The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-11-12
LIES CHILLY TWILIGHT

inclined to reflection, and re-
Election will reveal to him how
extremely fortunate he may be
in comparison with other people.
On every hand are examples OF
Gods goodness to all of us.
A few days ago l was coming
home on U. S. l, and just as I
came out of Petersburg, Va. l no.
ticed stopped old man with a
large suitcase beside the road. l
stopped and gave him lift. He
was fairly neat and clean and l
learned he is only six years older
than myself. He seemed to have
fair education but said he had
not been through high school. In
his early youth he had suffered
an attack of polio which lett him
permanently crippled in one leg.
Here was a man past his three
score, with no wife, no children,
no brothers or sister. No prop
erty, no income, and yet h e
seemed cheerful. He had been a
sufferer from asthma and for
two years had lived in a Colo
RADIO sanitarium where he had
been able to exist by some small
income derived from waiting on
other and more fortunate pa
tents.
He had hitch-hiked all the
way across to Baltimore, via Chi
cago, his old hometown. At night
he slept in Salvation Army
homes, or bus stations. He said
he was writing a book-a book
of merriment," he said, having to
do with his experiences in life,
He didn't like the word
"humor" he said. "Merriment'
is nicer word"
Now I have discovered that all
the people one sees in bus sta
tons are not passengers for
Greyhounds. 1t is quite obvious
that a bus station can be a good
olace to rest, for a fellow who
hasn't any money and will be-
have himself. For he can g. sit
quietly and none be the wiser,
for a long time, that he isn't
waiting for bus, on which he
may already have ticket. For a
man who can rest and nod while
sitting upright, it saves the IS
cents the Salvation A rm y
charges,
There's a lot more quiet when
resting in a bus station, than
when one must try to sleep
around the noisy crowd who
shack up in a Salvation Army
home.
The man didn't have much
money for travelling. l asked
him if he wasn't hungry, and he
said he had plenty to eat that
! day. He said he had something
in his suitcase on which to make
meal most any time. 1t was a
pound of oleomargerine and a
loaf of bread. you know an
oIeo sandwich is pretty good and
filling" he said.
As I was already hungry, I
suggested we stop at one of the
nice eating places between
Petersburg and Suffolk where l
got him Virginia ham, and pie,
along with some for myself. He
ate with avidity, so I concluded
that he doesn't have all he wants
to eat.
The old fellow was on his way
to South Florida where he hoped
to get a job making vegetable
crates, with a view to establish
ing a permanent home. He eX-
pected to earn enough money to
get along on, by peddling some
items, which he said he bought
in Baltimore and was having
shipped down to Norfolk.
Yes, he had been married, but
his wife died after about a year
of married life, and he sold the
home they were buying. He had
remained single the entire 80
years since her death. His tones
grew soft when he spoke of his
wife, and his words told rever-
emily of her. She was a Scotch
girl, 50 little and dainty" he
SAID, land so good to me. can
not understand" he said, what
she ever saw in me, and why she
could be so good to me when l
could do so little for her. But she
never complained, and we were
happy together"
Well, l though most any other
man who has a good wife might
we'll be puzzled to understand
how he got her.
The old traveller got out at
the bus station in Norfolk, al
though l showed him the Saliva
ton Army place on Talbot st.
But no, he preferred the bus
station, as he said he wanted to
work on his book before bed