The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-19

! lef 'em long ago. But d0t's nOthin'. DEFY
| got me to take care of 'em, honey. Bright,
active, as full Of audacity as resources and
| impressed with a sense Of he- own impor-
tance. it is not surprising that the child
became power in the house, and indeed
out of it, for she could sew, sweep, cook,
wash, milk, scrub, drive, and on occasion
even plow little, had genius for every
day matters, and at her sauciest had only
the pert familiarity, or rather took only the
innocent liberties of a child or savage
liberties to which Southerners are quite
| accustomed and which have no root OF
actual disrespect in them. 4t
But this is q DEPRESSION, our business be-
| ing not with this original young African
| but with Miss Roberta as she whirls along
at the local rate of speed, which is not tina {
OF the Flying Dutchman' between Liver
pool and London. but allows the curious
traveller to look about him juft as If he
were walking without the fatigue of that
exercise. All the same il was an exhilara-
ting experience to Miss Roberta, whose life
of utter seclusion made any thing in the
shape OF change or movement delightful.
She had not been out of her own count Y
before for twenty years, or out OF her own
state In all her life, so that TO be going to
Ohio was charming state OF affairs some
what clouded by the unnecessary anxieties
and fears that haunt people unused to
travelling. Long before Milford was reached
-Aioo 1SODCIcd udu SlucIcu
would have struck any one accustomed to
the rush and whirl Of modern life as utterly
absurd. A cosmopolitan American would
not have felt such in voyage around the
world, and though ridiculous from this
standpoint, they were very real. How
would they know when the train arrived
at Milford, when the stations were an
nounced in ChOctaw, to all intents and
purposes! Suppose she were to get off at
The wrong station, or be carried off into
that wide world that teemed with dangers
- unprotected spinsters. Every time pas
enEs left tho car she started up nervous
y aud tried to lind out where she was, or
sa@ still, ashamed to make inquiries and
ireading the result. Whenever the con-
ductor entered the car she looked at him
appealingly to recall to him without furth-
er speech the fact that she was there, that
she was going to change at Milford. that
some dreadful mistake would enSue unless
he bore in mind her entreatieS that he
should see her safely into the western
train. Then herpurSe gave her the gravest
concern, it was 50 slenderly furnished, and
there seemed so much danger of losing even
That little. Her ticket was another burden,
though she pue il back in her dress each
time after showing it; and, finally, what
was to be the fate of her trunk, which
wasn't hers, but sister Elizabeth's, who
didn't like lending her things!
She was still thinking uneaSily OF all
these perplexities when the train crawled
into Milford. Her first fear was realized.
The faithless conductor forgot her entire
ly. But this time the car was unanimous
ly deserted by the passengers, amidst a
most confusing banging of doors and rush
OF trains, and after having made satisfac
tory inquiry as to whether that was ''real-
ly Milford" she followed the people near
her and soon found herself in a huge COW
cred station. There were trains to the
OH n lnv- ov,1 f,.air 70 fhn 1aff Of hn-
There was great crowd. She made some
more timid inquiries, and the busy officials
only half-heeding her sent her first to the
wrong gate, where, after fumbling for her
ticket and showing it, she was cursorily
waved off to another and finally reached
the proper train at the last moment She
saw the people from afar streaming in,
and just caught up with the procession.
Hold on! Here's anotberw said the con-
ductor in charge, and glad enough was she
to find herself in harbOr once more after
the agitht ting fluctuations of the last few
hours. Now all was we'll She had only
to get off at Smithville where her aunt
lived and would see that she was welcomed
In two hours more the journey
would be at an end
With these reflections Miss Roberta
settled her wraps and parcels in the last
seat at the upper end of the car and took
the empty one facing it. Once or twice she
W nave a lOOh db Iue QUIET
passengers as they took their places, and
then she sank back against the we'll
cushioned seat and, as she would herself
have expressed it, addressed" herself to
reading the excellent volume of Hannah |
Moore provided by Miss Anastasia as a
vas not the first time she bad read il by |
any means, but novelty in the atmosphere /
n which she had been bred was not only |
lot essential, even in the matter of books, |
nut considered vrguely dangerous. They |
lad always read Hannah Moore with pleas |
Ire, and that a time would come in which /
hey would cease to be ''edified' and lin |
by her amusement was a mere |
,iddy side issue without weight among |
Srave, superior peopie) would have struck |
III the sisters as an almost indecent suppo- |
ition.
And so it was with serious satisfaction |
hat Miss Roberta turned over page after |
page of the volume in her hand which she I
vas allowed to dwell upon quite undiS- |
urbed, for except to show her ticket when |
irSt seated her attention was not once dis !
racted. In the course of the next hour |
md a half they passed a good many |
stations at which they stopped for a few |
but no one got into her car and |
10 one got out, neither was she annoyed |
~ having the names OF the towns bawled |
1t her from afar as she had been on the !
branch road. 1t is possible, though, to get |
enough even of the most substantial re-
)ast and SO when she had finished the |
twelfth chapter of moral reflections human |
nature began to assert itself, and Miss !
Roberta groaned twice and began to look |
bout her again.
A glance behind showed her a pretty,
chubby boy of about four years old, who |
vas munching with evident relish large
lice of ielly-cake. \ lunch-baSket was
,pen on the seat near him. from which the
Iii hod hal nd l.,
Iozed in the corner.
Attracted by the situation Miss Roberta
continued to watch him, at first with
milling approval and then as cake fol-
owed cake, and apples, oranges, figs fol-
owed the cakes. with decided disapprovaL
At last she determined to Interfere, and in
! loud voice addressed the sleepy parent.
Madam" she said. Il apologize for dis
urbing you, but l think YOU can not be
WARE of the excuses your little charge is
She got no answer from the
hild's mother and abashed turned her
lead away. Another lOok-the spectacle
aScinated her-Showed her the bow making |
lavoc of a thick section of fruit-cake The
lext time she glanced in that direction it
vas an apple. then more fruit-cake, and
o on until Miss Roberta could no longer
Dear the sight and made another appeal to
he mother, who still dozed away uncon-
cious of her sons gastronomic feats. Find
NC that her usual gentle tones had no
fleet on the sleeper Miss Roberta raised
Ter voice, but even then made no impress
ion. At last she ventured to shake the
ady's arm lightly and express her concern
bout the child. This had the desired
fleet, for the lady sat up and turned
startled, confused glance upon her, fol-
owed the direction of hey eyes shook up
he child and replaced him i'll his corner.
losed the basket and resumed her inter-
upted nap without a word. well upon
ny word,n thought Miss Roberta, indig-
antly, 'here's civility, to be sure. l sup
nd so hasn't q word OF thanks for me.
hough it is my belief that have saved
hat child'S life. But what can expect in
lhio." A rooted prejudice against the