Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-09-16
VISITING THE
OLD HOME

l. Il ker the other evening to a
portly, finely dressed man in the cor
ridor of the Fifth Avenue Hotel The
gentleman stopped, shook hands with
his friend, and replied: I've been
home to see my old father and mother,
for the first time in sixteen years, and
/ tell you, old man, | wouldn't have
missed one day of that visit for all my
fortune-nor much more
kind O good to visit your boyhood
home, Ell"
Yes. Sit down. l was just thinking
about the old folks, and feel laxative.
If you have a few minutes to spare, sit
; down, light cigar and listen to the
story of a rich man who, in the chase
for wealth, had almost forgotten his
father and mother"
They sat down and the man told his
story:
How l came to visit my home hap
pened in curious way. Six weeks ago
went down to Fire Island fishing.
had had a lunch put up for me, and
you can imagine my astonishment,
when l opened the hamper, to find
package of crackers wrapped up in
piece of the little country weekly pub
lished at my home in Wisconsin. l
read every word of it, advertisements
and all. There was George Kellogg who
was a schoolmate Of mine, advertising
hams and salt pork, and another boy
was postmaster. 1t made me home
sick, and | determined then and there
| un homo | 1t}
"In the fire place, ! must tell you how
came to New York. | had quarreled
with my father and left home. final
ly turned up in New York with dollar
In my pocket. | got job running a
freight elevator in the very house in
which | am now a partner. My haste
! to become rich drove the thought of
J my parents from me, and when l
thought of them the hard words that
! my father last spoke to me ranked in
my bosom.
/, We'll, | went home. tell you, John,
| my train seemed to creep. l was actu-
S ally worse than 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
r barn, just the same; but-Great Scott
= what were all the other houses? We
q rode nearly a mile before coming tC
e the station, passing many houses, OF
- which only an occasional one wa,
IT familiar.
I, 1.-The town had grown to ten times 1T
size when knew it. The train stopped
- and | jumped off. Not face in Sigh
that | knew, and | started down thu
u platform to go home. In the Office doc
2 stood the station agent. | walked VI
: and said "Howdy. Mr.. Collins H
5 stared at men and replied: You've go
: the best fine, sir. Who are your
Il II told him who was and what
: had been doing in New York. Said he
( Its about time you came home. 70
? In New York rich, and your fathe
scratching gravel to get bare living
II tell you, John, it made me fee
bad. l thought my father had enoug
to live upon comfortably. Then a NJ
tion struck me. Before going home
telegraphed to Chicago to one of OF
correspondents there to send me or
thousand dollars by first mail. Then
won't into Mr.. Collins back office, g
my trunk In there. and put on an ol
cheap suit that | use for fishing an
} hunting. My plug hat replaced by
soft one, took my valise in my haI
80. and went home.
biSs "Somehow the place didn't look RICH
loen The currant bushes had been dug l
loss from the front yard, and the fence WI
Wt' gone. All the old locust trees had bee
~ cut down and young maple trees we
~" PLANTED. The house looked smallt
souehow. too. But | went up to Il
o'' sront door and rang the bell. Moth
came TO the door and said, we dol
wish to buy anything to-day SIT.
atng at didn't take me minute to surV
e aat her from head to foot. Neatly dresse
choo Iohn hut patch and darn here a
,ctors .,ara her hair streaked with gray, h
gt on faoo thin. drawn and wrinkled. \
over her eyeglasses shone those goo
=. bonest. benevolent eyes stooa 81
~ ,r, At her. and then she began to sta
, tions ! saw the blood rush to |
atoms f,,n and with a great sob, she thr'
strin' herself upon me ana heFNo"sls eiiSl
lists, me about Tue nv ~ - ~, a.. H.
appsr, Ifs Jimmy, its Jimmy. My dear d.
d. for - :,
as. Jimmy" ..tr,
quest ,.rr,ar cried too, JOhn. i just ot'
IINK down ana c.'eu ,,,,r,ipg and kiss
II me into the nou>'' h"-~e /,
MUM md thpn she went 10 the pf
toncs me- anu .caorpa"
IN door and shouteu' 49,, -
!. ,.s UP Father called from the depths OF
: 'o ,,trhen what do you want Car In
- ~ "Then he came in. He knew me /,
n NJ He stuck out his hand
mgsly4i mine, and said, sternly So nM
81 you've "Hs tried to put on brave front front
ne - down. There we three