Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-12-13
From Applcton's Magazinc.l
EGATIE'S LANTERN.

fashioned farmhouse, at the foot of
the narrow and rocky ledge, had a
most picturesque position. Away to
the southwark wound and smiled the
fertile valley, a goodly proportion OF
whose acres appertained to Grand
father Orowninshield, and along the
edge thereof swept the curves of the
railway, after what seemed its birth
! in the cloven ledge so very near to
Katie Crowninshield's home. As for
Katie herself, with her sweet fresh face
and her merry brown eyes, the little
valley and her nesting homo were all
the world TO her; all, indeed, that she
had ever known, for she had been
but a wee thing when Grandfather
and Grandmother Crowninshield be-
came father and mother to her, IN
place of those whose faces she could
/ hardly now remember. Neither did
it ever occur to her that she was in
/ any sense an hcirUsS, fOr She seemed
rather t. belong to the valley than
] the valley to her; while the idea, if
ANYTHING had brought it to her mind,
| that her good old grandparents were
not to live forever, would have turn
ed the brightest June day to the
glOomicst December.
| But, in these latter years, one great
entity had painfully struggled into
| Katie's world, with an apparent mis-
sion 10 unite the valley with that
/ great unknown, which Law beyond the
hills and lodges. Katie had seen the
| ragged rift cloyen in the granite wall
Watching it curiously from door or
window, and listening for the dull
reports of the blasting charges, until
| the barrier was pierced and the rail
way cropt ont and found its way
down through the valley, and ever
since the trains began to run, she had
connected with them the idea of u life
/ that was almost human. She had
waved her handkerchief enthusiastic
cally to the very first train, and had
been literally responded TO by pas
sengers and conductor; and, although
| she had been then little girl, and
was now q young lady, she had never
vet dreamed of any unmaideuly bold
ness in giving the same white signal
of welcome, at times, w hen the great
railway mystery came rushing out OF
the cloyen wall. There was one train
i'm particular to which Katie's atten-
tions were at last pretty well restrict
cd-a through express which went by
at s O'Clock in the msrning, and there
was another from the same direction
again at 8 o'clock at night. With the
latter, for a very long time, Katie had
felt no sort of sympathy, since II
could, as she thought, neither see moi
acknowledge courteous greetings,
while from the former, just as easily
as her own dainty 'gOOd-mornlng
fluttered above the gardCn-Sate, Sc
certainly would there be n heetng
flash of white to answer her from the
platform of one of the cars, or ever
from the cn@inc itself, for that, too
had happened. And Katie knewvery
| well that, i'll these latter days, al
least, her answer always come from
the same hand. \ tall, erect, manly
fellow he was, dressed IN dark-blut
cloth; and Katie had been well aware
for good while, that he was the con
ductor of the train, but she had neyel
vet been near enough TO speak 6
him, or get any clearer notion OF N
. face and its meaning than might b,
given her in those swift but almos
daily glimpses. When or how h(
found his way back to the beginning
of his perpetual journey, was quos
ton that Katie never asked even o.
hersef. 1t was enough that every
morning the swift train brought hin
out of the unknown country beyOnt
the hills, and added q something, tba
, had grown to be very pleasant, TO thu
peace and quiet of her day.
There was something very note
, worthy, even to railway men, abOu
t the manner in which the road brOk,
in upon that valley. y deep cut,
Isharp curve, and heavy down grade
= combined to make the precise pOIn
where the conductor had learned t,
i look for Katie's greeting an interest
I ing one: and her white kcrchicf ma.
: even have seemed to wave n specie
, of con@ratulation at his repeated sal
passage of what might mt any tim
: have shaped itself into a danger.
1 BE that as it may, the railway "cut
; had brought to Katie CroWuInshleld
i among other results, "a shorter an
!. easier path to the home of her aunt
: her mothers sister, who lived Just
T little way beyond the ledge, and VIII
was never satisfied if too many day
d passed bv without bringing the suf
= light of Katie's face across her thresE
hold. And SO Katie had gone and n
turned many and many tiwe, b
q the narrow path between the grant
walls. She had learned 20 walk til
rails like a rope dancer, and she kne
l. the time OF every train too well, q
Il she often told aunt Betsy, ever to e
n herself caught in the cut. Even
If she should, she said, there were eve
& so many places where she could clan
z Der up on the rocks at the side and b
e entirely safe. Nobody in that peace
= full region dreamed Of fear at bein
10 "out after dark" and again and agai
7. had good Aunt Betsy detained herpt
n until night had fallen, although h,
only company homeward was her Ii
:, tie star of n lantern. It was n ne'
&c little lantern, with q sort of piqual
1e and winning character of its ow
=, like everything else that belonged
Z, Katie Crowninshield, and she hersC
llss was half inclined TO make corGdal
or of it.
In fact, Katie's lantern found
1t own occasion for putting on almo