Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-03-15

fare had not one cent Earth
err inquiry there was certainly
no such man on board the boat j
began to cry,
"'That won't do, my little girl.
/ (She was very smalD. we have
seen too much of that. Pay your
fare, or I'll put you off,
81 had bright thought. MY
trunk was here
"Show it to me, if you please
And he went with me TO the bag
gage. l pointed it to him tri-
umphantly, Your key, if you
please
"My husband locked it and has
the key but you may break the
lock-
1.-The owner of the trunk may
object
"It is mine !"
"'Look here, girl, you are not
married. shall put you ashore at
the first landing. Go home and be-
have yourself in future
"Every drop Of blood in my
veins boiled, and yet Unjust bear it,
because ! had not a five dollar bill
by me! never before dreamed Of
the degradation Of poverty He
turned away, and sat down on my
trunk. 1t was my own. 1t would
tell of my innocence and truth, if
he would but let it. So, too, would
all the presents we had so careful
Is selected for the dear ones at
home. / could have put my arms
around it and kissed it. | only
asked to be allowed to sit upon it
all night. Wouldn't he Just let me
10 that =
at was the worst question that
I could have asked.
al presume you'd like to be left
here! Go straight to the ladies'
cabin, and don't you leave it until
put you Off the boat
Il rose proudly, and walked to
the cabin without a glance at him.
| would not cry until could get TO
my stateroom. But when | came
to the door it flashed upon Inc, |
had no stateroom. had no spot
of my own, no baggage, no friends.
no character-even the black cabin
maid was whispering abont me-no
husband where was he ! where
could he be lie must have fall
len overheard / never could see
him again F.! and | should be put off
in the night, in n strange place and
without a cent Of money to buy a
lodging-or even sheet of paper
or a threee-cent stamp And Christ
mas morning, when all would
be watching for the happy bril-
dal party, where should we be 7
Where was he | grew frantic.
| believe now ! was on tho verge
Of insanity. l remember feeling
sure he had fallen overheard and
was drowned, and that, if left on q
wharf, I should so and spend
Christmas with him. often shud-
der. even now, when / think what
I might have been driven to. /
only know the dark fright and hor-
ror Of that hour.
"One Of these little ores, whose
angels do always behold the fac2 OF
the Father came and put her hand
on mine and asked 'why / cried so
hard 2 Itold her. She said, Hes
dead, just as my mama is, and I'll
tell papa And she went to him.
and could not doubt but, soften
ed by his own great sorrow and his
sweet child's pleading, he would
help me. But / saw him shake his
worldly-wise head and heard him
say she is crying too hard, too pub
licly;' and l rushed into the state
room mine or not, must hide the
sobs | could not check.
Then came thought,-one
there was, even on that awful boat,
who knew all i; and dropped on
my knees and simply said, PITY
me, pity me, dear SAVIOUR. Save,
or l perish! / said these words
over and over. The loving little
girl had not been convinced, and
came and peered through the glass
and made her father look, and