For it must 'a been nigh midnight
When the mill hands left the Ridge;
They came down—the drunken devils,
Tore up a rail from the bridge,
But Mary heard 'em a-workin'
And guessed there was something wrong—
And in less than fifteen minutes,
Bill's train it would be along!
She couldn't come here to tell us,
A mile—it wouldn't 'a done;
So she jest grabbed up a lantern,
And made for the bridge alone.
Then down came the night express, sir,
And Bill was makin' her climb!
But Mary held the lantern,
A-swingin' it all the time.
Well, by Jove! Bill saw the signal,
And he stopped the night express,
And he found his Mary cryin'
On the track in her weddin' dress;
Cryin' an' laughin' for joy, sir,
An' holdin' on to the light—
Hello! here's the train—good-bye, sir,
Bill Mason's on time to-night.
THE CLOWN'S BABY.
FROM "ST. NICHOLAS."
It was out on the Western frontier,
The miners, rugged and brown,
Were gathered around the posters—
The circus had come to town!
The great tent shone in the darkness,
Like a wonderful palace of light,
And rough men crowded the entrance;
Shows didn't come every night.
Not a woman's face among them,
Many a face that was bad,
And some that were very vacant,
And some that were very sad.
And behind a canvas curtain,
In a corner of the place,
The clown with chalk and vermilion
Was making up his face.
A weary-looking woman,
With a smile that still was sweet,
Sewed, on a little garment,
With a cradle at her feet.
Pantaloon stood ready and waiting,
It was time for the going on;
But the clown in vain searched wildly—
The "property baby" was gone.
He murmured, impatiently hunting,
"It's strange that I cannot find;
There! I've looked in every corner;
It must have been left behind!"
The miners were stamping and shouting,
They were not patient men;
The clown bent over the cradle—
"I must take you, little Ben."
The mother started and shivered,
But trouble and want were near;
She lifted her baby gently;
"You'll be very careful, dear?"
"Careful? You foolish darling"—
How tenderly it was said!
What a smile shone thro' the chalk and paint—
"I love each hair of his head!"