The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-27

1t had been day in June-that beau
tiful day-and now it was the last of
December. but still its brightness came
back to the sick boy. and with il a long
ing for the sweet red berries that grew
on the edge of the old wood.
"Pears to me, if 1 had some, this
pain in my breast would go away" he
moaned. They wuz so good, Sable,
/ kin see 'em now wen s. butts me eyes.
Poorly red straw berries. o. if you
could only git some fur me, Sable, dear
SabieI''
And at last, on New Years Day,
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 gifts back!'
And the old woman stopped singing,
Come, We sinners, poor and needy"
long enough to say, ''Yes, yes,
dearie."
Then Sable took ten cents from be-
hind the clock 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. It was 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 soon
reached the ferry-ho e;e, and timidly
handed her ten cents to the ticket
seller.
Where do you want to go?" asked
he.
"Apple'ill,' said Sable, meaning APP
pleyllle.
The fare is thirty consistently
more. Here are only ten"
The child shrank back, while her
eyes filed with tears.
stop moment" said the ticket
seller, seeing the tears. why do You
want to 90 10 Appleville?"
TO giI sOmethin' fur me poor little
sick brother" she answered, with
sob, "an' l haven't another penny.
Neither has me gran mother"
''Well, there's a ticket that'll take
you there and back. And now cut
along. The boats Just in"
Sable grasped the ticket, gasped
Thank you. SIR" and ''cut along at
such 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
half-frightened way
apple ill'-I want to 90 to Apple
ILL.," she repeated to every one who
passed her.
But every one 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 lady who was hurrying
by.
"Apple'ill'-oh. Apple'ill'," she said,
desperately.
The lady stopped and took the ticket
from her cold, red hand. "Appleville,"
she said; chats not on my road. but
I'll show You your train, child, and the
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 oae of them, and then
hurried away again.
And Sable was no sooner seated than
the train, the locomotive of which had
been snorting and whistling and
screaming for some time, started, and
she found herself whirled along at
great speed.
But how different everything looked
from the time she was whirled over
this road before! Then there were
green 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 that
the snow came only in the city-that
the country was always bright and
green.
Il wonder if them II be under the
snow?" she said to herself. can me
with no shovel to dig EN- out! But I'll
try TO scoop out a few with me hans
anyhow"
In Il moment or two more the con-
ducto- called ''Appleviller'
CHATS your place, little girl" said
the man who sat next to her, and get
ting up in haste she stumbled through
the car and ont on the platform, from
which brakeman lifted her down and
placed her on the steps of the station.
Sable climbed these steps rs the
train flew away, and when
she had reached the top one there lay
the broad road they had travelled that
June day before her. But it, like all
the other reads, was covered with snow,
with the exception of a narrow path
way made by Snow-plow on one
side. But Sabie's stout little heart
would not give up.
Poor Tony" she said, and began
plodding along the pathway.
1t grew colder and colder: her ears
and feet ached, her hands were numb;
but still she toiled on.
They WIZ by the end of this street."
she said, and her breath froze on the
air As she spoke. Maybe there's a
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 was
reached.
But. alas! the spot where the straw
berries had grown was one vast heap
of snow.
Then, for the first time since she
started on her quest, Sabie'S heart be-
gan to sink. 1t would do no good to
scoop" there with her hands. De-
spairingly she looked about her for
something with which to dig. The
branch of tree. half-buried in the
snow, lay across the path. She tried