The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-11-18


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 unselfshness, that
when, after we had left the next station,
/ the conductor approached US, we really
felt as If we were already acquainted with
| him, and were disposed TO be as friendly
with him as with his mother
He stopped to exchange a few words
with her, and as she was talking with US
we all very naturally fell into conversa>
tion together.
| He proved to be an intelligent man,
who had seen great deal of life, parties
ularly on railroads, so his conversation,
to me at least, was vastly entertaining.
Among other things Interesting, he ex
planned to US the signs and signals used
by railroad officials upon the road. One
of these signals-the only one need men
| tion here-hs said was as follows:
"When person standing on the road,
in front or by the side of the car, throws
up both hands rapidly forward, as if mo-
tioning for the cars to go backward, do
you prepare for a flying leap, for the
chances are that you will have TO practice
it before long" @
He spoke lightly, but, noticing that the
ideas suggested were not very pleasant
ones to me, he changed the subject, and
l 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 a daughter living.
Her own home, she had already told US,
was in Lancaster, where she lived with
daughtc, who kept boarding house. She
gave US one of this daughters cards, and
Joseph promised her if he ever had occa-
sion to visit Lancaster he would try to find
her out.
With mutual kind wishes and cheerful
adieus we parted. The old lady was
helped out of the train by her son, aud we
saw her q moment later leaning upon the
arm of another gentleman, whom we sup
posed to be her son in-law, walking brisk
ly up little hill that lead from the station
TO the heart of the village.
Our own journey came to a conclusion
in due time, and the last time saw the
eyed conductor was when he stood on
the platform of the cars, helping US with
our baggage, which he had carried from
where we had been sitting.
Ii is not my purpose to detain the reader
with any details,of my private history fur
ther than is necessary to give just COM
prehension of what was to follow Two
years had elapsed before | was called upon
to take the second journey, to tho events
of which what l have already related
forms necessary prelude. This time
| was journeying alone from Harrisburg
to Philadelphia, upon visit to parents,
whom l had not seen since my marriage.
had been having a good deal of trou-
BILE. l was very i'll for some time after
my babys birth, and before | had fully
regained my strength my little boy was
taken i'll. He had the whooping cough,
and after had nursed him through it the
whole summer he took cold In the fall
that brought it back upon him and finally
killed him. | was SO weak and miserable
myself that could not struggle with my
grief as should have done pined and
moped and wasted away until The doctor
said if l did not have change of scene,
or something that would arouse me and
cheer me up, he would not answer for my
life.
1t was the most uupalatable advice to
me that he could have given, l did not
want to be cheered or amused / did not
want to leave home and the reminders of
my lost baby; and above all. / did not
want TO leave my husband, for in my fool
ish dependency felt superstitious
dread that he would be taken from me.
1t was almost impossible, just then, for
him to leave his business to go home with
me ; they were executing a heavy order
at the foundry, which kept all hands work
ing 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 to my
departure being delayed minute longer
than could be avoided; SO he wrote TO
father that | would be in Philadelphia on
a certain day, in order that he might meet
me at the depot; and having put me in
the cars at Harrisburg, and seeing me
safely started On my journey, he knew
there was little doubt but that / would
reach Philadelphia after comfortable,
uninterrupted half days ride.
Ali how different WAS the trip from
the one | had taken two years before !
| How different was I-tbe wan>faced,
hollow-eyed invalid, in my mourning robes
from the shy school girl, in her bridal
array, who found much to amuse and IN
terest her in that brief journeyi
Nothing interested me now-nothing
amused me-all was wearisome and mo-
! notonous / leaned from the ear window
as lorg as could, TO catch the last glimpse
of poor Joe, who, ser
with smile on his lip, but tear in his sye," 4"
stood upon the platform waving his hat to
me as we moved away.
| A C,or tbot / aank hack in NV saat foo