Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-03-25
HIS HOME COMING.

l.
How / came to visit my home hap
pened in a curious way. Six weeks ago
| I went down to Fire island fishing. /
had had lunch put up for me, and you
can imagine my astonishment when ]
opened the hamper to find package of
crackers wrapped up in weekly pub
lished at my home i'll Wisconsin. read
every word of it, advertisements and
all. There was George Kellogg, who
was schoolmate of mine, advertising
hams and salt pork, and another boy
was postmaster. By George, it made
me homesick, and I determined then
and there to go home, and go home
did.
In the first place, must tell you how
I came to New York. I had tiff with
my father and left home finally turned
up in New York with dollar in my
pocket. got job running a freight
elevator in the very house in which /
am now partner. My haste to get rich
drove the thought of my parents from
me, and when did think of them the
hard words that my father last spoke to
me rankled in my bosom. Well, I went
home. tell you, John, my train seemed
to creep. was actually worse than a
schoolboy going home for vacation.
At last we neared the town. Familiar
sights met my eyes, and, upon my word,
they filled with tears. There was Bill
Lyman's red barn just the same; but,
great Scott, what were all the other
houses? We rode nearly mile before
coming to the station, passing many
houses of which only an occasional one
was familiar. The town had grown to
ten times its size when knew it. The
train stopped and jumped off. Not a
face in sight I knew, and started down
the platform to go home. In the office
door stood the station agent. I walked
up and said, "Howdy, Mr.. Collins?''
He stared at me and replied, you've
got the best of me, sir.
told him who was and what had
been doing in New York, and he didn't
make any bones in talking to me. Said
he: "It's about time you were coming
home--you in New York rich, and your
father scratching gravel to get liv-
ing"
tell you, John, it knocked me all in
a heap. thought my father had enough
to live upon comfortably. Then notion
struck me. Before going home I tele-
graphed to Chicago to one of our CORE
spondents there to send me 81, 900 by
first mail. Then went into Mr.. Collins
back office, got my trunk in there and
put on an old hand me down suit that
used for fishing and hunting. Ny plug
hat replaced by soft one, took my
yalise in my hand and went home
Somehow the place didn't look right
The curTant bushes had been dug up
from the front yard and the fence was
gone. All the old locust trees had been
cut down and young maple trees were
planted. The house looked smaller, too,
somehow. But went up to the front
door and rang the bell. Mother came to
the front door and said, "Te don't wish
to buy anything today, sir.
It didn't take minute to survey her
from head to foot Neatly dressed, John,
but patch here and there, her hair
streaked with gray, her face thin and
wrinkled. Yet over her eyeglasses shone
those good, honest, benevolent eyes. I
stood staring at her, and then she began
to stare at me. I saw the blood rush to
her face, and with a great sob she threw
herself upon me and neryously clasped
me about the neck, Historically crying,
Then I cried, too. John. broke down
and cried like baby. She got me back
to the house, hugging and kissing me.
Then she went to the back door and
shouted "Georgep' Father called from
the kitchen, "What do you want, Car
liner"
Then he came in. He knew me in
moment. He stuck out his hand and
grasped mine firmly, and said sternly,
Well young man, do you propose to
behave yourself now?''
He tried to put on brave front, but
he broke down. There we sat like whip
ped school children, all whimpering.
At last supper time came and mother
went out to prepare it, went into the
kitchen with her.
Where do you live, JIMMY" she
asked
''In New York, - I replied.
sWhat are you working at now,
Jimmy?''
II am working in dry goods store. -
Then ! suppose you don't live very
high, for I hear tell o. them city clerks
what don't get enough money to keep
body and soul together. So I'll just tell
you, Jimmy, we've got nothing but
roasted spareribs for supper. We amt
got any money now, Jimmy. We're
poorer nor Jobs turkey"
told her would be delighted with
the spareribs, and to tell the truth,
John, I have not eaten meal in New
York that tasted as good as those crisp
roasted spareribs did spent the even
ing playing checkers with father, while
mother sat by telling me all about
their misfortunes, from old white Moo
ley getting drowned in the pond to ia
ther's signing note for a friend and
having to mortgage his place to pay it.
The mortgage was due inside of week
and not a cent to meet it with-just
$500. She supposed they would be turn
cd out Of house and home, but in my
mind ! supposed they wouldn't. At
last 9 O'Clock came and father said: