Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-30
The Unkind Reply.
By RosALIE.

By ROsALIE.
81 do not think it selfish act If ! occupy thi
whole seat myself as am to travel all this long
warm day. said to the lady nearest me, one sui
try morning, as took the out of the wayend seat
in the cars at Buffalo for Albany.
Certainly not" was the reply, as put my
shawls, books, papers, fan, bouquet &C., in thu
one end, and nestled myself down In the other.
soon wearied of conversation and reading, and hat
sunk into a ftful slumber, when gentle tap or
my shoulder, and q low "please Miss" made me
awake with sudden start.
The car was filed to overlooking, anda newly
arrived party had entered, and pale little woman
with fretful baby in her arms, stood asking per.
mission to sit beside me. With more Of pity than
pleasure, / shared my seat with her, yet spoke
but few words, and suily forbore taking the rest
less little creature to her poor wearied arms;
but merely smoothed its yellow hair, and patted its
pale, baby cheeks, and said Mary was good and
sweet name.
For my own comfort had opened the window
that mghtmore distinctly catch those picturesque
views, that fitted by US 30 quickly that they
seemed like glowing pictures, without one i'm
perfection to mar, when my attention was drawn
TO my companion, who was necessarily coughing.
~ do wish you would let down that window,
said she, "the coal smoke makes my cough so
much worse"
am ashamed to confess it now, but I felt the
angry blood burn in my cheek, and flashing of
the eyes, as replied, II am quite sick, and so
wearied, and troubled, and hungry, and thirsty,
and crowded, and here you come as an intruder,
and would keep from me the mite Of cool, fresh
air that am trying to get Do you think you are
doing as you would be done byY said tartly, and
without waiting for reply, rose and was letting
down the window with an angry crash, as naughty
child would slam door shut when she laid her
poor, wasted little hand on my arm, and said, on,
don't do Il then, and burst into tears, and leaned
her head down on her baby, and cried bitterly.
The woman in my heart was touched, but putting
the injured air of a martyr, / compressed my
lips, and took up paper pretending to read.
Pretty soon my eyes grew 30 dimmed l could not
zee without crushing the tears often, and ] re-
solved TO ask her pardon for my unkindness; but
minute after minute glided away, and we soon
reached her place Of destination, and she rose to
leave. ] rose too, and the words were on my lips,
when gentleman came to assist her out. She
turned her gentle and fearful eyes upon me, with
n sad expression, and bowed so sweetly that my
hands were almost appraised to appeal to the for
giveness, the words were just dropping from my
lips but-she was gone, 1t was too late, and !,
woman with a womans heart, was left with that
singing little barb sticking in IL, and the sweet
words and wasted little hand that alone could re-
move 1t were gone from me forever. / sank back
on my seat and wept bitterly.
The gentleman returned from assisting her, and
as the car was full, he took the place she had
Gated. inquired who the lady was, and he re-
Piled "her home Is in Wisconsin, and she has re-
turned TO the home Of her childhood, to die. The
whole family Of brothers and sisters died Of con-
sumption, and she, the last one Left is going too.n
Oil turned away sick at heart, and tried TO
shut out from remembrance that pallid, appealing
face, as resolved and resolved, never again in
this poor life Of mine to speak another unkind
word.