The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-08-18

1
tance, it is not surprising that the chill
became power In the house, and indee
out OF 1t, for she could sew, sweep, cool
wash, milk, scrub, drive, and on occasion
even plow little, had genius for every
day matters, and at her sauciest had onI,
the pert familiarity, or rather took only th
innocent liberties Of a child or savage
liberties to which Southerners are GAIT
accustomed and which have no root O
actual disrespect in them.
But this is . digrsssion,. our business be
ing not with this original young African
but with Miss Roberta as she whirls alonJ
az the local rate of speed, which is not tha
OF the Flying Dutchman' between Livc
pool and London, but allows the curiou
traveller to look about him just as IL h,
were walking Vithout the fatigue of tha
exercise. All the same it was an exhilara
ting experience to Miss Roberta, whose liz,
OF utter seclusion made any thing in tn,
shape OF change or movement delightful
| She had not been out Of her own count
SeIore for twenty years, or out Of her owl
Siate IN all her life, so that to be going Il
Ohio was a charming state of affairs some
what clouded by the unnecessary anxietie.
and fears that haunt people unused te
Sraveling Long befor5 Milford was reached
Miss Roberta had suffered many pangSthat
the rush and whirl of modern life as utterly
absurd A cosmopolitan American would
not have felt such In q voyage around the
world and though ridiculous from this
standPoint, they were very real. How
at Milford, when the stations were an
nounced In Choctaw, to all intents and
;durposes! Suppose she were to get of at
the wrong station, or be carried off into
nat wide world that teemed with dangers
70 unprotected spinsters! Every time pas
Sengers left the car she started up nervous.
ly and tried to find out where she was. or
sat 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
ne bore in mind her entreaties that he
should SEQ her safely into the western
Train. Then her purse gave her the gravest
concern, 1t was so slenderly furnished, and
there seemed so much danger of losing even
that little. Her ticket was another burden,
tnough she put 1t 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
". But this time the car was unanimous
,;yie ~ deserted by the passengers, amidst a
m most . confusing banging Of doors and rush
tory inquiry as to whether that was 'sreal-
~ Milford" she followed the people near
her and soon found herself in a huge COW
cred station. There were trains to the
right OF her and trains to the left of her.
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
ene 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 another!" said the CON |
1uctor in charge, and glad enough was she |
70 find herself in harbor once more after |
,o me agitstlng fluctuations Of the last few
% get off at Smithville where her aunt |
ived and would see that she was welcomed |
In two hours more the Journey
would be at an end.
With these reflections Miss Roberta
estied her wraps and parcels in the last
he empty one facing it. Once or twice she
urned around to have look at the other
,assergers as they took their places, and
hen she sank back against the we'll
ushioned seat and, as she would herself
aading the excellent volume Of Hannah
loore provided by Miss Anastasia as a
srtain preventive of possible duilness. n
as not the first time she bad read it by
ny means, but novelty in the atmosphere
which she had been bred was not only
ut considered vaguely dangerous. Thew
i'd always read Hannah Moore with pleas
re, and that time would come in which
ley would cease to be 'edifed" and 'in- I
ructed' by her amusement was a mere
ddy SIDE issue without weight among
ave. lol
the sisters as an almost indecent suppo- 6
tion. .
And so it was with serious satisfaction I
at Miss Roberta turned over page after q
lge 0f the volume in her hand which she ! l
as allowed to dwell upon quite undis $
rbed, for excspt to show her ticket when (
st seated her attention was not once dis. n
acted. In the course of the next hour q
ID half they passed a good many b
ations at which they stopped for a few o
lnutes, but no one got into her car and p
one got out, neither was she ANNOYED &
having the names of the towns bawled I
her from afar as she had been on the s.
anch road. 1t is possible, though, to get G
ough even OF the most substantial re- 4
ST. and SO when she had finished the q
elith chapter OF moral reflections human G
ture began to assert itself, and Miss n
iberia groaned twice and began to look b
out her again. a
A glance behind showed her a pretty. d
ubby boy OF about four years old, who O
Is munching with evident relish a large d
ce OF lelly-cake. A lunch-basket was o
lid had helped himself, and his mother h
zed in the corner II
Attracted by the situation Miss Roberta Il
1tinued to watch him, at first with ty
hing approval and then, as cake fol- q
the csfs decided ss fol
last she determined to interfere, and in cc
oud voice addressed the sleepy parent 10
adam" she said, II apologies Tor dis IN
'blng you, but think You can not be te
are OF the 9, e1Eesses your little charge is al
Ids mother and abashed turned n ber Ser \,
ID away; Another look-ths spectacle v
cinated her-showed her the bow makino i,
zoe OF thick section of fruit cake. The Z,
q time she glanced in that direction it is
an apple, then more fruit-cake, and DC
IT the sight and made another appeal to 70 70
mother. who still dozed away uncon- sr
ous OF her sons gastronomic feats. Find %
that her usual gentle tones had no ~
'ct on the sleeper Miss Roberta raised ha
voice, but even then made no impress sh
Us arm lightly and express her concern ~, un
ut the child. This had the desired ha
ct, for the lady sat up and turned ov
tartied, confused glance upon her, fol- 81
90 the Objection Of her eyes, shook up Ss
child and replaced him in his corner ~ ~
ed the basket and resumed her inter. ss cs
ted nap without q word. "Weii. upon ~, M
word" thought Miss Roberta, in1sp- ad
tiy, "here'seivility, to be sure! I sup 90 co
sne u angry with me for interfering, gu
ugh It Is my belief that I have saved 1T II.
child's life. But what can expect in GA GA
O." A rooted prejudice against the 81 81
. spd every thing it contained was vi