American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-05-23
A Sad Story.

and rustic upon the platform outside
and she came stumbling in. At the same
instant there came in with her ruddy-
cheeAed blueeyed boy, whose years We're
not counted above ten. She carried IN
her arms bundle closely and carefully
wrapped, at one end of which tlny lace
appeared diminutive copy OF her own
Carefully placing this bundle upon seat,
she next dragged in a box and basket,
and the strong odor of bilge water, such
as ever pervades the steerage or between
decks of the emigrant vessel, announced
to the inditferently interested passengers
that my fellow passenger was an emil
grant.
Sue was not more than thirty; she was
fair and appeared as strange and tlmld as
the antelope we saw from the car window
gliding over the plains. But no one
spoke to her, no one presumed TO claim
acquaintance with this travel soileu, weary
looking young woman, and as sne SAT
upon the next seat to my own, gazing
YEARLY out upon the wide, bleak monot
ony of the plains, l observed several
times during the day that her large blue
eyes filled with tears, and that the little
boy in Scotch cap, knee breeches and
black hose busted himself in vain ats
tempt to comfort his mother" All this
1 observed from behind my book, which
book proved medium of communities
myself.
She had been looking at the back of
my book atteniively for some time, when
she troke the silence by saying:
81 beg pardon, sir, but can you tell me
when we shall arrive docking at an en-
velope) at Bijou Station ~
Tomorrow evening some time, if all
goes WELL" l replied.
g Is the country out there as wild and
sparsely settled as this, sir?"
Yes, madam, or more so. 1t depends
very much upon the portion of-the biJou
YOU go 10.
The ice being broken between myself
and my fellow passenger, she soon tell
victim to a professional American news
paper interviewer, to whom she told her
story.
But this story would have but little in
terest for the general reader, were it not
for the sequel, which is herewith given.
will give her story as near as possible in
her own words:
Yes, sir, am from England. left
there three weeks ago. L observed you
reading Dickens. and l took the liberty
of speaking to you. Do admire Dickens :?
Yes, sir, l loved him. l am a relative of
his, and have ofttimes visited him at his
place at Gad's Hill. l am from Gloster-
Do you know Ghosters 1t is dear old
town. We lived just within the shadow
of that great cathedral Ia sigh. Oh, the
dear old town. l expect we will never
meet again 1t is a great old structure,
sir. You can read all about it in Uncle
Charles last book, The Mystery of Ed
win Brood He describes our town just
as it is. We all loved Mr.. Dickens.
walked with him many times in the grand
old structure, for he male our home his
home when he came to Gloster. He only
lived ten miles away, and frequently came
to see us while he was working
upon his last book. observed you
reading one of his works, and l
made SO free as to speak, for 1 am-oh
so very lonesome and strange here! Did
come all the way alone, sir? Yes, sir.
But it was wrong in me to attempt it. /
think sometimes | shall give up before
reach my husband. But Charles is quite
man to me. You have no idea sir, how
clever and kind my little son has been &c
me, both on the voyage and at Halifax, al
Baltimore and Cincinnati. How do
don't like them at all 1 like the State
of Cincinnati the best of any 1 have beer
in. l stopped at Halifax. 1t is dull
cold, miserable place. They kept US tire,
days at Baltimore to discharge cargo. A
Cincinnati my luggage was smashed, ano
l had to purchase deal boxes TO pack in
They charged me a sovereign for them
was uCtdiucu Ouc Jay dL d. LOUIS
nasty, gloomy, smoky place, is it not, sir
At Eeavenworth they refused to take my
English gold for my hotel bill, and wa:
In great trouble and distress Did l ge
my luggage all right? Yes. sir. Their
is nine hundred pounds of it. Why die
bring so much, did you say? Why
sir, my husband wrote me that he had go
perfect little Eden of place in Colora
do. Yes, sir, he calls our new hom
Eden, and 1 thought l would bring a
many of the old things from home a
possible and l brought box of tea,
barrel of sugar, several bolts of long cloth
some boots and clothing, and at least
hundred different kinds of garden seed:
We will be SO happy when get home
But, sir (crying), L really think 1 neve
will reach home again. Three weeks c
travel all alone has nearly cost me m
life.
What is my husband doing in Colorado
did you say, sir? He is sheep farming
He was a tailor and gentlemens furnishe
in GlOster. We lived in one house fo
nineteen years. MY father kept the bushes
before l married my husband We wer
doing very well and getting rich, but m
husband, who had been sailor when
boy, and who was born in Brazil, wa
always disconnected and wanted to trave
In an evil hour l consented to sell out ou
business in Gloster. He took e5, 900 " il
him and started to Colorado. His letter
which he wrote from Colorado were yer
interesting; they were printed in OF
county paper at home. Oh, sir, if yo
only could know how tired am of trave
ing, how lonesome feel here upon thes
plains, SO many thousands of miles froI
my dear old home, you would reali7
how anxious am to meet my husband
The sun and the train rolled on ives
ward, and toward evening on the secon
day out from Kansas City came in sIgl
of Bijou. My fellow-passenger was
hustle and excitement; she had been ha
dozen times to the glass to adjust h,
hair and apparel. The beautiful lit
boy in his Scotch cap, blue jacket, an
black stockings had had his golden loci
freshly curied, his rosy cheeks washe
and stood upon the car seat looking OIL
of the window-looking for " Father"
"Oh, mother, l think 1 see father
said Charley. No, mother, it is SON
one else. Oh, see coffin, mother; son
person is dead; they are taking the coffi
out of wagon, mother There it il
mother; there, we are past it now. No
we shall see father, we are home" I'll
train stopped. The weary, traveled.soile
neice of Charles Dickens gathered up ht
parcels and her cloaks, and stepped o,
upon the wild, bleak spot called Bio
Station. The passengers, all intereste
in the talkative and unsOphisticated pa
of travellers, crowded to the windows ,
the car to witness the expected meetin
between husband and wife. They saw i
While her baggage was being tumble
out of the car she stood with her baby
her arms and her boy by her side gain
md hoe ii