The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-24
MERRY CHRISTMAS
ON THE RAIL.
By HERBERT q. HAMRLIy.

The train was reported half an hour
late. We closed the cab windows and drop
red The curtain. Harry put the blower on
quarter of turn, 60 carry off the gas:
we lii our pir es cooked our heels on the
toiltr butt, aud listened in comfort 10 the
bowling blast without. AS 1 sat and puffed
on my fragrant old brierwood, my gaze
became riveted on the only thing visible,
the Steam gauge, Ike a spectral face sus-
pended in the center of the uniform black
ness. The soothing mum of the blower, the
warmth and sense of cozinsss, combined
with the hypnotic effect of my fixed gaze,
sci me to dreaming.
Tomorrow would he Christmas, and
mother was with us 1t ives her first visit
since my marriage. Katie her poor little
heart a-hutter at the prospect of a visit
Ir,m that dreaded inspector general, her
mOther-in-law, had shaved herself nearly
20 death. Three-year-old Bob had nearly
wrecked his mothers wonderful pa .ienee
by his perss ent efforts to render her la
Dor futile, ard l had fingered on the
runs for aNmolth, 10 make sure of being
home On this, the greatest Christmas that
ever was. For wond r, l had not figured
in vain. Everything had come out exactly
as had hoped it would l would get home
early enough for Christmas dinner. and
late enough to preclude the probability
Of being sent out asa before the next
day.
curling wreath of blue smoke floating
across the face of the gauge arrested the
selfish course of my thoughts, and direct
ed them TO he boy on the other 81 le Of
the cab. Harry Mervin had been on the
road only a couple of months, most of
which time he had Teen firing for me. He
was bright, pleasant and Wiling 1t now
occurred TO me that / rather liked him,
but that l knew absolutely nothing about
him. 1t wasn't so very many years ago
that 1 was a strange boy on IN 5 same
road myself; and this was Christmas eve.
! made pretense of getting a light for
my pipe at the gauge lamp and leaned
across the boiler.
Where are you going to spend Christ
mas Harry?" l shouted above the noise
Of the gale and the Stating of the cur
tain.
The fire glowed brightly in the bowl of
his pipe once, twice, before he answered.
He le ned against the bofr on his side
50 that 1 ecu d barely discern his features
in the dim light and replied cheerlessly
20. in the boardin' house, 1 guess.
Where else? They're a-goin' to have roast
turkey an cranberry sauce an plum pud
d'n', 1 hear
I soon knew his story-a stepmother
three months after his own mothers
death. and, l menl ally added, a red-head-
ed stepson. He had picked up a general
idea of firing while beating his way on
here frcm Wisconsin. and, happening to
arrive at our round house Just as a man
was urgently needed, h e caught on.
They're calm us," he concluded. and
giving the bellrope a jerk. he stepped
down to hook up his fire.
When l got coupled up and he stepped
up in the cab again, said:
we expect to have a little time up to
our house tomorrow, Harry, and l should
like to have you come up and take din
ner with us"
Thank you, Alec" he replied; Il will
There was an inch of snow on the rails
when got my orders TO run as an extra
keeping out of the way of all regular
trains" But Davis. the conductor said
he had a nice. light-running train, cars all
loaded with whisk brooms and straw hats.
] was glad enough to hear it, for there
were IT'S miles of iron, slippery with the
falling snow, before old ISIS pilot and
home. If 1 averaged the maximum of
freight train speed twenty miles per hour
l would arrive home by O'Clock in the
morning; but it was bad night, would
never be able to keep them going at that
gait. so promised myself not to kick If
I got home by noon: very liberal allow
ance.
1t was hard pull out Of Tabor's juno
ton. When the yardmaster happened to
be feeling just right, he would let one OF
the switch engines get in behind train
and give her a shove for half or three
quarters of mile. But Davis was no GRO
ny of his, so we didn't get il.
1t was fearful night. The gale howled
and the snow drove horizontally like
sand blast. The wind was on the fireman 3
side, which made it possible for me to look
out. But all l could see was an mpene-
trable white screen, made visible in one
small spot by the headlight L
had been easing the throttle when
she slipped--for I would need all
the sand 1 had before 1 got 'home
until she nearly stalled. That wouldn't
do, so l gave her a bare taste and leaned
out to hear the gratifying crunch of it
under the wheels.
Harry gripped my shoulder and shouted:
Merry ChristmasW
/ wished him the same and many or
EN-, and noticed that il was just Il by
the engine clock. She hadn't slipped since
/ gave her the sand, but was pufting
along with suspicious freedom; for we
were not up the grade vet. | told me
brakeman to go back on top OF the tram
and see If the caboose was coming lie
went off growing, but he went, which was
the main thing. From the back OF the
tender he gave me what / expected and
dreaded-a signal that the tain had
broken in two. / whistled the flag back
TO protect the rear and kept on
l look the cars had to the next siding
four miles away. ] had two more cars
than the siding would hold. / backed them
al in hard against the stop block. Then
/ cut the two head cars off, pulled them
out of the switch, and backed down the
main track with them, until the engine
was behind the two head cars in the sid
haA ha Hralr these two
off and stocked them out on the main
track ahead of the engine. 1 ran ahead,
until the two cars behind the engine
were over the switch. backed them IN
on the siding, leaving the other two out
on the main track Then / came out
with the engine and went back after the
rest OF the train.
had four-mile back up In the teeth
Of the blizzard. / couldn't see thin9,
and never knew where ] was. didn't
dare 20 fast, for / expected every minute
20 hit the train, and ! couldn't force my