Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-10-17
A Child VOyagcr.

A Child VOyager.
Children furnish more than one-half
of the worlds purest Joys, their beauti-
full deeds breaking in upon us often
times as delightful surprises and
stupid would we be, if we failed to
be reused from lifes torpor by
their presence, their needs and their
expression of them. As We stepped
upon the platform of the cars on our
way west in the middle of tue night,
we heard man say: Here is little
girl. Will not somebody take care of
her - Somebody responded, and we
thought no more of it until next day
when we had dropped our sleeper"
and entering one of the other cars, we
saw the sweetest little child.form we
ever looked upon, fast asleep, so sound
~ sleeping as not to he even heard in
breathing. Such head of dark brown
hair, lying all loose over shoulders,
back and face, we never beheld; fea-
lures as if the choice of an artist from
thousand beauties; her long, dark
eye-lashes lay across the opening into a
world of beauty, and her form was in
beautiful adaptation to the ideal of her
face. We could hardly wait for her to
wake, for we felt sure she was the lonely
child of whom we had heard the night
before, and were impatient for the his
tory of this interesting but solitary
voyager across the earth. After a
while the conductor stood over her, as
if drawn by her beauty and innocence.
He seemed to he shrinking from waking
her, as If she was an angel whose re-
pose it would have been irreverent to
disturb. Said he, Whose child is
this?" No one could tell. He turned
away and went on gathering his tickets.
When he had finished he came back,
and she was awake. He stopped and
said:
"Whose little girl are you?"
Mamma's,' said she, looking up
trustfully in his face.
Where is your mamma? Show me
where she is. -
Said she gently, Mamma is not on
the cars; she is in heaven"
The gentlemanly conductor grew
more intently anxious, and said:
But you have a father aboard?"
No, sir; my father is in heaven q
long time ago. When I was a little
baby he was in the army. Mamma
used to tell me about him. She called
him her poor soldier boy"
And where did your papa and
mamma live?"
In Ireland, SIR" speaking more
gently, as if not right sure it was best
to tell him.
Where did you come, from my little
darling?'
From the same place, SIR"
"Not from Ireland ?"
"Yes, SIR"
Who came with you %
Nobody, sir, but God. He kept
me on the sea when it was awful
stormy, and was so sick I thought
would die"
The conductor, in surprise, said
You did not come all the way from
Ireland by yourself?"
Yes, sir; God was with me: nv
auntle prayed for me, and told God to
take care OF me, on the forecastle of
the ship; and she kissed me and said.
Precious pet, don't be afraid. for G cd
has told me that He is going with YOU
an tne way; and some people on the
deck TOOK me and made me sleep by
them till got to New York, and then
they took me to the railroad station,
and nice old gentleman with a white
beard got my ticket. Here it is, sir
opening queer old-fashioned Irish
carpet-sack, and pulling out a wooden
petticoat and putting her little hand
into the pocket, she took out little
pocket-book, tied with piece of soiled
linen tape" here it is: he gave il 10
me, and told me not to be afraid. be-
cause the people would all be kind to a
little stranger orphan girl. And he
said when | want ed anything to ask
the man with the band on his hat. Are
you the man 2"
Yes; what do you want, NV little
pet?" ~
" want You to take care of me, if
you please" -
" will indeed. had a little girl
about as large as you. bat she died"
She Is IN heaven. amt she. She
VIII see my papa and mamma, won't
de said, Il hope so, and he turned
away.
By this time half dozen men had
gathered about the child, 10 women
happened to lie IN the cars. else tina,
WOMAN heart would have been bro.
Ken The men we're ali rough. good.
hearted souls, and ali seemed To l,e
ndgety to do something for this strange
beautiful child. One turrel M a lag
which was fastened to a ribion arouDj
Ler neck, and Oh 1t u as written