything to-
day, sir.
6r1J+ T1 r. a n
her from head to foot. Neatly dressed,
John, but a patch and a darn here
and there, her hair streaked with
gray, her face thin, drawn and
wrinkled. Yet over her eye glasses
shone those good, honest eyes. I
stood staring at her and then she be-
gan to stare at me. I saw the blood
rush to her face, and with great sob
she threw herself upon me and ner-
vously clasped me about her neck,
Historically crying:
It's JIMMY It's Jirnmy!
Then L cried, too, John. just broke
down and cried like a baby. She got
me into the house, hugging and kiss
ne me, and then she went to the back
foor and shouted: George!
Father called from the kitchen:
What do you want Car'line?
Then he came in. He knew me in
moment. He stuck out his hand
md grasped mine and said, sternly:
Well, young man, do you propose (
0 behave yourself now?
He tried 10 put on brave front, but
{ broke down. Then we three sat