Under The Train.

UNDER THE TRAIN .

" Did you ever hear hoiv I got my Avife , Will ? " inquired John Abbott , as that little lady left us after supper to put some of the young ones to bed . " No , I never heard , John , " I replied , " IIOAV was it t toll me !"

It was a bright little room in Avhich Ave Avere seated , and the . fierce snow-storm rattling , against the windows ,, made us appreciate all the more the fire of Cumberland coal gloAving in the grate . I had not seen John for many years until the fearful

storm , still raging , had prevented the further progress of the train , and forced me to accept his hospitality . To be sure , it was no hardship to spend a couple of days Avith the generous-hearted felloAV , but just at this timeAvhen my ladlove Avas

Avail-, y ing for meat the end of the road , it seemed an insult to ask me to be satisfied with anything less than her dear self , and no doubt the impression still remains on Mrs . Abbott ' s mind , whom I now saw for . the first time , that I was a very surly fellow .

John stretched himself out lazily in his arm-chair , put some tobacco in his pipe , and began—Well ,-it was about twelve years ago , when I was engineer on the Tiger , that I met my ivife . We had stopped at Marl ' s

crossing to get water , and while we were waiting , I sauntered into the little waitingroom that was kept there for the accommodation of passengers . The person ivho had it in charge was the widow of old Charlie Greenand one of the best women

, I ever knew . She was a . motherly old creatine , so that nobody ever thought of keeping anything from her , and she hadn't been there a week before she knew it was

the secret ambition of Tom Bradley ' s soul to run the line , and that Ned Long was silently enduring agonies , lest the company should find out that he was in liquor the time ivhen he ran his engine off the track . I had several times executed little commissions for hersuch as bringing her down

, needles and tlrread , and getting the glasses re-set in her spectacles , which Reub King knocked out when he tried to kiss her , and so I was a prime favourite of hers . No sooner , then , did she see me than she trotted . forward and said :

" John , there ' s a poor creature in there crying fit to wash her eyes out because some villain picked her pocket on the road , and the conductor put her off at this place because she had no ticket . Now , John , won't you get her through ? She wants to

go to R , where her husband is at work . Now , you ivill , Avon't you 1 " and the old woman looked just as interested as if it Avas for herself she Avas begging . " Let me see her myself , first , " said I , "before I promise" and she let go of my

, arm and Avalked along hi front of me , looking just as well satisfied as if the Avoman Avas already on her way rejoicing to her husband .

I always did have a soft heart—even my stepmother gave me credit for that ; and I must confess to a twinge of pain when I saw the little woman crouched down on the sofa in a dark corner of the room , with her face buried hi her hands . " Madam" said Iin as soft tones as it

, , was possible for me to utter , , " Mrs . Green tells me your pocket ivas picked on the road . Will you let me see if I ,, can be of any service to you ?" . She raised her tear-stained face to mine , and after an involuntary start at its

blackness—for Ave had been out on the road three days—probably encouraged by Mrs . Green ' s hearty advice of " that ' s a dear ! just tell Mm . and he'll fix it all ri ght , " she aiisivered-. " It is just as the lady says . I had scarcely time to reach the trainand

, could not stop to buy a ticket , and Avhen I searched for my pocket-book , to pay the conductor , it Avas gone Of course as I had neither ticket nor money , he put me off at the . first station Ave came to , Avhich was this . "

. " Where do you AVISII to go to f I inquired , AAdien she concluded . " To -, " she replied . " My husband is employed there , and I Avas going to him , for I fear he is ill , as he lias not Avritten for some time ; but now I know not what to doas I can- neither go forward nor

, backward without money . " "What is your husband ' s namel" I inquired . " Charlie Shafer . Perhaps you ; know him ? " she inquired , as a faint gleam of recognition passed over my face .

I nodded my head , for I did indeed know . him ; . a good-looking , good-hearted fellow , whose , one only fault , / was , a , love of B B 2