The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-22

fat her and
mother tells how he came to make
them visit:
How i came to visit my home hap
pened in curious way. Six weeks
ago 1 went down to Fire island, fish
ang. had had a lunch put up for me,
and you can imagine my establishment
when I opened the hamper to find
package of crackers wrapped up in
piece of the little patent-iuside country
weekly published at my home in Wis
consin. l read every word of it, adj
vertisements and all. There was
George Kellogg, who was schoolmate
of mine, advertising hams and salt
pork, and another boy was postmaster.
BY George! 1t made me homes cll, and
j determined then and there to go
home, and go home did.
''In the irst place l must tell you
how I came to New York. had tiff
with my father and left home. l
finally turned up in New York with g
dollar in my pocket. got Job run
ming freight elevator in tho very
house in which am now partner.
My haste to get rich drove the thought
of my parents from me, and when 1
did think Of them, the hard words that
my father last spoke to me rankled in
my bosom Well, went home. tell
you. John, my train seemed to creep,
L was actually worse than schoolboy
going homo 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 mile before
coming to the station, passing many
houses of which only an occasional
one was familiar. The town had grown
TO ten times it's size when l knew it.
The train stopped, and l jumped off.
Not a face in sight I knew, and l
started down the platform to go home.
In the Office door stood the station
agent. walked up and said: 'Howdy,
MIR. CollinsP'
'He stared at me and 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 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, knocked me all in
heap. / thought my father had
enough to live upon comfortably.
Then notion struck me. Before
going home telegraphcd to Chicago
to one of our correspondents there to
send me one thousand dollars by first
mail. Then l went into Mr.. Collins
back office, got my trunk in there, and
put on an old hand-mc-down suit that
fused for fishing and hunting My
plug hat replaced by 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 tho fence was
gone. All the old locust trees had
been cut down and young maple trees
were planted. The house looked
amaller, somehow, too But went up
60 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
at didn't take minute to survey
her from head to foot. Neatly dressed.
John, but a patch and darn here and
there, her hair strealed with pray
her face thin, drawn and wrinlsled.
ASe over ner eyeglasses 6h0ne those
good, honest, benevolent eyes. stood
staring at her and then she began to
stare at me. ! saw the blood rush to
her face, and with great sob she
threw herself upon me and nervously
clasped me about the neck, hysterical.
ly crying: its Jimmyl It's Jimmyv
"Then cried, too. John I Just
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: 'Gcorgcr
Father called from the kitchen:
What do you want Car'line?
Then he came in. He knew me in
a moment He stuck out his hand and
grasped mine, and said, sternly: We'll,
young man, do you propose to behave
yourself now?' -,