The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-06

Choose thou, befors that spirit do,
A piercing pain, . killing ain,
And to my dead heart run them mi
- -Robert Louis Stevenson.
ASIGNALMAN'SST0RY
No, sir, I'm proud an thankful TO say
that, although I've bean q signalman now
for Gloss on quarter Of q century, I've
never yet had an accident at my box. I've
come very near II on several occasions, az
you may guess, but, somehow, Providence
has always seemed to step In just at the
right moment an prevent II. K
Ono case especially remember.
was on day turn that week, an 90 I
walked down tho line bit afore 7 in the
mornin, the sun shipin brightly an the
birds titterin An hoppin about from bush
to bush, couldn't help thinkin how
much nicer an pleasanter 1t was than bein'
on nights, WI nothin but the screech Of @
locomotive every now ap again, or maybe
an occasional fog signal to keep you COM
pany through the long, dark hours
"Mornin, Joe," says ], when got to
the box, to my mate who'd been on durin
the night. "Nice day, amt itP"
"Aye, very nice" says Joe.
"Anything special in the nightp" saysI.
"No, nothin much. Down Scotchman
Is minutes late, through block on the
line higher up, an two trucks o. cattle in
the sidin for the pick up"-that's a goods
train califn every station ifrequired, sir
ito take forward this mornin. That's
about all, think"
Well, Joe staid In the box talkin an
gossipin to me In friendly sort o. way
for about half an hour, as wo usually did,
whichever Of us happened to be just goin
of duty, an then he slung bis bag over his
shoulder an went off home to get his
breakfast an bit o. we'll earned rest, leav-
In me alone for another day In charge o.
the old cabin. -g.s
IL was pretty busy box, an there
wasn't much time hangin on yunr hands,
80 to speak, but what bit there was gen.
emily employed In palishin- up the big
levers o. steel an bYass-it was always
Jos's On my boast thnt you couldn't find
SO much as spe0k o. dust on any Of our
handles-an thinkiD O. tho wife an child
at home.
We'd been married about si1 years, had
Jenny an mo, on happier couple don't
think you'd have found anywhere. She
was always cheerful an smiling, an as
good an careful manager as you could
set eyes on, an although my wages weren't
very much to talk about at that time, she
mado them spin out an do things In way
that fairly astonished me. The house was
always comfortable an nice, an as clean as
al In NM MN n
It,
Very proud was Jenny when ! got put
on at the junction. She said it showed
they thought good deal O. me, an, right
enough, it was an important post for a
young man, as I was then, who hadn't
been signalman moro than a matter o.
some seven or eight years. We'd never
had but tho one child, little Nelly. She
was Just &, an it would have done your
heart good to SEQ her, wi her winsome
ways an her prattlin baby talk.
As for Jenny IN me, We just idolized
her an nothin less Nothin was too good
for her, an when she WAS dressed up In
her best little frock on Sunday we were
that proud OF her we didn't think there
was another girl like our Nelly in the
whole wide world. Many time have I
gone wi'out tobacco for week In order
that she might have her new pair O. slip
pers OF new pinafore bit sooner.
We used to call her our little bit o. sun
shine, an I'm sure better name it would
have been hard to find, for she seemed to
light up the house, runnin In an out IN
her play, just like CLEAN O. sun does
Every mornin when went of down to
the box after kissin them both she'd stand
at the door, holdin on to her mothers
gown wi one little hand, wavin the other
in tho DIR an calm out after me, "Dood-
by, dada, dear" till was ont O. bearin,
me turnin round every few yards an wavin
my hand to her In return.
Well, on this particular mornin things
/ went on much the same as usual, an
was kept pretty hard at IL till about 10
O'Clock pullin back the levers an enterin
up IN my book the times O. the trains as
they passed.
After that time had hit O. slack till
an then Nelly would bring my dinner
down an stay playin about in the box till
I'd eaten 1t.
This was,the one little bit o'.the day
that always looked forward to wi more
interest than any other unless 1t were
knockin off time, an whenever the wealth.
er was anything like fine was sure not to
be disappointed.
At first Jenny was nervous an didn't
like tho Idea o. the child walkin down the
line.
ooh, Jfys," she said, ''is 1t safe for her
to 60? Think what we should do If any
thing happened to our little Nelly"
"Oh, never fear, lass; she'll DO all
right" answered. won't you, Nolly?"
catchin her up In my arms an kissin her.
Eyes, me all right" lisped Nelly in
her pretty baby talk, noddfn her little
head wisely an maxim US both laugh at
her earnestness
After that she came regularly, an
used to look out for her toddlin down tho
footpnth at the side O. the line-I'd cou-
toned her never to go off it, an as she was
o sharp little thing she soon understood
why-wi' my dinner basket hung over her
arm, as proud an pleased ns possible to
think that she was takin her dad his din
ner.
Then, when I'd taken 1t out O. the bas-
ket, wi kiss for porterage, she'd play
round an look wi big, wonderin eyes at
the great brass handles an the telegraph
needles till I'd finished, when she'd start
back home wi the empty basket--it wasn't
more than quarter O. q mile-an I'd
watch her little figure CROWN smaller in
the distance wi feelin's just as proud as
her own.
This had gone on for some time now,
an Jenny had quite forgotten her fears.
The express was late that day, an re-
member wonderin what could have de-
layed It, a. It was usually signaled pune
tual to the minute. At last, however,
got the ring on the bell that told me- 1T
was approachin, an not long after heard
Its rumblin some two or three ilesaway.
A ftor ia pul1ed INV leypra over an set the