The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-12-27

Sable put on her shabby felt hat and
her patched jacket, and said to her
grandmother:
Granny, I'm goin' way a little
while fur somethin' fur Tony. Take
good care of him till I gifts tback!"
And the old woman stopped singing,
''Come, We sinners, poor and needy"
long enough to say, Eyes, yes.
dearie."
Then Sable took ten cents from be-
hind theclock on the mantel, and a lit
tie basket some one had given her
from the closet, and kissing Granny
and her brother good-by, started off
in search of the wild straw
berries. 1t was a bitter cold day, but
she drew her jacket tightly about her,
and running as fast as she could-she
had not. forgotten a step of. the way
they had gone that lovely day-she sooa
reached the ferry-house, and timidly
handed her ten cents to the ticket
seller.
where do you want to goP" asked
he.
"Apple'nl,' y said Sable, meaning APP
pleville.
"The fare is thirty consistently
more. Here are only ten"
The child shrank back, while her
eyes filled with tears.
"Stop a moment,n said the ticket
seller, seeing the tears. ''Why do you
want to go to Appleyillep"
ITO git somethin' fur me poor little
sick BROTHER" she answered, with a
sob, "an' I haven't another penny.
Neither has me grandmother"
s'Well, there's a ticket thatn take
you there and back. And now cut
along. The boats just in" a4..
Sable grasped the ticket, gasped
THANK you. sir,'' and "cut along at
such a rate that-the boat having yet
five minutes to wait before starting
the people already on board and those
going on. board looked at her in sur
prise.
In fifteen minutes more she stood in
New Jersey, holding her ticket tight in
her hand and looking about her in a
half-frightened way.
"Apple'ilrI want to go to Apple
'iip, she repeated to every n who
passed her.
But every n was so intent upon
getting somewhere himself or herself
that no one noticed her. At last, in
sheer desperation, she clutched the
silk cloak of a lady who was hurrying
by.
g"Apple'm-oh, Apple'iIr," she said,
desperately.
The lady stopped and took the ticket
from her cold. red hand. 'AppleviIle,"
she said; ''that's not on my road, but
I'M ehow Won ronr af~oin @ohi14 Eond tho
conductor will let.you off at the place."
So the lady led her to a train of cars
that was waiting for passengers, saw
her seated in n of them, and then
hurried away again.
And Sable was no sooner seated than
the train, the locomotive of which had
been snoring and whistling and
| screaming for some time, started, and
she found herself whirled along al
great speed.
But how different everything looked
from the time she was whirled over
this road before! Then there were
Egreen grass and green trees and lovely
| flowers on every side. Now there was
| nothing to be seen but snow-snow-
snow. The ground was covered with
it, the trees and bushes were laden with
it. Poor Sable! she had thought thai
the snow came only in the city-that
the country was always bright and
green.
81 wonder if them IL be under the
| snowp" she said to herself. "An' me
with no shovel to dig EN- out! But I'll
try to scoop out a few with me hams
anyhow.
/ In a moment or two more the con.
ductor called 'Applevillei'
"That's your place, little GIRL" said
the man who sat next to her, and get
ting up in haste she stumbled through
| the car and out on the platform, from
placed her IN the steps of the station.
Sable climbed these steps as the
train flew away, and wher
| she had reached the top one there lay
the broad road they had travelled thai
June day before her. But it, like all
the other roads, was covered with snow,
with the exception of a narrow path
way made by 3 snow-plow on one
side. But Sabie's stout little hear
would not give up.
Poor Tonyr' she said, and began
plodding along the pathway.
1t grew colder and colder; her ear
and feet ached, her hands were numb
but still she toiled o I.
ssThey wuz blythe end of this street.
she said, and her breath froze on the
air as she spoke. ..Maybe there's 6
few left, If there be. I'll git 'em some
how" And on and on she trudged
with all the patience and endurance
born of love, until the wood wa:
reached. So r
But, alas! the spot where the straw.
berries had grown was n vast heal
Then, 4for@the first time since she
started on her quest, Sabie's heart be
gan to sink. 1t would do no good tt
"scoop'' there with her hands. De
spairingly she looked about her fol
something with which to dig. The
branch of a tree, half-buried in the
snow, lay across the path. She tried
to pull it from its resting place, but he,
hands were so cold it slipped from he:
grasp.
"If I could only git a few-only fly,
or sikh" she murmured, as a drowsy
feeling came over her; '.but I'm 81
tired and sleepy I can't try any NOR
now and down she sank beside tn,
fallen branch and fell into O sleep from
which she never would have awakened
had not a sleigh, full of merry boys GU
making Newly ears calls, come dash
ing along that way.
tHellor' shouted the boy that wa
driving. "What's that l came .nea
running over?" and he stopped tn
horse suddenly.
ga bundle of old clothes. I guess
said one of his companions. "Driv,
on, Sherry, do please. We want to ge
to Aunt Hannab's by dinner time. Jus
think of the mince-pie and doughnut
awaiting there, and start along you
fiery steed."
But Sherry jumped out instead o
driving on. "Look here, boys" sail
he, bending sover Sable, '.it's a poo
little girl, almost if not quite frozen II
death" And raising her in his arms
he carried her to the sleigh, where tn
boys, with many EXPLANATIONS of pit,
and wopda soon bod har wroppo,