The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-25

~ a. ~
fat Their and
mother tells how he came to make
them visit:
How came to visit my home hap
pened in a curious way. Six weeks
ago I went down to Fire island, fish
ing had had lunch put up for me,
and you can imagine my establishment
when 1 opened the hamper to find a
package of crackers wrapped up in a
piece of the little patent-inside country
weekly published at my homo in Wis
vertisements and ali. There was
George Kellogg, who was a schoolmate
of mine, advertising hams and salt
pork, and another boy was postmaster.
By George! 1t made me homesick, and
I determined then and there to go
home, and go home did
''Tn the first place I must tell you
how came to New York. had tiff
with my father and left home.
finally turned up in New York with a
dollar in my pocket. I got job rum
ming a freight elevator in the very
house in which / am now q partner.
NY haste to getrich drove che thought
of my parents from me, and when l
did think of them, the hard words that
my father last spoke to me ranked in
my bosom. Well, went home. tell
/ was actually worse than a school boy
going home for vacation. At last
we neared the town. Familiar sights
met my eyes and, upon my word, they
filed with tears. There was Bill Ly-
mans red barn just the same; but
great Scott what were all Of the other
houses? We rode nearly a 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 l knew it.
The train stopped, and I jumped of.
Not face in sight 1 knew, and l
started down the platform to go home.
In the office door stood the station
agent. L walked up and said: 'Howdy,
Mr.. CoLlinsY
HE stared at me and replied:
You've got tho best Of me, sir
Il told him who l was and what l
44Gbd DCCh NtcLllS VI a. Gl1u IG
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"
II tell you, John, I knocked me all in
heap. l thought my father had
enough to live upon comfOrta bly,.
Then notion struck me. Before
going home l telegraphed to Chicago
to one of our correspondents there to
send me one thousand dollars by first
mail Then ! went into Mr.. Collins
back Office, got my trunk in there, and
put on an old hand-me-6ovn suit that
/ used for fishing and hunting. Ny
plug hat l replaced by a,soft one, 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 I went up
to the front door and rang the bell
Mother came to the front door and
said: We don't wish to buy anything
to-day, sir
ut didn't take a minute to survey
her from head to foot. Neatly dressed.
John, but q patch and a 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 I stood
staring at her and then she began to
stare at me. saw the blood rush 10
her face, and with a great sob she
threw herself upon me and uervously
clasped me about the neck, hysterical-
" crying: It's Jimmy! It's JIMMY
Then l cried, too. John I lust
broke down and cried like baby. She
got me into the house, hugging and
kissing me, and then she went to the
back door and shouted: George"
''Father called from the kitchen:
What co you want, Car'lineP
Then he came IN lie knew ne in
a moment He stuck out his hand and
gvasped mine- and said, ste-ulv: We'll,
young man, do you propose 70 behave
yourself oaw?'
HE tried TO put on brave 'front.' ouE
be broke down There we three sat
like whipped school children, al whin-
pering. AZ last supper-time came and .
mother went out 70 prepare II went +
into the kitchen with her
" Where do you live. jimmy she 1
asked
IN New York. I replied
What are You working a. now,
Jiumv%
go I'm working IN d-r--oo5s store
Then I suppose you don't live very
high. Tor near tell % them CITY clerks
Eh2t dou't get enough uaouar - ksso :