The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-05-01


The day met this little friend of mil
whom never shall forget) | had just lie
some other friends, and was sorry that m
pleasant visit to them was over. l had
long journey to take before / reached hom
and l was to take it alone. did not min
this, in one way. for have grown used {
travelling by myself, but felt lonely enoug
that day after the cars had started. However
/ was lucky IN having a most cOmfortabl
section in the sleeping car, and was we'll pre-
vided with books and lunch and pleasan
thoughts. So, after had looked miserabl
out of the window at nothing for half al
hour. 1 began to settle myself comfortabl,
for the day or two must spend on the train
There were several passengers, but no ON
whom 1 had ever seen before, and it wa
sometime before lost the feeling that / wa
with company OF unknown people, and
began to take an interest in my fellow trav
elers separately. There were the usual young
couple in very new clothes who tried ID
make us believe that they had been married
these ten years, and there were two elderly
women who knew each other and were jour-
neying together, loudly talking over parish
and neighborhood matters by the way. Not
far from me was a round, red-cheeked old
lady in a somewhat fantastic dress, with q
narrow ribbons and lusterless bugles. / am
sure she had made it herself and was proud
and conscious Of it. She had a great deal of
small luggage in the compartment with her,
and L thought she must be changing her
home, for she never could be taking so many
and such curious looking packages just for a
visit. Besides these people there were four
or five business men and a Catholic priest,
and just opposite my own place was little
girl. tssi
For some time supposed she belonged to
some one in the car and had chosen TO sit
by herself for while and look out of the
window. Then l thought her father must
have lett her to go to some other part of the
train, where he had found some one to talk
with But two hours went by, and it was
toward noon, and watched the little thing
grow sleepy and at hast put her head down
on the seat, and the doll she had he'd 30
carefully slid to the floor. L picked Il up
and placed it on her arm again so she might
find il when she walked. | had noticed that
the conductor had spoken to her, and I
thought would ask him about her when he
next came by.
She did not sleep very long; the stopping
Of the train startled her, and when she
opened her eyes smiled at her and beckoned
her to come to me. So she climbed the seat
beside me- still holding the doll, and l asked
her what its name was, and if she was alone,
and where she was going. She looked up
gravely into my face, and told me the dolls
name and her own, and then she did not say
anything more. She was younger than
had thought at first, and yet she was grave
and sober and saddened. Isn't your papa
with your said /, but she only shook her
her head, and looked upat me again al she
sat beside me. 1 was strangely drawn to
the little thing, she puzzled me, and she was
so wistful. She seemed contented and we
both looked out of the window, and talked
now and then about the things we saw. She
sat on my lap so she could see better.
After some time she said to me, "Mother
is dead" in half questioning way. as IL abe
expected me to say something; but what
could 1 say, except that was sorry7 though
there was all that wonder in her face at hav-
ing been brought in contact with so great
mystery. This new, undreamed OF, uncom.
Portable change was almost too much for her
mind to recognize at all, but she had been
shocked by it, and everything was different
from what it used to be. She knew that at
any rate.
"Poor little girl" said l.
"She said she was going to die" the child
told me, still watching me with her sad and
curious eyes as if everybody knew the secret
of it all and would not tell her.
you will know all about it when you are
older, dear, and you will see her again by
and by" 1 said, but she shook her head.
'She isn't coming back any more" she
told me, as if she were sure of that at any
rate.
al am going to have my lunch now.
said 1, "and you will have some TOO, won't
your"
She was very hungry, and was more
pitiful than ever, for the fact of her friend
lessness grew more and more plain. She
had very nice ways; she evidently had been
brought up carefully, and there was a quaint
dignity and reserve about her; she did moth
ing in a hurry. as if she had never been with
other children at all and had learnt no child
ish or impatient ways. l noticed her clothes,
which were beginning to look worn and out
grown, but were very clean and we'll kept
1t was on the edge Of winter but she still
wore what must have been her last summers
hat, a little leghorn hat trimmed with white,
ribbon, and over her shoulders she had one
of the smallest of plaid shawls folded corner.
wise, and pinned over neatly. She had {
some mittens, but she had taken those of and
put them together on the window leGge.
Presently the conductor came in, evidently
in a hurry. and when he saw that VIC had
been lunching together he looked SIS if
weight were taken off his mind. a7,
"Im very much obliged to you," he said
to me; al meant to take her out and give
her some dinner when We stopped, but 1 got
q dispatch that something was wrong up the
line, and had to fly around as fast as I
could. 1 only got part of a cup of coffee
myself"
Ia she under your carer I asked. ue
The conductor moved the little girl to q
seat facing mine, and bent over to tell me-
.sShes left all alone in the world. Her
father was a friend of mine, freight con-
ductor on the road, and ne was killed pretty
near two years ago. His wife was a nice
little woman, and the company helped her
some, and she sewed and got along very we'll
for q while, but she never had any health
and she died last Sunday Of the pneumonia
very sudden-buried day before yesterday.
The folks in the house sent dispatch to
sister In Boston they'd heard her speak of,
and she answered right of that she'd take
the child. They can't sell off what little
stuff there is until they hear from her. My
wife told me how things we're, and / spoke
to the superintendent, and said ] 4 take hef
on free. I'd s..aken her home myself and
welcome, but as long as she has folks OF
her own she'd better go to them. don't
believe much in fetching up other peoples
children, but the last thing / told my wife
az I came out of the house was, that Il
didn't like the looks o. the woman that
comes for her would just bring her bach
again. She's the best little thing tevsrsaW,