Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-11-18


free from cinders all the way; that
woman had faculty" ! liked to
look at her, but a man interviewed,
a slim and prim theological student,
with handbag and a great bundle
of books. However, he got out al
New Haven and went to his own
place, and my friend, whom | found
out afterward to be Mrs. Hannah
Tucker, of Portland, Maine, gave
him parting smile of relief, and
expanded herself as every railway
traveller does who is so fortunate as
to occupy as last a whole seat. She
took couple of old fashioned scol-
loped cookies from her basket, red
apple and a bottle of milk, and
made her supper composedly as il
by her own fireside the few crumbs
fell into her spread handkerchief,
no drop of the milk was spilled,
and those crumbs were shaken out
of the window with the air of a
table-cloth, the bottle packed away
for next time, the little china cup
wiped on a clean napkin and put in
its paper-bag, the apple-core gin
gerly taken by its stem and drop
ped overheard with dreadful pre-
cision /; then she laid her head on
the plaid shawl and shut up her
eyes resolutely. l was glad of it,
for am always afraid of such neat
women. So after more dust, and
cinders, and heat, and general dis
comfort, we came to Hartford, and
here appeared at the door of our
car, after string of men had pass
ed by in search of less crowded
quarters, the forlornest woman
ever saw, dressed in dingy black,
with limp Grape vail, a stringy
carpet bag, and a baby. She was
one of those lank, helpless, hope
less creatures who are always los
ing their trunk, getting on the
wrong train, getting off at the
wrong station, losing their checks
their tickets, their pocket-handker-
chiefs, and themselves generally
There was no vacant seat but the
half Of Mrs. Hannah fuckers; the
rest of mine was occupied by 9
small boy of 10 or II whom l had
terrified into good behavior as ear
ly in the evening as we passed Cas-.
Cob bridge, by showing him thre,
big shawl pins which told him
should stick into him up to tn,
head if he didn't keep still he wa
} q weak-minded boy, and believe IN
in fact / took his measure befor
l said it. Mrs. Tucker had opened
her eyes at the first whistle of ar
rival ; she was not the sort of won
an to over sleep a station, ant
when she saw this forlorn sister
advancing, her face beamed will
benovolence. / thought to mysel
what saint she was, and privately
repented of the shawl pins.
"Set here," said she promptly
her speech betraying her by its
shibboleth "set by the window, ]
guess you'd better, it's lot handler
with a baby" So she crammed
her basket under the seat, put her
shawl over the back, hung up the
woman's carpet-bag in the gutter
made and provided for such things,
and then took her own seat on the
outside with q face as fresh and
CHEEKY as morning in all this dusty,
dirty midnight. "Come considerable
ways, haven't we ?" was her opening
ball of the conversation. / could
see now she had been aching to
talk to somebody, but the theolog-
ical student was sleepy, and moth
ing short of an adventurous tiger
would have thought of addressing
her fine neighbor in front.
81 have" said the sallow-faced,
lank woman with plaintive drawl.
"I've come from clear out in In
danny, but I've bad dreadful luck
travelin'; its tiresome travelin' with
q baby"
81 expect it is," replied Mrs.
Tucker. eyes, / expect it is, but
l guess you'd be tireder livin' with
out it than you be travelin' with
it," The forlorn woman gave a
dubious smile.
81 expect you amt used to chill
dren, be you :" queried she. The
others bright face grew sober in a
minute. ... .
"No. It's been one of my worst
trials, though / haven't had a great
many, to be sure, but we did set a
sight by children, him and me, too,
and we amt never had but one, and
that died pretty near right off,"
"Do tell" But here the baby
set up tiny howl, and the fine
lady in front showed SYMPTOMS of
disgust and fury that ought to have
put an end to any well-disposed
baby; but this one kept on. 1t
was sad little wall even my hard
heart relented. i don't think it
would If l had not been so indig-
nant with the woman in front who
glared at it with her hard eyes,
tied a scarf over her ears, got out
her salts bottle, (whose gold top /
am happy to say, was out Of order,
and stuck SO tight she could not
move it), and fretted audibly.
Nevertheless, the baby was unroll-
ed from its solid flannel wrappings,
and came out like an ear Of corn
from the husks, fresh and white