The St. Johns herald., 1896-07-11
ME train ran into a little station

negro man, grizzled and wrinkled, wa
 lowering around its margin.
 'Is you got um all, Sister Calline? be asked anxiously.
 -'Clare ef I knowsw said the woman running her eye over the company "Pears lak dere's one on um missin'!
 "All aboardP' shouted the conductor and the train moved.
 "Hyar, mistahr' shrieked Sister Cal line, "you'se cain off one O my chilTenr'
 The conductor laughed good-natured- ly, and was gone.
 "Oh, Lawd" moaned the woman, Hes done ca'ed off one of um, suah?'
 The station agent sauntered near. He wore that intensely bored expres- sion only possible to a man who spends his life in a piney woods clearing, see Ing four trains day go in and playing checkers on a barrel head in the in- tervals.
 One wonders if the lunatic asylums are not largely recruited from this class.
 "Orter have tied lem along a rope, so's they couldn't get away" he said.
 Sister Calline turned her black vel vet orbs in his direction.
 "You call dat train back, say" she cried. He's done ca'ed off one O my chiren."
 "S'pose I can call the train backT' said the man, contemptuously. If you're sure one of lem is missin' you'll have to set down and wait here till the train comes back. They'll bring 1t, l reckon"
 "Oh. my pore Ill chilew
 Tears began to stream down the black face.
 The wrinkled old uncle looked deep ly distressed.
 ''Is you pint blank suah one on um's missin', Sister Calline?" he asked, sym pathetlcally.
 Her eyes wandered, vague and trou- bled, over the dusky, shifting crowd of faces.
 "Pse mos pufflckly suah," she said.
 Better count 'em," suggested the agent. "How many are there, any how?"
 "Dere's Lu Roxy Adline, Lucy alier@"
 "Ps here, mammyy' interrupted a Iong-limbed girl of 14.
 q told you to count emp said the agent, impatiently.
 'I cayn't coun', mas'r! Pse bawn afore de wah. But anyhow dey say q ,re's leben on um."
 Sister Calline," said the old man, tenderly, He's we set right down hyar an I'll coun' um fer ye. I'se scholar"
 "You sholy Is kind, mlstah," said Sis ter Calline, gratefully, sitting down on the edge of the platform.
 The agent laughed shortly and turned away.
 The grizzled old uncle took a red and yellow handkerchief from his pocket and carefully dusted the end of the blanks before he took his seat.
 He wore a threadbare black suit which had undoubtedly once moved in high society.
 Sister Calline looked at him with 
 "I reckon dat you mus be preacher. sah," she said, defentially.
 Madam, is. Pse been preachin' de word desc nine years, eber sence my pore old lady died. I was a powerful sinner afore dat"
 Sister Calline looked awed.
 'T was, suahw said the old man, re- "But I'se come inter de kingdom now suah huff, press de Lord. Is you got a husban'. Sister Calline%
 'Tse a pore widder, mistah, wid all lese chilen ter scuffle fer, an de Lawd knows what Tse gwine ter do."
 Uncle glanced at the bundle in her arms. It had begun to move and whimper.
 Dat your baby, chile?" asked uncle,  ''Dis my baby" replied Sister Cal inc, looking down at the sooty mite in ler arms with maternal pride My DO ole man neber see dis baby. 1 He was blowed up de biler bustin' in | le mill where he wuked. He was done killed when dey brung him home. De ]! doctors tried an tried to pump some fife inter him, but he never spoke no i mo-"
 "For de lan's sakew calculated the l ,ld man.
 Compassion was written all over his l kind old face. He had been a good | iarky from his youth up, and his past ] was purely fictitious.
 What de mattah wid you ole lady | 7ou done lost?" asked Sister Calline. 'Consumpshun," replied the old man, Iolemnly. Tt runs in our family. Ole | Junnel Rents ma died ob it, an de tunnels first wife died ob it an Ill | nistis died, too. An den my ole lady | ook 1t an she died. It's turrible de ease"
 Dat sholy is sor' coincided Sister Jalline. "'Scuse my insurance aXin' you, mistah. Does you git you libin' 
 De folks pay me some, an den I'se ,ot a nice piece O Ian an a Til house. i fly ole mas'r give um ter me-" said the i'd man, with modest pride
 'Sho! Ain't you too old ter wuk" q wuks some, an de ars helps ne. Pse de onliest one ob de ole sar- -en's Ief'. rSe 95 year ole!"