The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-02-13
KINDNESS REWARDED.

upon the depot platform, ran along to
the front of the long line of passenger
cars, where the engine was standing,
and swinging himself into the cab, said
to the engineer:
Frank, want you to come back to
the first passenger coach and see little
girl that don't hardly know what to
make of. "
Frank nodded without speaking, de-
liberately wiped his oily, smoky hands
in bunch of waste, took look at his
grim, dusty face in narrow little mir
ror that hung beside the steam guage,
pulled Off his short frock, put on coat,
changed his little black greasy cap for
soft felt hat, taking those dress-up"
articles from the tender box, where an
engineer has something slowed away for
an emergency and went back to the car
as requested.
He entered the car and made his way
to the seat where the conductor sat talk
ing to bright looking little girl, about
nine years old, oddly dressed in a wo-
mans shawl and bonnet.
Several of the passengers were grouped
around the seat evidently much inter-
ested in the child, who wore sad,
prematurely old countenance, but -ap-
pearing to be neither timid norconfused.
&C Here is the engineer" said the con-
ductor kindly, as Frank approached
She held up her hand to him, with q
winsome smile breaking over her pinch
ed little face and said:
My papa was an engineer before he
became sick and went to live on farm
in Montana. He is dead and my mamma
is dead. She died first, before Willie
and Susie. My papa used to tell me that
after he should be dead there would be
no one to take care of me, and then j
must get on the cars and go to his old
home in Vermont. And he said if the
conductor would not let me ride because
hadn't any ticket, l must ask for the
engineer and tell him that am James
Hendricks little girl, and that he used
to run on the M. & S. road.''
The pleading blue eyes were now suf-
fused with tears, but she did not cry
after the manner of childhood in gen.
eral.
Engineer Frank stopped down and
kissed her very tenderly and then, as he
brushed the tears from his own eyes,
said:
"Well, my dear, so you are little
Bessie Kendrick. l rather think that
merciful Providence guided you On
board this train"
Then turning to the group of passen-
gers, he went on:
&C knew Jim Kendrick well. Hewas
man out of ten thousand. When i
first came to Indiana, before 1 got ac-
climated, / was sick great part of the
time, so that 1 could not work, and j
got home sick and discouraged. Could
not keep my board bill paid, to say
nothing of my DOCTORS bill, and j
didn't care whether lived or died.
One day the pay car came along and
the men were getting their monthly pay
and there wasn't cent coming to me,
for hadn't worked an hour for the last
month.
C felt so blue that sat down on
pile of railroad ties and leaned my elbows
on my knees, with my head in my hands
and cried like boy out of sheer home
sickness and encouragement.
Pretty soon one came along and said
in a voice that seemed like sweet music
in my ears, for l hadn't found much
real sympathy, although the boys were
all good to me in their way, 6 You have
been having rough time of it, and you
must let me help you out"
Il looked up and there stood Jim
Kendrick with his months pay in his
hand. He took out from his roll
twenty dollar note and held it out to
me.
g / knew he had sickly wife and two
or three children, and that he had q
hard time to pull through from month
to month, so / said, half ashamed of the
tears that were steaming down my face,
Indeed, i cannot take the money, you
must need it yourself.
"tIndeed YOU will take it, said Jim.
you will be all right in few days, and
then you can pay it back. Now come
home with me to supper and see the
babies. 1t will do you good
81 took the note and accepted the in
vitation, and after that went to his house
frequently, until he moved away and
gradually lost sight of him.
81 had returned the loan, but il was
impossible to repay the good that little
Hendricks s little girl here won't want
for anything, if can prevent il"
Then turning to the child, whose
bright eyes were open now, the engineer
said to her:
"I,ll take Won home with me when