The National tribune., 1883-08-02
zINTHA'S FORTUNE.
All the Result of a Little Verse of
Poetry.
by Kate Tannaa WIoods.l

Whizl whiz! whir! whiri puff puffl-and
the Through Pacific Express, on its way to the
Golden Gate, paused before the station as Ere
mont, Nebraska The engine drew a long
breath, like boy after a race. The passengers
hurried out to get some dinner at the refresh
ment-room near by; the train dispatcher, con-
ductors, and telegraph operators joked each
other merrlly; and every one was smiling and
happy although the day was unusually warm
for June.
On one side of the track stood large grain
elevator, and many men were busy loading
some cars with barley destined for the New
York market. The elevator platform, like that
of the station, was crowded with people. A lit
tie apart from the crowd stood a girl OF twelve,
with long braids of hair down her back and a
sturdy baby boy in her arms. At the open
window of Pullman car a young lady and
two children sat watching this girl. A strange,
wistful look in her eyes attracted them
Come here, little girl" said the young
lady; "come and get some candy for your lit
tie brother"
He is not my brother, aud she bids me never
cross the track alone" said the girl, and her
large brown eyes grew more wistful. The
pretty children in the car reached out and
tried to toss some chocolates across to her; they
all fell, however, on the track near the wheels
of the grain cars
SIS she your mother2" asked the young
lady.
mo; my mother is dead, replied the girl
ooh, Aunt Sue do you hear?' cried the girl
in the car. 'She hasn't any mother just like
Hal and me. I'm so sorry"
Yes, Vesta l hear" said the young lady;
the poor child looks unhappy"
Just then the conductor came in to say that
some Chinese were engaged in cooking their
dinner on the prairie close by, and to inquire if
Miss Perkins, with her little niece and nephew,
would like to visit them.
Miss Perkins was delighted, and at once
nodded to the little girl that she was coming
out
"Can you tell me anything about that child ~
she asked, as the conductor assisted the party
across the track.
"The one with the baby?" said he 'sNo; I
have noticed her here frequently, sometimes
when it storms hard, and she is always hold
ing that heavy boy"
She looks like g picture once saw in Rome"
said Hiss Perkins, and want to speak to her.
Shall we take her with US to see the Chinese ~
Certainly, if you wish" And, stepping up
to her, the conductor took the baby and lifted
him down from the platform, and then smiled
as the girl leaped lightly to the ground.
Must yon carry that big boy?" said Miss
Perkins to her, as she was about to take up
the baby again. You look tired. de can walk,
can he not 2"
t., Miss, DuI Ut uOtso HOE IKE TO.
Miss Perkins took the little fellows fat hand
in hers, saying Now baby will walk like a
big man, and the party soon Joined Hal and
Vesta, who were already watching the indus
tri0us foreigners, and calling to Aunt Sue to
come quick"
"What is your name, dear?" asked Miss
Perkins, when the child was seated by Vesta,
with the baby between them.
"Zintha Dierke,' she replied.
do you live near here?"
Out on the prairie yOnder."
Who takes care of you?"
Nobody but myself"
But you live with some one 2"
Yes, Miss, with Hans mother" explained
Zintha. " l mind him for my board; my father
is away, and look for him every day"
Where is your father?" said Miss Perkins.
81 cannot tell, Miss" was the reply He
has gone to work, and when he has made plenty
of money he will come and take me. If l could
know where he was L should be happy. If l ask
Mrs. Hansen, she says, You will hear in good
time; but the good time never comes"
= am very sorry, dear" said Miss Perkins,
" but | am sure your father will come"
come always to the cars" continued the
girl l cannot keep away. He kissed me and
said, Be brave, my Zintha, and will come for
YOU But my eyes ache with looking, and he
does not come"
Brave is grand word, little Zintha," said
MIS- Perkins, as she kissed the sad little face.
- so kind father must have written, and some
time all will be well. You should go to school,
NY dear, and learn to read and write"
g l read now, Miss" replied Zintha, but I
cannot go 70 school. Mrs. Hansen has smaller
baby, and she keeps me to mind Hans. NV
father wished me to go TO school every day, bat
cannot"
Miss Perkins looked very sober for few mo-
ments, then she said: "Zintha, l shall always
remember you, and you must not forget me-
Here is a card with my name upon it. | have
two homes, one in Los AngeIos,-printed here,
as you see,-and one in New York. For one
year | shall be with my brother in Los Ange-
los, perhaps longer. VIII you keep trying to
write. and by and by send me letter there?"
will, Miss try every day" said Zintha,
eagerly.
Il take Hans to the big undergrad over
there, and make him place between the pile
of boards, and then write. See this pencil; it
was given me by the nice man who measures
the lumber, and l do many lessons on the
boards. l write my fathers name often. love
to write that. Heinrich Dierke is his name"
When the passengers came back into the cars,
Miss Perkins knew that she must send her lit
tie friend away. Hal and Vesta filed box
with bonbons for her, and Miss Perkins gave
her some pictorial papers and bag full of
crackers made in shapes like animals and then
the conductor lifted Zintha and the baby out
upon the platform.
e" | think she wanted your book, Aunt Sue"
said Hal "she kept looking at it so earn
estly.'
Poor child! :" said Miss Perkins. "If it
were not my precious copy of Whittiers poems
with his own handwriting on the hy-leaf |
should certainly give it to her"
4 sudden thought came into her head. She
turned over the leaves quickly and wrote upon
D scrap of paper four lines from one Of the
poems:
THE dear God hears and pities all
He knoweth all wants
And what we blindly ask of him,
His love withhoidS or grants
Aunt Sue hurried to the door with the paper, |
Just as the conductor cried, All aboard :"
g Do give this to that little GIRL" she said.
With pleasure" replied that polite official;
and he Immediately reached over the heads of
those about, saying, Here, little girl, the
lady sends you this. May be it viii prove
fortune"
Some Of the by-standers smiled. How could !
such scrap of paper prove fortune, and if it |
should, what would that sad-eyed child holding |
! fat German baby do with it2
Again the train moved on its way, and in I
Tue time reached California There General 4
Perkins met his sister, and bore her away with /
his children to his orange groves near Los An |
yelos.
How was it with Zintha?
Every day, when the weather was fair, she \
carried Hans to the lumber-yard and wrote or
figured upon the boards. Sometimes she had l
! bit of paper before her, held down by two
bricks, to keep it from being blown away
NGaa hare liftta caf1