The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-09-07

proper position, but the old lady checked
me.
"Don't trouble thyself, friend can
sit just as well with the seat as it is -
and without further ceremony she ell
sconced herself opposite me, while the
one-eyed conductor deposited a large
covered bandbox ut her feet, and paid
her so many little attentions, at the
same time addressing her in 80 familiar
and affectionate manner, that saw at
once she was no stranger to him.
A glance at the kind old face opposite
soon told me they were mother and son,
| for the two faces were wonderfully alike,
especially in the open, cheerful express
sion.
My heart was drawn toward her at
once, and, as the conductor moved on, 1
could not resist making some overtures
| toward acquaintance by asking if she
| was quite comfortable.
"Quite so, thank thee" she answered
at once but l am afraid l have dis
commoded thee somewhat" tsN
"Not at all" assured her; and the
ice once broken, we chatted together
very freely and pleasantly.
| AS had surmised, the conductor was
her son, and very proud and fond of him
the old lady was. She told us so many
tales about his wonderful goodness, his
kind-heartedness and unseltishness, that
when-after we had left the next sta
tion-the conductor approached us, we
really felt as if we were already acquaint-
ed with him, and were disposed to be as
friendly with him as with his mother.
He stopped to exchange few words
with her, and as she was talking with
us, we very naturally all fell into con-
versation together. -
He proved to be an intelligent man,
| who had seen great deal of life, par
| ticularly on railroads, so his converse
ton, to me, at least, was vastly enter
| tanning.
Among other interesting things, he
explained to us the signs and signals
used by railway officials upon the road.
One of these signals-the only one l
need mention here--he said was as fol-
| lows:
When person standing in tho road,
in front of or by the side of the car,
throws both hands rapidly forward, as if
motioning for the cars to 60 backward,
he means to give information that there
is "danger ahead"
"When you see that signal given
ma'am," said our conductor, +" if the cars
don't obey it by backing, do you prepare
yourself for flying leap for the chances
are, you will have to practice it before
long"
He spoke lightly, but, noticing that
the ideas suggested We're not very pleas
ones to me, he changed the subject, and
soon forgot the little feeling of discom-
fort his words had occasioned.
The old lady did not travel with us
far. She stopped at way-station some
twenty-five miles west of Lancaster,
where, she informed us, she had daugh-
ter living. Her own home she had al
ready told us was in Lancaster, where
she lived with married daughter who
kept boarding-house. She gave us
one of this daughters cards, and Joseph
promised, if we ever had occasion to
visit Lancaster, that we would try to
find her out.
With mutual kind wishes and cheer
full adieux we parted. The old lady was
helped out of the train by her son, and
we saw her a moment later upon the
arm of another gentleman, whom we
supposed to be her son-in- law, walking
briskly up little hill that led from the
station to the heart of the village.
Our own journey came to conclusion
in due time, and the last I saw OF the
one-eyed conductor was when he stood
on the platform of the cars, helping us
out with our baggage, which he had
carried for us from where we had been
sitting. --".u- ~ #.
1t is not my purpose to detain the
reader with any details of my private
history further than is necessary to give
| Just comprehension of what is to fol-
low. Two years had elapsed before l
was called upon to take the second jour-
ney, to the events of which, what I have
already narrated, forms necessary pre-
lude. This time was journeying alone
from Harrisburg to Philadelphia, upon
| visit to my parents, whom 1 had not
seen since my marriage.
/ had been having good deal of
trouble. I was very ill for some time
after my baby's birth, and before I had
fully regained my strength, my little
son was taken ILL. He had the whoop-
ing cough and after had nursed him
through it the whole summer, he took a
cold in the fall that brought it back
upon him, and finally killed him. l
was 80 weak and miserable myself, that
I could not struggle with my grief as I
should have done; 1 pined, and moped,
and wasted away until the doctor said
that if did not have change of scene,
or something that would arouse me and
cheer me up, he would not ans wer for
my life.
It was the most unpalatable advice
to me that he could have given. did
not want to be cheered nor amused /
did not want to leave homeland the dear
reminders of my lost baby above all, l
did not want to leave my husband, for,
in my foolish dependency, l felt a su-
perstitious dread that he, too, would be
taken from me. 1t was impossible, just
now, for him to leave his business to go
home with me; they were executing a
heavy order at the foundry, which kept
all hands working almost night and
day.
He promised that he would join me as
soon as he could but, after what the
doctor had said, he would not hear OF
my departure being delayed minute
longer than could be avoided; so he
wrote to father that would be in Phil
adelphia on certain day, in order that
he might meet me at the depot; and,
having put me in the cars at Harris
burg, AMI seeing me safely started ON
my Journey, he knew there was very lit
tie doubt but. that i should reach Phila-
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