The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-04-16
The Wisdom of
NicOdernus
Railroad Brought to Terms
by a Smart Dog.

cssyristt By [. u. Biekford
The Sunrise Limited swept past the
lower pasture of Mrs. O'Hearn's Ne
braska farm. every afternoon at 3
o'clock. and Mrs. O'Hearn's dog. Nico
demus. sailed down to the fence and
barked at it. He was an unlovely an
in,al of no breeding whatever. canine
outcast deserted by an emigrant, and
his hostility to all railway movements
was pronounced and even excessive.
although his best effort and longest
run were reserved for the flying ves-
tibuled train that came SO feetingly
out of the east and shot by him with
contemptuOuS roar and shrek.
A year after Mrs. O'Hearn's hus-
band had been snatched from the Geld
Of toll she lost the companionship and
nourishins daily gift of her only cow.
That the double calamity distressed
her was not phenomenal. but the de-
parture of Michael O'Hearu was with
in the number of things reconcilable
since the movements of Providence are
to be accepted without question and
are. indeed. but Instances of the ex-
t,eeted Mrs. O'Hearn, faithfully
and VIGOROUSLY religious person, re-
signed herself to the simple hope that
Michael was to be met in another
country The taking off OF the cow
i.,f$ CT 70 Cr1rifnOt
future did not concern her.
From the day the engine OF the Sun
rise Limited swept the animal In all
Iiteralness from the face Of the earth
lit had been rather fOoiishiy investigat-
ing the nutritious qualities of cinders'
Mrs. O'Hearn faced a world that ap-
peared to he singniarly unsympatbetic.
Where II had cOndoied with her in ner
first bereavement it merely smiled over
her second. Obviously. In the eyes of
the community. the least lifting place
for COW to browse was in the line Of
a lightning express. The station agent
at Exeter intimated as much when
Mrs. O'Hearn called upon him and de
picted. with admirable detail. the cir
cumstanees of her misfortune He
would. he declared. lay the matter be
fore the proper officials.
A week later she came again, and
her visit left memories OF life. color
and action. She demanded to know
whether the equivalent had been sent
The equivalent. she had somewhat ex
actly figured. was $50 l5. this itemiza
ton including $50 for COW and IS cent.
for the purchase of milk thrice week.,
from neighbor. Her following visi
disclosed fully as close calculation, fo
the equivalent had mounted to .3o
and 1t was plain to the agent that be
arithmetic carried with 1t rules OF In
terest and equity that would never b.
accepted by the company even II l
deigned to recognize her claim for th'
cow itself. On this occasion and o.
many occasions thereafter he. mentall.
convinced that his prevnrication woul'
not outlive his tenure of office. asserte,
that only the president of the road hat
authority In the matter Of destroyer
cows and. having made 1t clear to he
that her claim had been duly forward
ed. besought her to follow method
| less spectacular and to exercise som
patience.
| Having so frankly thrown himsel
on her mercy. he made personal true
with the lady. but each week nes
bill was presented with it's accumuia
ton Of figures. together with verb;l
expressions Of disregard for the pres
/ dent of the company and his lax meth
DDS CT business.
/ At first the efforts Of Nicodemu
amused the freight crews. who thre,
Jumps Of coal at him This was to tn
advantage of Mrs. O'Hearn. since cos
was luxury. and the daily perform
I. ance resulted in a small measure Z
i the precious. fuel to add to her stot
of wood. She began to wish. indeed
that the attention OF the passenger el
gineers might be equally attracted an
i that their resentment might take tt
same form After a time. howeve
and from long familiarity the spol
ceased to interest the passing trail
men, and but for an occasional n,issi
| the dog barked without purpose. a
, though he never relaxed his endeavor
The flight OF time brought no spirit I
cln,rity to overcast the bitterness (
Mrs. O'Hearr. And 1t was quite /
war OF coincidence that on the da
she had prepared her weekly stat
ment-- which now had Sl.SO added
, the principai-soInething entirely n
usual In railway equipment should e
gage. although tardily. the attention
Nicodelnus. This was an abbrevi;.tt
edition, of the despised ''fiier." for Il
engine drew but two cnrs. the last
wonder OF Iuxurious construction III
painted a bright yellow.
The train had stopped. and arouI
one OF the sets Ut wheels stood thr
! men variOusly engaged In drawil
cotton from an aperture. poking
/; about with n stick or do,ising wat
!: upon the steaming mess. a ve.,er;lt
( gentleman who had descended fro
the gorgeous car to watch the oi,er
ton finally strolletl over to the fen
and. attracted by some wild blossom
somewhat awkwardly scaled the bt
!; rieu and ambled pleasantly about t
green fields. lost in contemplation
the simplicity Of natures wonders.
Nicodemus came into action by
/ spring In the air. shrili bark ana