American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-03-13
THE RABBITS MISSION.

"Jarvis! twenty minutes for refresh
pVhar cried the Condhctor in q hdarse,
loud voice, as he put his head in at the
car door. E4t -
Little Mrs Dandy woke up with q
start from the brief nap she had been
taking and looked around for Willie.
There he sat opposite her, his little legs
iptheir black stockings hanging over
f6Eedge of the seat, his big blue eyes
ut like his mother's-looking curiously
out at the throng of people on the plat
toyp, of the station. =.
"Jaryisi" said Mrs. Dandy. $50 we
are nearly at the end of our journey.
Only twenty miles more and we will be
at grandpa's, Willie"
= Are you going to buy any fresh
"No; grandpa will give us good
supper. How familiar every thing looks
here. Willie, do you see that large
white house way up on the hill with SO
maiS Afrees about it? Well, / used to
visit there before I married your poor
papa" and the widow glanced at her
sable garments, and sighed deeply.
"Who lived there, mamma?"
"The dearest girl friend 1 ever had
Lulu Conway" answered Mrs. Dandy,
q regretful look stealing over her fair,
youthful face
''Does she live there now, mammal"
asked Willie, who always liked to have
the full particulars given him.
sShe is dead," said Mrs. Dandy,
signing again, '.and 1 do not know
who owns the place now. 1t is nearly
)even years since 1 paid my last visit
idow, over whose head twenty-six
S Summers had flown very lightly, buried
her face in her shawl and gave herself
up to memories of that happy past
when Roger Conway had been her
al think I'll get dwink,' MUIR
INJURED Willie, slipping down from his
seat, and wallcinf toward the water
cooler at the end of the car.s
But when he had taken drink he
did not return to his seat. He walked
Gu tof the car door, down the steps,
and on to the rough platform of Jarvis
Station.
.,"Mamma won't care,' he said soft
ly, trying to stife the voice of con-
science which was whispering that he
was doing wrong. "She always lets
Edo. any thing, and I'll only run
up and down till the tired gets out of
my}es'
Just then he spied at the end of the
platform a pretty white rabbit sitting on
its hind legs. pulling at a small shrub.
"I'll catch it, and carry it to grand
pas" he thought. "It will be nicer
iha1 The kitten mamma said I should
But Bunny was not to be easily caught.
Away it ran down a green lane, and in
hot 611Suit went Vile, quite unaware
to1tH WIS Chasing the pet and pride
of the station-master's wife, who had
made the little creature very tame.
When at last, breathless and flushed
Y4Ehs long run, Willie stopped at the
eea IF the lane aid looked about him,
he could not even see the station. Only
over the tops of the trees fioated the
smoke from the engine of the train,
and oedtdn whistle sounded in the dis
tance-
The little fellow was frightened, and,
though his short legs were more tired
than ever, he started to run back to the
Station. But the train had gone, and |
only SOME rough-looking men were on
the platform. ...1.,
Willie did not cry. He was too brave
for that, and was no baby in spite of
kAO1lS now anxious his little mother |
would be, and how terrified at his loss. |
Dusk had already come on. Soon it |
would be dark. What was to be done? |
He sat down on a stone near by to |
thmks too much troubled to notice the |
rabbit which went hopping past him in
the station-master's yard.
Suddenly the recollection of what his
mother had said about the large white
house on the hill came to him, and he
rose up, determined to go there and ask
the people TO keep him all night and
send his mother word about him.
1t was,a long walk up the hill, and he
was dusty and worn out when at length
he stood in the wide porch and rang the
bell with trembling hands.
The door was opened by a tall, hand
sonleSaen dressed in gray, who gazed
in surprise at the small, dusty visitor
"Well, my little man, what can do
for you?" he asked, in a voice so gentle
and kind that Willie looked up very
confidingly.
"I'm lost,'' he said, faltering little,
and in spite of himself the tears came
to his blue eyes. "My mamma has
gone off in the cars. Won't you let me
stay here all night, and take me to
grandpa's Tomorrow"
:. You are very modest in your re-
Guests,' said the gentleman, laughing,
but deeply touched by the tears in the
big blue eyes. He sat down in large
chair and drew the child close to him.
50 must know who i am entertaining
he said. "Tell me your name, and how