Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-07-01
JIM'S LITTLE DAUGHTER.
The Railway SigndImdn'S
StOru.

eY ". s. SMITH.

I've never yet had an accident at my
box. I've come very near it on several
occasions, as you may guess; but, some
how, providence has always seemed to
step in just at the right moment an pre-
vent it.
One case can call to mind every bit
as plain now as when it happened,
which is getting on for is years ago,
neither no more nor no less, but that's
no doubt because it concerned my own
self more than it did any O. the others.
You'd like to hear the story? Well,
sir, there isn't over much dom just
now, an as your train isn't due for half
nm hour or so, don't mind tellin' it.
At the time speak of, hadn't been
appointed signalman at the old junction
down yonder Jerking his thumb in a
direction over his left shoulder) more
than q few months. It's been pulled
down now, an bigger box put up,
but in those days there was just as
much work to do, and not so much
room to do it in.
I was on day turn that week, an as
I walked down the line bit afore seven
In the mornin', the sun shinin' bright
Nv, an the birds twitterin' an hoppin'
about from bush to bush, 1 couldn't
help thinkin' how much nicer an pleas
anter it was than bein' on nights, wi
nothin' but the screech of locomo-
tive every now an again, or maybe an
occasional fog signal, to keep you COM
pany during the long dark hours.
"Mornin', Joe," says !, when ! got to
the box, to my mate who'd been on
durin' the night. mice day, amt IT,"
AYE, very NICE" says Joe.
"Anythin' special in the night?" says
I.
"No, nuthin' much. Down Scotch
man IS minutes late through block on
the line higher up, an two trucks O.
cattle in the sidin' for the pickup
that's a goods train calm at every sta
ton, if required, sir-"to take forward
this mornin'. That's about all, l
think"
Well, Joe stayed in the box talkin'
an gossipin' to pae in friendly sort o.
way for about half an hour, as we usu-
ally did, whichever of us happened to
be just goin' off duty, an then he slung
his bag over his shoulder an went off
home to get his breakfast an bit o. we'll
earned rest, leavin' me alone for an
.ther day in charge O. the old cabin.
1t was a pretty busy box, an there
wasn't much time hangin' on your
hands, so to speak, but what bit there
was 1 generally spent in polishin' up
the big levers O. steel an brass-it was
always Joe's an my boast that you
couldn't find so much as speck O. dust
on any of our handles-an' thinkin' O.
the wife an child at home.
f; We'd been married about six years,
had Jenny an me, an happier couple
4 don't think you'd have found any
where. She was always cheerful an
smilin', an as good an careful a man
ager as you could set eyes on, an al
though my wages weren't very much
to talk about at the time, she made
them spin out an do things in way
that fairly astonished me. The house
was always comfortable an nice, an
as clean as continual dustin an scrub
Dim could make it.
Very proud was Jenny when got
put on at the junction. She said it
showed they thought a good deal O.
me; an right enough, it was an impor-
ltant post for young man, as was
then, who hadn't been signalman more
than a matter O. some seven or eight
years. We'd never had but one child,
little Nelly. She was just five, an it
would have done your heart good to
ZEE her wi her winsome ways and her
brattlin' baby talk.
AS for Jenny an 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 Sum
day, 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 gone wi'out tobacco
for q week in order that she might
have her new pair O. slippers or new
pinafore bit sooner.
We used to call her our little bit O.
sunshine, an I'm sure a 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 off down to the box, after kissing
them both, she'd stand at the door,
holdin' on to her mothers gown WI
one little hand, wavin' the other in the
air, an calm out after me: "Dood-
by, dada DEAR" till was out O. hearin',
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
it till about IL o'clock, pullin' back the
levers an enterin' up in my book tn.
times O. the trains as they passed.
After that time had a bit o. slack
till the one o'clock down express was
signaled, an then Nelly would bring
my dinner down an stay playin' about
in the box till I'd eatenit.
This was the one little bit o. the da,
that / always looked forward to wi
more interest than any other, unless
1T were knockin'-off time, an when