The Monitor-register., 1897-04-30
ONE OF H LEAST.

JOoh6 man AuoidH OhOha WILL bAOIL Ou0
v&lise on the seat beside him.
They had looked out of the window
until they were tired of that, had cha fed
the newsboy and asked the bra kesman
nonsensical questions until they had
earned a sharp answer from each, and
were now left with only the other pas
sengers to furnish material for fun.
Their keen eyes rolled about, finding
little in the quiet, . ell dressed crowd to
excite comment. The bridal party and
the baby, hose fruitful sources of
amusement On the train. we're missing
and wit laDguished.
AT the next stop an old nan came in
a shabby, very shabby Old mtu. Hs
took a seat near the young people, and
they seized upon him as a legitimate
object for sport. He took off his batter
ed old hat. and they giggled over the wen
on the top of his head, over which his
struggling gray hairs were carefully
combed. They found material for fun in
the wish of gray beard on the aged face,
aud in every thing he wore, clean down
to the cracked shoes on his feet, from
which a knitted sock was trying to peep.
The old mans eyes were bleared and
red, and he leaned heavily OIL his cane as
the conductor came in. His voice was
cracked, and shrilI, too, as he asked
questions, while the official punched his
ticket and looked at him as ii he would
gladly send him into the second class
car if his ticket we're not first GLASS.
The roar of the train dulled his hear
ing, and he held his trembling hand be-
hind his ear to catch the conductors
answer, which vas crisp and unsatisfac,
tory. The poor get little of that ready
courtesy which we'll to do people OK act
as their right from train officials; and
even the silly young man, with his high
collar and low stock of good sense, met
with more respect from the conductor
than this aged man.
The old man was intensely funny to
the trio on the lookout for amusement,
and wit, such as it was. circulated freely
at bis expense.
The yourg people were to change cars
at the next station, riding a few hours on
a branch road, and the train was slowing
up. They pushed rudely past the old
man, who was evidently preparing to
change, too, acting as if time were of the
greatest Importance. They stood on the
platform as he descended from the car,
going toward the baggage Car it'll
feeble steps.
A little, old fashioned hairy trunk,
studded with brass nails, stood in the
baggage car, and the baggageman gave it
a vicious fling out upon the platform.
The old man WINGED as the trunk struck
he platform, aud he FASTENED his steps
as if to protect it. Too late ! Like the
old man, it was weak with age, and its
| sides parted at the shock, and the cover
flaw up from the back as the hinges
broke.
A groan burst from the old mans lips,
and with trembling hands he began to
tumble helplessly at the garments, which,
loosened from their close packing, had
rolled out upon the platform
That your trunk, daddy Sorry l
busted it for you, but Tad there, he'll fix
it up for you, good as ever" cried the
-baggageman. He was not q bad fellow
when he was not in a hurry, and was
really sorry.
"Going up the branch, hey ?" said the
s-tationmsster at the office. well, just
you wait a minute, there's plenty oftime,
and I'll get a p Jim'e a little too
fresh when he gets hold of an old piece
of baggage, but veil have it all right in
a jiffy."
Toe young psopla s5o1d by, gate on
vulsed with msrriment, as the old man
bent over his scattered property, tears of
distress stealing down his aged face. A
woman's fadded wrapper, 40 old bonnet
with black satin strings, each carefully
rolled up and pinued, and a pair of shoes
even more worn than those upon the old
mans feet, lay On the platform. aud he
when the baggagemaa came back with
the rope.
"Here, let me do this, pappy," he said,
kindly. You're all unstrung, and I'm
used to this kind of business"
He would have taken the shawl, but
the old man resisted.
81 can't" he said, his crac ked voice
trembling with emvtion. Mother had
it round her shoulders when she died.
You're Kind, mister, but it seems lik Q l
can't let nobody touch her things but
me. We lived together forty-nine years;
Just OIL e more would "a been our golden
wedding, though we amt never bad
much gold or silver 10 our lives; but the
good Lord took her, aud tn ess clothes is
all I've got left of her. We took this
trunk with us on our wedding journey,
and | thought it would last to carry her
things this last tins. Seemed like
'twouldn't be all right to put 'em into a
new, strange trunk that didl' know
her,"
The merriment had all gone out of the
faces of the two young girls, aud the
young man turned away and walked to
to thu end of the platform.
"Going to live with somebody, sir ?"
asked the baggageman, wiping his eyes,
apparently on account of a Glider or
something of the kind, VII ich had lodged
there.
"Yes. I've a 6 good daughter, sir; just
like her m1ther, aud her husband is kind,
too. Pm taking these clothes to her, and
sh s'll vally 'em beyond every thing.
He had the faded bonnet in his hand,
and was patting it tenderly.
81 remember, sir, the day | bought
her this ERE buunit. She hadn't had a
new one 10 five years, aud. sir. she was
so pleased when / brought it home that
she kissed me. Yes, sir, kissed me, and
we'd been lone with that sort of thing
| for years. Not that we didn't love one
another, bat it seems that our love run
SO deep that there want no froth nor
bubbles on tue surface; no need of kiss
ing and such, you un derstand."
The ~baggageman nodded. He wond-
cred if his love for his bride of a year
would ever run SO deep that it would not
seek out IS ard expression, and he waited
while the old man folded and tucked
the worn into the little old