The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-23
HIS HOME COMING.

hoW ctiHo 10 ViSlC my nome hap
pened i'll curious way. Six weeks ago
I went down to Fire island fishing. I
had had lunch put up for me, and Won
can imagine my astonishment when /
opened the hamper to find package of
crackers wrapped up in weekly pub
lished ut my home in Wisconsin. 1 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
mo homesick, and 1 determined then
and there to go home, and go homo
did
In the first place, must tell you how
came to New York. had tiff with
my father and left home. finally turned
up i'll New York with dollar in nv
pocket. I got job running n freight
elevator in the very house lin 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 ranked i'll my bosom. Well, went
home. 1 tell you, John, my train seemed
to creep. I 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 sizo when knew it. The
train stopped and jumped off. Not a
face i'll sight knew, and started down
the platform to go home. In the office
door stood the station agent. 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 I had
been doing in New York, and he didn't
make any bones in talking to me. Said
he: cts about time You were coming
home-you in New York rich, and your
father scratching gravel to get u liv-
ing"
tell you, John, it knocked me all in
heap. l thought my father had enough
to 1.-Two upon comfortably Then notion
struck me. Before going home tele-
graphcd 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 I
used for fishing and hunting My plug
hat replaced by II soft one, took my
valise i'll my hand and went home.
Somehow the place didn't look right.
The currant 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 We're
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, "We don t wish
to buy anything today, sir. -
1t didn't take minute to survey her
from head to foot. Neatly dressed, John
but o 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 ut her, and then she began
to stare at me. saw the blood rush to
her face, and with great sob she threw
herself upon me and nervously clasped
me about the neck, Historically crying,
Its Jimmyl It's Jimmyi'
Then cried, too, John. broke down
and cried like a baby. She got ME back
to the house, hugging and kissing me.
Then she went to the back door and
shouted "George!" Father called from
the kitchen, "What do you want, Car
liner
Then he came in. He knew me in a
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