Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-08-08
AIISCEIL ANY.
Glimpses Inside the Cars.
BY yIReINIA +. TOWNSEND.


An old woman and n young eirl entered
the cars which were pmngiag on to New
York. They We're neatly but very plainly
dressed. and looked about them with that
haleshy, halfcurious manne, which indicst-
ed at once that they were not accustomed
TO travel: moreover there was Slightly
foreign air about them. and if you are a stu
dent Of nssional phgsioenomy you would at
once have soon settled il in your mind that
they were English people.
But the younger woman or girl--0l II
would have done your heart good 10 look on
herl There was such a rich, heaithful bloom
on her checks, there was SO much hope and
brightness in her blue eyes, so much in
nocence and sweetness in the quiet smile
which her lips fell into so naturally, that,
gazing OF her, a good heart could hardly
help praying that the young English girl
might find very happy life in the new land
to which she had come.
A few sentences mast tell the history of
these people. The young girl was betroth-
ed to the woman's only son. lie had been
tin America for more than a year. anG as
soon as the industrious young carpenter had
earned money sufficient to see his way clear
to providing Them humble but comfortable
home. he had written over the seas:
4Rotter and Harry Sell off all the
old furniture, and come straie ht to me-
And they had come--t.lose two tender,
loving trustful women, the old and the young
| for Mary was an orphan, and there were
no streng ties 10 bind her 10 the father-land.
The steamer had reached Boston three
days before. They lad written to Charles,
informing him of their arrival, and expect
ing that he would meet them. But he did
NOT; and so, fearing the letter had been
| delayed, they started for New York.
The cars were not filed this morning, for
the travelling season was over, The young
girl took up paper which some passenger
4 had thrown down on the seat before her.
| She ran her eyes carelessly over the COZ
umns. Suddenly they pauss moment, q
dark terror seemedto creep into their bright
ness, her face settled down into a white,
deathly rigidness, a cry not loud or sharp,
but deep, @, so very deep. with a broken
hearts agony, wavered over her lips, and
she sank back not unconscious, but stunned,
paralyged with the awful darkness those
three newspaper lines had brought down up
on her life
:. What is it what is it. Mary?" eager
" cried out the old woman, as the girl turn
ed her dumb, stony face towards her. She
did not speak, she only pointed to the pap
er. TIE old woman erasped it eagerly with
her shaking hands. In moment she too
had read the lines which told how young
carpenter, Charles Davis, had fallen acci~
denally from the roof of high building in
New York, and was taken up dcadi dead
deadi
II is mercy that the mind cannot at once
grasp sudden evil, that great shorks are
usually bewiidering. In this case it was so.
The mother did not shrek or faint, but
with a low, shivering "6od help us !" she
sank back, and the cars PLUNGED on with
those two white stony faces.
Only once either spoke. A gleam of
irope shot up suddenly into fhe mothers
eyes; She seized hold of Mary's hand, and
whispered, "Perhaps it was somebody else,
Mary" And Mary looked up a moment,
as the drowning look up when eager hands
are reScsted out to their rescue; then the
black despair Slarkned her face again, her
head dropped, but it may be that fer those
leng two hours this thought warmed away
down III her heart, as it did in the mothers,
and kept them both from breaking.
At last the train glided into the depct
the passengers busllea about for tiaeir travel
ling bags and bundles, but the two sat there,
still and moiionless, as though death had
suddenly stricken them.
4 moment later young man sprang fasti-
" into the cars, and gazed with an intense.
breatlless sort of esge.'aess onAis fine, hon
est face, up and down the ears.
Thea he bounded forward, with his whole
heart in his face. " Moiherl Maryl" He
couldn't have said another word just then.
But those twoi IL you coeld have seen
lieEn Ny boy my boy are you real
" alive?" calculated the old woman, cling
ing to him with her shaking hands, while
Mary, forgetting sill her maiden shyness 10
her woman's loyirg, mnrnured rp, AMID the
bsppiest sobs and the sweetest tears @,
Chsrliel l thought ycu were dead did =
s.No I'm alive and kickine, you'd better
believer' responded the hearty tones of the
yt ung carpenter; "and @, so glad 10 see
youl The letter was miscarzied, aad 1
didn't get it until last right. and as yoa said
you should start the third day, if l didat
come on, ] thought maybe I'd find yoH here
with the morning train. I've got just the
incest kind OF home for you, four Of the
snuggest little rooms, and new silk dress
for Mary, which I'll engage she'll wear TO
the parsons next Sunday. And there was
asigniiicant laugh in his eyes that SCI Mary's
rrsttv f,ce all ,t,loY