Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-12-22

those who have enjoyed the blessed eX-
pcrience Of a home and the associations
of n united family circle; q season
when memory opens her portfolio and
points out to us the pictures of the long
ago from which time has taken all dis
cordant colors and mellowed them into
beautiful hGrmonies: an hour when
mems hearts are more tender and sym
pathetic and more easily prompted by
b~cncyolencc.
The travel was comparatively light
on the through express. for most of the
commercial runners" had managed to
finish up their work and were already
rejoicing in the comforts of home. OF
course there are Others than drummers
who travel, but the drummer is the
staff of life to the passenger service
and hotel enterprise, so / mention him
first. There We're but four commercial
men that | recognized as such on this
special train, and as usual they We're
making the best of the occasion with
story and jokca and merry conversation.
Having reversed one of the seats with
out permission or and Of the conductor,
a button hook saving all such cere-
mony, four of them sat facing each
other, forming a iovial group-more
noticeable, perhaps, ON account Of the
gloom which seemed to envelop the
other passengers.
There were about twenty-five pill
grims occupying the ear, comprising the
usual varieties of character to be found
under the circumstances. The train
boy had passed and repassed through
the train all the afternoon, laden either
with his burden Of well-worn paper
covered novels, or his basket of
posthumous ripened fruit, but his stock
had not appeared to diminish any in
spite Of his industry. By the weary
and discouraged cXprcssionof his coun-
~tenance it was evident that trade was
not very lively. The train boy in this
case, as in most eases, was a maj in
years, but still short enough in stature
to be called a boy without absurdity;
II of those unhealthy and weall-look-
ing mortals who are unirteresting to
anyone except their own near kin.
The train boy seated himself in an un-
occupied corner next to the group of
drummers, and taking from his pocket
a meager handful of small coins began
to count them over. lie seemed to de-
rive little comfort from this occupa-
ton, for he O o replaced the money in
his pocket with an audible sigh.
began to feel Il languid compassion
for the fellow-not, | confess, the sort
to do me any creditor my pity was
not entirely free from a feeling Of CON
tempt, n spurious pity, barren of any
result; Il sort of speculative pity, lead
ing me out into m~editations on the
diversitics and proportionate response
bilities of humanity. The wretched
fellow made me feel uncomfortable.
What right had the authorities to tor
ment the travelling public by introduce
ing such a factor into their service? A
train boy is always a nuisance at his
best, with his impudent and constant
annoyance, his utter lack of delicacy,
his trespass on time and patience.
his presumption and intrusion on our
privacy, And by what law of equity
should have my sensibilitics panied in
a frctful sympathy for a supposititious
misery? couldn't help IL. What could
possibly do for the fellow even
though ! were TO make an eGort9
The half-smothered sigh of the train
boy seemed to attract the attention of
one OF the commercial travellers: either
that OF the lugubrious expression on
his face; for the traveller Immediately
accosted him in a way peculiar to
knights of the road in addressing an
employee, with whom all drummers and
railway men assume a familiar ac-
quaintancc.
Hey, Jimmie! brace up! What's the
matter with you? You look like you'd
mad an invitation to your own funcr-
al"
his name might or might not have
been Jimmie: if it was it was only q CO.
incidence, for the drummer probably
had no more idea than ! had by what
name the train boy was christened.
However, it served the purpose and the
remark was answered by a sickly effort
OF q smile.