Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24
Bessie Hendricks Journey.

" Cars stop twenty minutes!' called out
Conductor Richardson at Aliens Junction.
Then as the train came to a dead halt, he
jumped down on the depot platform, ran
along to the front of the long line of pas
senger cars, where the engine wassstand-
ing, and swinging himself up into the cab,
said to the engineer:
Frank, | want you TO come back to
the first passenger coach and see little
girl | don't hardly know what to make
off,
Frank nodded without speaking, delib-
erately wiped his oily, smutched hands
in bunch of waste, took look at his
grim, dusty face in narrow little mirror
that hung beside the steam guage, pulled
off his short frock, put on coat, changed
his little black, greasy cap for soft felt.
taking these " dress-up" articles from the
tender box, where an engineer has some
thing slowed away for an emergency, and
went to back the cars as requested.
He entered the car and made his way to
the seat where the conductor sat talking
to bright-looking little girl, oddly dress
ed in woman S shawl and bonnet, Sew
eral of the passengers were grouped
around the seat, evidently much interested
in the child, who wore sad, prematurelv
old countenance, but appeared to be
neither timid nor confused.
" Here is the engineer" said the con-
ductor, kindly, as Frank approached.
She held up her hand to him, with
winning smile breaking over her pinched
little face, and said:
My papa was an engineer before he
became sick and went TO live on a farm in
Montana. He is dead and my mamma is
dead. She died first, before Willie and
Susie. Ny papa used to tell me that after
he should be dead there would be no one
to take care of me, and then must get on
the cars and 60 to his old home in Yer
mont. And he said, if the conductor
wouldn't let me ride because l hadn't any
ticket, must ask for the engineer and tell
him | am James Hendricks little girl, and
that he used to run on the NJ. & S. road"
The pleading blue eyes were now suf-
fused with tears; but she did not cry after
the manner of childhood in general.
Engineer Frank stopped down and kiss
ed her very tenderly; and then as he
brushed the tears from his own eyes, said /:
"Well, my dear, so you are little Bessie
Kendrck. | rather think merciful
providence guided you on board this
train"
Then turning around TO the group of
passengers, he went on:
knew Jim Kendrick we'll He was
II man out of ten thousand When | first
came to Indiana, before l got acclimated,
| was sick great part of the time, so that
could not work, and got homesick and
discouraged. Could not keep my board
bill paid up, and l didn't much care
whether lived or died.
One day the pay car came along, and
the men were getting their monthly pay,
and there wasn't n cent coming to me, for
l hadn't worked an hour for the last
month.
felt so "blue" that l sat down on a
pile of railroad ties and leaned my elbows
on my knees, with my head on my hands,
and cried like a boy, out of sheer home
sickness and encouragement.
| Pretty soon some one came along and
said, in Il voice that seemed like sweet
music in my ears, for had not found
much real sympathy, although the boys
were all good to me in their WAYS :
You've been having rough time of it,
and you must let me help you out
looked up and there stood Jim Ken
drick, with his months pay in his hand.
He took out from the roll of bills twenty
dollar note and held it out to me.
knew he had a sickiy wife and two or
three children, and that he had a hard
time of it himself to pull through from
month to month, so said half ashamed
of the tears that were streaming down my
face, Indeed | cannot take the money,
you must need it for YOURSELF
Indeed, you will take it, man. 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
took the note and accepted the invita-
ton. and after that went TO his house fire.
quently, until he moved away, and I
gradually lost sight of him.
had returned the loan; but it was
impossible to repay the good that little act
of kindness did for me, and / guess that
Hendricks little girl here won't want for
anything if | can prevent it,
Then turning again to the child, whose
bright eyes were wide open now, the en-.
gineer said to her:
"lll take you home with me when we
get up to Wayne. My wife will fix yor
up, and we'll write and find out whether
those Vermont folks want YOU or not. /
they do, Mary or l shall 60 on with you
But, if they don't care much about HAVING
you, you shall stay with us and be oul
little girl, for we have none of our own
You look very much like your father
God bless HIM"