The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1909-07-10

freight comes down, it goes"
And when does it arrive?''
THAT depends upon the amount of
freight and how much switching their
is to do.'' ~
I turned away softly. Then I be-
thought me Of the ticket man.
1T is almost eleven" remarked
with deadly cal1nness. He looked in
terested. why, so it is. Oh, we'll, the
crew'll be along soon now. Scheduled
for nine-forty," he added comfortingly.
All, we'll, what matter? The sky
was blue and the air electric, and
there was the long stretch Of the sta
ton platform on which to practice
fascinating eccentricities of gait, could
one but manage it subtly enough to
escape the attention of the loungers.
1t was we'll on toward noon when
the patient occupants of the train for
Ozark we're startled by premonitory
jolt that caused weary mother who
was doing at full length on one of the
seats to grab wildly at her infant,
uncritically asleep on the floor. The
gentleman "just outside hosiery
Strengthened up alertly, and, while his
colleague smiled genially and indis-
cr1minately on us all, murmured, "She
moves!"
1t was true. Some engine humble
enough and decrepit enough to draw
the train to Ozark had been found. To
oil ~
arrive, but what are schedules after
all but an expression of a railroads
1deals-statements of what they fain
would do, rather than what they &C.
complish. If my mind still played
about the idea of making up time, it
was from the force of habit. Certainly
the Ozark train never dreamed of max
ing such an exhibition of itself as
would have been necessary to over
take its fleeing schedule.
1t ambled gently through the sunlit
landscape, past cornfields all nicely
done up in Psyche knots and aglow
with topaz pumpkins; past a distant
farmstead exhibiting an almost holy
propriety, doors and windows primly
closed, and nothing in sight save the
shadows on the lawn, and gradually
came to complete stop before gen
eral store,'' where it. paused for a So
clal call. Onward it went again,
through more smiling landscape, over
little brooks, beside shadowy wood
land stretches, but never failing to
stop courteously at each country
store.
Gradually the charm of that journey
sank into my heart, never to be for
gotten. 1t was an exquisite pastoral
given to us at first hand, lived and not
read. The idea of a destination faded
from my mind, the desire to arrive de.
parted from me. The trip to Ozark
was like life-to be on the way was
enough. One felt no desire to reach
the other end
I had long since deserted the ele.
CANT red plush seat for one on the
steps of the back platform. AS we
stopped from time to time to distrib.
ute freight cars or cinders the men
explored the surrounding country. l
was wishful, but, being unable to rid
myself entirely of an old superstition
concerning trains-the possibility OF
their careening off at moments no.
tice-I remained on the steps, content.
eddy watching the flurries of yellow
and white butterflies that drifted
about, the huge brown beetles that
waddled along the track for all the
world like contractors out on tour of
inspection. l smiled back at the land
scape that beamed on us all so genial
ly, and bent my ear to the gaunt
brown weeds, the burden of whose
message was, "Once I was young, but
now am old" as they waved back
and forth in the breeze. At peace with
life and time, I thanked God for til,
long, sweet dream of country ways,
Indifferent whether we trundled on.
ward or tarried forever by the way.
Verify, had tasted the lotus, reached
the land where it is always after.
noon.
"Ozark!" shouted the conductor
There was proud, official ring In his
voice that seemed to say, Didn't tell
your" and / began to gather up my
possessions, involuntarily exchanging
glance of sympathy with Falstafl
and the man lust outside hosiery. u
Somehow, in that 1S-mile trip we ali
seemed to have put out roots, and the
arrival came with rude shock of up
heaval, provoking passionate resent
ment at the necessity for getting of
and separating. We did not speak, bu,
each, am sure, knew what the other
felt. In the turmoil of life we had
found a veritable via sacra. We were
"a little bit-better men and women
for having come by way of Ozark.
Felt He Was Nobody.
A few weeks ago, when Charles M
Schwab, the steel magnate, attended q
meeting of the American Boiler Man
ufacturers' association, in Atlantic
City, he, as the guest of honor, made
very apt remark in speech at q
banquet in his honor.
while you are honoring me now,'
said he, "20 years ago did not fee
that was anybody. Now I feel that
am somebody. In the olden days
have worked with my hands with JUS
such people as those of whom I an
the guest to-day.
can episode which happened a short
time ago seems to me to be appro
pirate to this occasion. had hire(
q carriape at the railway stafion +,
drive me home. There was a coloret
man driving. I overheard woman
at the roadside say to her little son