The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-01-03
The Little House at the Crossing.
NY EMILY HUNTINGTON MILLER.

M fshIIf hbnllNblON
II stood right at the railroad crossing-a
small, homely house, with II low, implanted
door and three narrow slips of windows. Any
enc would have called it ugly in winter,
crowded in between its dingy neighbors and
The iron track, along which the trains went
tareeching day and night, sometimes fairly
sitting the little house in black and sulphury
smoke.
But in summer that was another thing
The littc three-cornered yard was exactly
filled by three flower beds, bordered with turf
and crowded TO the very edge with Johnny
Jump ups grass pinks nonc-sopretties four
o'clocks, and all manner Of sensible, old
ioncd beauties, that grew without u mite oi
coaxing. And the morning-glorics started
with the first of May, and climbed up in green
rows, never once stopping until they hid all
The brown wall and then danglcd down from
me caves.
Behind the house was another little wedge
If ground, as full as the flower garden, only
that the borders were of pale green lettuce
md curly crcss; while radishcS, onions, peas
and cabbage fairly clbowed each other for q
chance at the mellow soil
Atthc end of this garden was queer, low
shop-so low you never. left Oft wondering al
Il until you CHANGED TO see standing in his
place 1t the switch, Il little man, hunchbcka
only four feet high. The house and the shol
and the two gardens all belonged 10 him
Tom Larkin, the switch tender. The name
gas on a board over the shop door, done in
black letters;
Tom LAltKIN, CISTRENS.
You might not sec ut first just what was
he matter with the crazy little sign, cspcci
ally II YOU were on the express, which goes
by without stopping; and assure YOU it did
oil of ho. IL
given up the cistern business, and only kept
INC sign because Maggie painted it, and he
sancied il looked respectable.
That reminds me 10 ;ell you about Maggie
sGr YOU might pass great many times and
not see her But il you CHANGED on a fine
dav. when the wind blew the smoke 10 the
vest, to come dowr TO the Cranston mail and
wait at The switch for the Express TO pass up,
you'd DC pretty sure tn hear some one sing.
sng like a blackbird. and see Il small girl
With an old face. sitting in the doorway, busy
With straws aud ribbons. Always busy and
.lways singing, in spite of the crutch leaning
against her chair-a pitiful little bcggar, tina
s,ood there through the singing, and said n:
ulain az a battered old stick could say
"Shes cripple and she sings. They're =;
bappy as the day * long, and ones cripple
ard tother's hunchback What do yot
blink of that
Well, 10 be sure, IL did seem hard Il iirs
thought; but, when you came 10 know al
about it, you'd see palmer than ever how ia,
Lord never forgcis the least of his little ones
hut follows them all with his tender merCics
and the Lords tender mcrcies are good all tn
way through.
Ii was Christmas Eve when Maggie cam
70 the little house at the crossing. Tom Lar
hin sat brooding over his fire, without 81
much as "A cat or a dog 10 keep him company
christmas was coming on Sunday that veal
,.od Tom had been down To the market 4
inv his bit of dinner. and had seen the shop
sl1hted up, and the children shouting abou