The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-06-08
How JOE WENT BACK BONE.

HOW JOE WENT BACK HOME.
"Hello, Joe Where have you been
lately?" shouted a broker the other
evening to portly, ineiy-dressed
man in the corridor of the Fifth Ave-
nue. Hotel. The gentleman stopped,
shook hands with his friend, and re-
piled: eve been home to see my
old father and mother, for tine first
time in sixteen years, and tell you,
old man, / wouldn't have missed that
visit for all my fortune" {"
"Kind O. good to visit your boy
hood home, eh %
"Well, rather. Sit down. 1 was
just thinking about the old folks and
feel talkative. If you have few
moments to spare, sit down and listen
to a story of rich man, who had
almost forgotten his father and
mother"
They sat down and the man told
his story:
"How / came to visit my home
happened in a curious way. Six
weeks ago went down to Fire Island
fishing. I had lunch put up for
me, and you can imagine my aston
ishment when I opened the hamper
to find a package of crackers wrapped
up in a piece of the little, patent
inside country weekly published at
my home in Wisconsin. Tread every
word of it, advertisements and all.
There was George Kellogg, who was
a schoolmatc of mine, advertising
hams and salt pork, and another boy
was postmaster. I tell you, it made
me homesick and I determined then
and there to go home, and go home
I did.
I'm the first place must relate
how l came to New York. l had a
tiff with my father and left home. I
finally turned up in New York with
a dollar in my pocket. I got job
running freight elevator in the very
house in which I am now a partner.
Ny haste to get rich drove the thought
of my parents from me, aud wi1en
did think of them the hard words that
my father last spoke to me rankled
in my bosom. Well, 1 went home |;
you may believe, John, my train SEEM
ed to creep. I was actually worse
than school boy going home for va
cation. At last we neared the town.
Familiar sights met my eyes, and,
upon my word, they filled with tears.
There was Bill Nolan S red barn, just
the same; but-great mercy what
were all of 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 size when I knew it.
The train stopped and jumped off.
Not face in sight that / knew, and
1 started down the platform to 60
home. In the Office door stood the
station agent. walked up and said !:
Howdo, Mr.. Collins?"
He stared at me and replied
"You've got the best of me, sir. ,
81 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 came home.
You in New York rich, and your
father scratching gravel to get bare
living
"I tell you, John, it knocked me
all in heap. I thought my father
had enough to live upon comfortably.
Then a notion struck me. Before
going home ! telegraphed to Chicago
to one of our correspondents there to
send me ST 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 ! use
for hunting and fishing. My plug
hat replaced by soft one, and took
my valise in my hand and went home.
Somehow the place did not 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
were planted. The house looked
smaller somehow, too. But / went
up to the front door and rang the bell.
Mother came to the door and said /:
eve don't wish to buy anything
today, sir. -
"It didn't take me minute to sur.
vey her from head to foot. Neatly
dressed, John, but patch and darr
here and there, her face thin, drawn
and wrinkled. Yet, over her eye
glasses shone those same honest be-
nevolent eyes. stood staring at hel
and then she began to stare at me.
saw the blood rush to her face, ant
with a great sob she threw herself
upon me, and nervously clasped me
about the neck hysterically crying
"It's Josey "It's Joseyl'
"Then cried, too, John. l jus
broke down and cried like a baby
She got me into the house, huggint
and kissing me, and then she went t
the back door and shouted