The Washington times., 1905-04-30

and stood looking over the ragged corn
field, rather a disheartening process, The |
struggling rows, yellow, scanty, almost
weed-choked, gave little promise or
future yields. The young man, despite
the tired droop of figure and discouraged
eyes, presented a type far above the ira
ditionaI Virginia farmer. Heavy should
cred, standing over six feet, there was
in bearing and clear-cut features, the
name1ess, indestructible something al
ways present In the true. pure-bred sons
of the Old Dominion. The boy with the
patrician face standing tired amid the
rays of the setting sun had many count
erparts in the sad days OF the late
seventies.
Then came the sound of the hollow ex-
haugt OF an old diamond stack, the
Gathering of wheels over rough unpaI-
lasted chair joint rails, and a freight
train rumbled past the field. AS the
caboose passed a young man swung
gracefully to the ground, Quickly catCn-
ing his balance by a swing of heel he
stood facing Gray, who gazed intenty
upon the stranger. He saw slender
hright-faced youth OF his own age-aoout
twenty-a jaunty silk cap On his head.
dressed in d suit of black BASKET work
worsted, edges and pockets faced with
incH~uCGp SlIh III al @AAN'-
down the outside of the trouser legs
with sixteen and a half spring bottoms
flaring over alligator shoes with heavy
inch extension soles-t1e correct dress
of the tops of the rail at that epoch.
esHeuoi'. he said as on coming TO John
he wiped his hands on piece OF 8d 81
Have you any water around mere
Y x
Thanks" after emptying the dripping
have TO hang
around here awhile, / am brakeman:
.ot ninety days leave OF absence and
car,e down here 10 see If I could get
road where promotion was quicker, but
s1iess I can't get out of this man
country soon enough; you people nave
TOO much black oak in cabs and en- top
ard the captains seem 10 be all made
1ly Office pull or war record. The Fellows
On that extra said that all northbound
trains took water here, 50 III be
chunk of The landscape until something
shows up.
What part of the country are you
from?" asked John.
pennsylvania and the Northern Cen
trail railroad Ny name is Frank Howe
and vaursqsr Soon the pair We're busily
ticking. lower sank the torrid sun,
s1av-ar worked the brace of Africans al
The far end Of the field. Thoughtfuliy
John sat by the spring, mechanically
dipping his fingers into the cool water,
white his coEpanion with fluent speech
ran eagerly on.
There is something in the life that
brings you out; you might prance
around in a store. stoop over a desk, or
grub around on farm all OF your HE
and never know yourself. but when you
take I'D rail-oading you soon get 10
know your Limitations. If your feet
tangle easily or If your hands are not
quicker than your eyes. you will soon
be one of thoseE wrecks waving a white
flag at a crossing-eating your heart out
as the boys dash by. Let me tell you,
on the road where I belong, about half
wav down z -forty-minute hill stands an
old farmhouse Cur 50 passes there at
1:20 m. In the front room the folks
have a base-burner coal stove. Farmer
like. they leave the curtains Of the win
dows up Now on a singing January
night I pass on top of train of
decks and the red glow of the fire in
the farmhouse laughs against twenty
degrees below zero outside. If you think
that Ia Scotch cap pulled down over
my ears-out there under the cold stars
or amid the slither OF drifting hakes,
feel a pang of envy, your place is here
derJaker 10 split potatoes.
'.Tt means a whole lot to a fellow -
he continued, that he Is expected 10 do
things that lot of other fellows are
afraid 10 do. and that he not only can
fill the bill, but loves to do it. Take it
at d. n; you are out with a flag in
blizzard snow. chucked at you in
chunks, wind bowling around you
worse than hungry wolves. then as your
lamp dies down-the lamp on whose
light other men are pinning their lives
you put it under your coat and some
thing tells you If il comes on to freeze
your light will go out first Take it
pitching down steep mountain grade,
the roofs sheeting the driving rain, wet
TO the hide. meeting order half way
down. the boys in the engine snug and
comfortable, depending on you TO stop
them O. X, and you know as you pitch
from car TO car and brake 10 brake
that Won can do it. but If you would fail
or skulk, he'll would out for noon, Can
you understand what it means to stand
in the middle of the track to toe q foot
board, a dinky yard engine bearing down
on you, and knowing If your foot raises
fraction OF a second too late, or ii
your hand should DE equally tardy In
its clutch at the handrail, you would
check in2 Can you understand what IL
means If in coupling you would like
the neeting cold of the Drawbacks
shadow against your hand? Again
only g fraction of a second between
being man or Iop-sided cripple. If
ever q man on the toughest track could
run cars too fast for you. If for even
q moment you would think that the fate
of the dead fellow might be yours then
stay here. But eyes like yours ride
ahead of too many fast runs 10 ask
that question.
~ =.
II know you would like it all-tEe wild
zest of winter nights. and you curled
against the boiler-head or back in the
snug caboose. wondering if '0ld Ed
was going to take them through OF
hang up; spring evenings. with the smell
Of burning wood mingiing with the
banked yioiets in lonely cuts: summer
nignts-the air heavy With new mo.yri
hay: fall understanding from the first
frosts taste. sharp like week-oid cider