The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-06-01
A GOOD SAMARITAN.
BY WILLIS 3, ALLEN.


havs fun! Wen go to the 'Zoo,' that
those English books tell so much about,
and Wen climb to the very tip top Of the
pyramids, and we'll go shopping in Paris
Just think of it-and Wen see the
queen, perhaps. 0, isn't it too nice for
anything2" and she ended in a little
scream of delight.
II think l shall like the ocean best;
and the whales, you know" replied her
sister contentedly. She was the young
est1tf the family, and was more Of =
quiet little house body than the rest. Il
shall sit and watch the water, and oh,
Alice, just think Of the sunsets-whole
sunsets, without the least mite ola house
or hill bctween!
II know" said Alice, carelessly, as she
waltzed with herself around the room.
"Therell be clouds, though, suppose.
Now, dear, don't moralizc on that, and
say that the clouds are what makes the
sunset bright! All I care for is that
we're going, and we are to sail on the
Samaria just six weeks from to-nor-
rowW
"Why, how nice! Then we'll all be
"Good Samaritans!" and Alice's laugh
rang out merrily.
II don't know about the good part,'
said Sue, puckering up her mouth in her
Fanny, solemn way. "And l hope
there won't be any thieves on board.
Now, Alice, let's plan"
Here followed such breathlessly ex-
citing discussion of hats and dresses of
WOODEN stufts for the voyage, as only
two girls Of sixteen and fourteen can
carry on when started. During the sue
ceeding days the library was ransacked
for books Of travel, and directions for
the journey. On the Sunday before the
day of sailing, the minister added the
last straw by preaching. upon the text
'They that 90 down to the sea in ships"
"W e shan't have to go down." whis-
pered mischevious Alice; "papa says you
have to walk right up hill from the wharf
to get on board"
Sues face twitched a little, but she
looked toward the pulpit harder than
ever. You couldn't make Sue laugh in
c}M6ch, and when near the end Of a long
sermon, some Of the older members
closed their eyes placidly, or knitted
their brows absent mindly, and through
out the congregation there was that sub
dued rustic Of fans and silk dresses, SO
annoying to speaker, the minister was
always sure to lind one pair of serious
blue eyes fixed on him, and one little
pair Of ears listening to every syllable of
the "thirdly" and 'fourthly" he had
penned SO carefully in his study. You
Wouldn't have caught Sue falling out of
the window while Paul was preaching.
Well, Saturday came at last, and a won
ride from their home to the little country
station on the Eastern railroad, the last
look at the red chimneys, and the round
ed tops of the naples and elms, all Quiv-
ering with the fresh growth of spring and
the rush of sap through their veins, the
stout conductor, noddiug pleasantly to
the whole family, as he swayed along
through the aisle, and paused to punch
thei{four tickets:
"Guess you're bound off this time, Mr..
Raymond? Thought I sh'd have to put
another car on to carry your bag
gage"
with the ordinary life Of the other pas
paper Of the newsboy, watching people
who would ride back over the same road
in few hours, while they-where would
they be when night fello
1T seems just like holding your opera
glass up to one eye, and looking straight
ahead with the other" Sue confded to
her mother, nesting closer, and laying
her curly head upon her shoulder.
Out Of the cars, and into hack, with
an express team full of trunks lumber
ing behind. Then the ferry, which was
quite voyage i'll itself, with the great,
milky waves rolling after them as they
splashed along the harbor. In five min
utess21ore they were on the wharf, in the
ming to and fro, horses backing distract
edly, deckhands rafting along with their
noisy trucks and, pervading everything
and everybody, strong odor Of tar.
II told you so," laughed Alice, excit-
edly, as they passed up the smooth gang
way plank, and found their way to the
saloon. She was in high state Of ner-
vous delight, while Sue, on the other
hand, was feeling sober at the thought Of
leaving home. She had never known
how dear it was-evcn the old tarry
docks and warehouscs-until half an
hour later the last hawscr was thrown
off, and the ship with tremor from
stem to stern, began that dull thud ,thud,
cease until they should signal for ten
der, off Queenstown Harbor. They all
stood upon the upper deck. waving
their handkerchief to those on the wharf
as long as they could see them.
By this time the steamer had reached
t!1e&niddle of the stream and heading for
the open ocean, was soon past the Outer
Light, with her Journey fairly before her.
Then Sue felt a surge of homesickness
come over her, until it seemed as if she
must fling herself overheard, rather than
be borne off in this great, remorseless
ship And that little patch Of blue water
was to widen, widen, until it should
str IN away, full three thousand miles
between her and home. A
her cheek and fell upon her
hand, which was 'helplessly clutching the
brass rail encircling the hurricane deck.
As she turned away, her eyes blurred 80
that the great red funnel seemed as wa
w as the volumes of black smoke that
poured steady out Of it.
She knew what was the wisest thing to
do In such case, and she did it. She
locked about to see whether she could
heA or comfort anybody else. Pres
emily she found an old
lady, who was trying to adj
Just herself with heavy rug, IN one OF
| those long steamer chairs thata are SO hard
to get into when they are Strengthened
out. She helped her, and then tucked
/ the rug about her feet so nicely that the
old lady thanked her, and asked her if
she felt badly, at leaving home, This
opened Sues heart at once, and they
! were soon the best of friends.
Before long, as she sat on camp stool
talking to her new acquaintance, and to
her mother, who had also been comfort
ably wrapped and tucked in by her little
daughter, she began to have queer feel
she noticed With some interest that tie
Suaper bar of the railing now and then
dipped below the horizon line; that
sometimes it went quite distance above
it; that she was leaning slightly, first one
way and then the other, to keep her
balance, as the ship swung on the long,
easy swell Of the ocean; that people did
| not talk 40 much as at first: that it was