St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-04-22
PAPA is DRIVING.
An Incident orthe Franco-Prussiany War

was thrown by an attendant into the
car nearest to me. The door was quick
ly shut. The whistle was blown and
we were off.
Curiously enough the car was no.
crowded. I formed the fifth passen-
ger. Two of the corners were occu-
pied, one by an officer and the other
by civilian. Facing me was wO-
man about thirty years old, neatly
dressed, and mOdestly dressed, and
beside her sat the most beautiful little
child l ever saw-a little girl about
six years old, with flood of blonde
curls waving under her immense straw
hat. Now and then the child weuld
look through the window in the di-
rection of the engine and then her eyes
seemed to wander in the infinite space
that was unrolling itself before her.
We came to a station. The train stop
ped. The little girl put her face to
the window. 81 don't see him." she
said to the lady beside her, 81 don't
see him." Then suddenly her face
frightened and her eyes lit with gold
en- hues, shining with indescrib able
joy, while her lips came down on two
hands that came from the exterior and
were placed upon the open window.
"Ah, papa Here is papa!" exclaimed
my little neighbOr with the exuberant
and innocent joy of her six years.
1t was the engineer of our train, who
had come to speak to his little daugh
ter and his wife, who were seated in
front of me.
eve are going very fast" said the
woman.
"We must make up for lost time"
replied the man. "Were you afraid,
Jennie 2"
"No," said the child, "because |
knew that you were driving"
"Well, by-by," said the man, as he
left.
"By-by, papa" said the child, throw
ing herself into his arms.
The train started and gradually
reached an extraordinary speed. l
worship children, and 1 began to ex-
anime the little one in front of me.
She was full of life and good humor.
She amused herself with everything
and nothing, cajoling with her mother,
inquisitive with the window, and Sc
we're with her doll. She was carrying
on thousand different conversations
all at once, and with noise that was
gentleman in the other corner ex-
claimed:
Decidedly we are going too fast.
The train will surely run off the
track"
ooh, don't be afraid" said the child,
seriously; "papa is driving"
The officer was reading. He looked
out of the window, and then resumed
Ii oh al,
servatiOn.
The other gentleman again began to
talk
"This is certainly Madness" said he.
eyes, madam he continued, address
ing the lady, ''your husband is either
drunk or crazy"
band never gets drunk. You saw him
is going at furious rate. l don't un-
derstand it,"
The officer closed his book and
would advise you all to do the same,"
said he with the greatest GOODNESS. eff
you keep seated your legs will be
smashed. Remember the Versailles
accident"
Certainly the train was running at
terrifying rate. What in the world
could the engineer mean by such driv
ing2 -,
white with terror.
Then the officer took me aside.
"Here is my name and address," said
he. "If am killed or mOrtally wound
ed in the accident to which we are
running, and you escape, promise me
now that you will carry these de-
spatches without moments delay to
the general whose name you will find
by opening this envelope"
81 promise"
The woman took the child in her
arms and covered her little face with
to make rampant of herself to pro-
tect the little one against the frightful
smash-up that was momentarily ex-
pected.
81 am not afraid" said the child,
smiling "papa is driving" And she
alone among the passengers of the car,
and doubtless she alone among all on
board the train, had faith and conf
dence. We could hear in the other
cars cries of terror and wailings of de-
spair, and, in spite of the mother, the
child leaned out of the window in the
back door and shouted out with all the |
force of her little lungs: "Don't be
afraid; papa is driving" All that
sweet little girl, in the general terror
was tower of strength with that sa-
cred love of child for father-an
affection that nothing can break down.
Gradually the train slowed and then
came to a standstill. We were at a |
station. The engineer came TO the
door. owe have been going very FAST"
said he, "but at all hazards we must
get to Reims before the Prussians.
That we must do at the risk of being
blown mp or smashed to pieces on the
way. I'm told that we are carrying
important dispatches" and he looked
at his little girl with tears in his eyes.
"Give me your hand" said the Off
GER. "You are brave fellow. 1t is |
who have the dispatches" SEN route !"
then said the man, and he gave part
ing glance at the fair form of his child
as if to bid her farewell. But Jennie
was not afraid and, moreover, nobody
in our compartment was afraid any
longer. We knew that we were risk
ing our lives for our country, and that
US. AS for the train, it re-
it's furious race. This was
in the month of September, 1870, on
the Eastern line. -[Courier des Etats
Unis.