The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-12-11
Only a Dog.

UnlV u Dog.
It was not an hour after dawn.
the waiting-room in the Grand Contra
Station was full. It was always full.
Outside, each minute of the day, trains
came OF went; to Canada, to New En-
gland, to the South, to the great West.
The ~thronging crowd gathered there
now, were of every variety of race and
condition, and their pursuits we're as
various. Here were a group of Young
fellows, laughing and boisterous, on
their way to Harvard; there a poor
family Of pale, silent emigrants, going
to seek heir fortune in Dakota. A
party OF delicate won1en and children,
wrapped III furs, and attended by liv-
cried servants, We're waiting for the
train which would take them to Flor
ida. On this bench sat q bonanza king,
who was on his way back to his gold
mines In California. and on thai haIf-a-
dozen sturdy Norweg.ans and black
eyed Spaniards, who had Jus landed
from an ocean steamer. each with his
whole possessions ted up IL q haudker-
chief. and IN his hat his ticket marked
for Denver, Col.
Each man was only intent upon him
self and his w business. LII spite Of
,he crowd there was d marked &uiat.
WeAmericanS are q silent teop g. The
soft moaning air blew freshly tiirough
the long lines Of cars and putting en-
gines: a faint hum came from without.
It was the great city awakening for the
day.
A Scotch colley, belong to one of the
emigrants, went from one group to
another, wagging his tail and looking
up with mild, expressive eyes full of
good nature and friendly feeling. He
seemed to bind these people suddenly
together with a thread of goodwill.
Children called to him, the students
romped with him, ladies patted his
shaggy head, a poor negro III the cor
ner threw him a bone.
just then a startled hush fell on the
crowd and every eye turned in one di-
rection. A woman was washing the
windows of some empty cars drawn on
a siding, singing as she rubbed the
panes. She had her child with her, a
little fellow 3 years old. While her
back was turned, the baby ran to the
door of the car and jumped down on to
the next track.
Upon the track the Eastern express
was just approaching the station. Di-
rectly in its path was the baby. A sort
Of sob Of terror came from the paralyzed
crowd. The dog, with head erect and
fixed eyes, saw the danger, and with
a bound and a fierce bark, darted toward
the child. The baby, frightened,
started back. The mother went on
washing windows and singing, as the
huge engine rushed up abreast of her
car.
There was a crunching noise and .
faint little cry of agony. Even strong
men grew sick at the sound and turned
away. When they looked, the baby
was toddling across the platform, laugh
ing, and the crushed, dead body of the
dog lay on the track.
Passengers for Pittsburgh, Chicago,
and the West!'
Passengers for Baltimore, Rich
mond, and the South"
So the cry went on, and the surging
crowd passed out, never all to meet
again in this world. But the faces Of
men and women were pale, and there
were tears in the eyes of many Of them.
The poor negro and the millionaire,
tottering old men, and laughing boys
were the better and stronger for What
they had seen, and were heigSd upward
by so much, because even a dumb dog
had been friendly in it's life and heroic
in its deatE.-IOuth's COmbdmiO3t.