of nothing but Mary,
And the train he had to run.

And Mary sat down by the window
To wait for the night express;
And, sir, if she hadn't 'a done so,
She'd been a widow, I guess.

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