Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-11-03
An Incident on the Cars.

"CarS StOp twenty minutes 1Or refresh
ments !" called out Conductor Richardson
at Aliens Junction.
Then, as the train came to dead halt, he
jumped down upon the station platform, ran
along to the front of the long line of passen-
ger-cars, where the engine was standing,
and swinging himself up into the cab, said
to the engineer; Frank, want you to
come back with me to the first passenger
coach and see little girl that hardly know
what to make of"
The engineer nodded without speaking,
deliberately wiped his oily, smoky hands in
a bunch Of "waste." took a look at his
grimy, dusty face in the narrow little mir
ror that hung beside the steam-gauge, pulled
off his short frock, put on a coat, changed
his little black, greasy cap for his soft felt
hat-taking these "dressup" articles from
the tender-box, where an engineer always
has something slowed away for any emer-
gency-and went back to the coach, as re-
quested, He entered the coach and made
his way to the seat where the kind-hearted
conductor sat talking to a bright-looking
little girl, about nine years old, oddly dressed
in a woman's shawl and bonnet. Several of
the passengers were grouped around the seat,
evidently much interested in the child, who
wore a sad, prematurely old countenance,
but seemed to be neither timid nor confused
"Here is the engineer" said the conductor
kindly, as Frank approached.
She held up her hand to him, with win
some smile breaking over her pinched 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 Su-
sic and Willie. My papa used to tell me
hat h..a oh ka I.aI tLAr ka
no one to take care of me, and then 1 must
get on the cars and go to his old home in
| Vermont. And he said, if the conductors
wouldn't let me ride because hadn't any
ticket, must ask for the engineer, and tell
him was James Hendricks little girl, and
that he used to run on the M and G.
road"
The pleading blue eyes were now full of
tears but she did not cry after the manner
of children in general.
Engineer Frank now quickly stopped
down and kissed her very tenderly and
then, as he brushed the tears away from his
own eyes, said &" Well, my dear, so you are
little Bessie Kendrick ? It's my opinion
merciful Providence guided you on board
this train" Then, turning around to the
group of passengers, he went on; 81
knew Jim Kendrick, the father of this little
girl, well. He was man out of ten thou
sand When first came to lndiana-before
got acclimated-I was sick great part of
the time so that could not work, and |
got homesick and discouraged. Couldn't
keep my board-bill paid up-not to mention
my doctors bill-and didn't much care
whether lived or died. One day, when
the pay-car came along, and the men were
getting their monthly wages, there wasn't a
cent coming to me, for hadn't been free
from the ague, nor worked an hour for the
last month. 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
Inconsistencies and Encouragement. Pretty
soon one of the railroad men came along
and said, in a voice that sounded like sweet
music in my ears, for hadn't found much
real sympathy out there, although the boys
were all good to me in their way: You've
been having rough time of it and you
must let me help you out | looked up,
and there stood Jim Kendrick, 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 q sickly
wife and two or three children, and that he
had hard time of it himself to pull
through from month to month, so l said,
half ashamed of the tears that were still
streaming down my face Indeed, | can
not take the money. You need every cent
yourself"
"Indeed, you will take it, man." said jim.
You will be all right in few weeks, and
then you can pay it back. Now come home
with me to supper, and see the babies it
will do you good ! took the bank-note
and accepted the invitation, and after that
went to his house frequently, until he
moved away, and | gradually lost sight Of
him. had returned the loan, but it was
impossible to repay the good that little act
of kindness did me, and rather guess Jim
Hendricks little girl here will not want for
anything if can help it."
Then turning again to the child, whose
blue eyes were wide open enough now the
engineer said to her "Ill take you home
with me, Bessie, dear, when we get up To
Wayne. My wife will fix you up, and we'll
} write and find out whether those Vermont
} relations really want you or not. If they
do, Mary or shall 60 with you. But II
they don't care much about having you, you
shall stay and be cur little girl, for we have
none of our own. You look very much like
} your father, God bless his memory"
Just then the Eastern train whistled. "All
aboard |" was shouted, engineer Frank van
ished out of the car door aud went forward
10 his engine, wiping his eyes with his coat
sleeve, while the conductor and sympathetic
passengers could not suppress the tear this
touching little episode evoked during the
twenty-minutes' stop at Aliens Junction
J Golden Days.