Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-09-19

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five years they were happy. then John
married, and his wife had grown to think
| her burden as the years went on and the
| children when they grew big did not care
| for her, and she felt she had lived too
long.
Il growed so lonesome" she said pa
| thetieally, 1T seems | couldn't take up
heart to live day by day, an vet | knowed
our folks was long lived. Ten wears back
when Sam wrote he was adoin' fair an
sent me money. begun to think of him:
fur he was allus generous an kind. an the
greatfulest boy, an so I begun to save to
go to him, for | knowed | could work nv
board fur a good many years to come. Fur
three years he amt hardly wrote. but |
laid that to the wild kentry he lived in.
said, bars an Injuns don't skeer me
none, fur when | was gal up in the
Aroostuk kentry there was plenty of both,
an as for buffalers, them horned cattle
don It skeer me none for I've been used to
d farm allus. But the lonesomeness of
these medders has sorter upset me an made
me think Sam was further off than ever
calculated on.
But what would you do if Sam amt in
Denver?" asked the farmer.
Il hev put my faith in Providence. p" she
answered simply, and the stranger could
not mar that trust by any warning. He
gave her his address as he got off at Ne
braska line and told her to send him word
If she needed any help. With a warm
hand clasp he parted from her to join the
phantoms In her memory of folks that
had bin kind to her. God bless 'em. =
and then the train went rumbling on. But
many of the passengers had listened to her
story and were interested and they came to
sit with her and cheer her way. One pale
lad In the seat in front turned to look at
her now and then to answer her smile. He
was going to the new country for health
and wealth, poor lad, only to find eternal
rest in the sunny land, but his last DAYS
were frightened by the reward for an act
of kindness.
''She probably brought these boys up,
he thought, land denied her life for them
Is she to die unrewarded, | wonder. There
can not be any good in the world if that be
so. He thought of her, and took out his
poor purse; there was little money in it,
too; every cent made big hole in his
store; but the consciousness of good deed
was worth something. Il mayn't have
the chance to do many more, > thought the
lad, buttoning his worn Overcoat. He slip
ped off at a station and sending telegram
to Denver:
ITO Samuel Blair for he had caught
the name from her talk-''your Aunt Han
nah, from Maine, is on the w. & W. train
coming to you.
It was only a straw, but a kindly wind
might blow it to the right one.
When he was sitting there after his
message had gone on its way, she leaned
over and handed him a peppermint drop.
''You don't look strong, dearie," she
said; hahn t We no folks with yep
None on earth
We're both lone ones she smiled:
IAN how sad it be there amt no one to
fuss over We. An be keerful of the drafts.
and keep fannels allus ON your chist; that
is good for the lungs
You are very kind to take an interest
In me, > he smiled; but am afraid it is
too late"
Another night of weary slumber in the
cramped seats and then the plain began
to be dotted with villages, and soon APP
peared the struggling outskirts of a city, |
the Platte Bower and network of iron
rails
This is Denver, =" said the lad to her, |
"and I'll look after you as well as | can "
Il wun't be no burden, she said !
brightly. I've $50 yet an that's sight !
Of money"
The train halted to let the eastward |
bound express pass, there was an air of ex-
element in the car, passengers getting
ready to depart, gathering up luggage and |
wraps, and some watching the newcomers :
and the rows of strange faces on the out /.
ward bound. The door of the car slammed /
suddenl y, and big bearded man with !
eager blue eyes came down the aisle looking
from right to left. He had left Denver on
the express to meet this train. His glance /
fell on the tiny black figure
Why, Aunt Hannah!'' he cried, with !
a break In his voice, and she - she put out !
her trembling hands and fell into the big
arms, tears streaming down the wrinkled
face.
81 knowed Providence would let me find !,
We, Sam, she said brokenly, and no one
smiled when the big man sat down beside |
her and with gentle hand wiped her tears
away.
Why, I've sent John 500 month for
five years for you, he said angrily, as she !
told him why she ran away, and he said /
you could not write for you had a stroke |
and was helpless, and have written to
you often and sent you money. It's hard
for man to call his own brother a villain. -
We wun't Sam, she said gently, ''but
just forget; an | won't be burden to We,
fur | can work yet an for years to come.
Work indeed! don owe you every
thing?" he cried. "And my wife has
longed for you to come. There are so few
dear old faces in this country they re priced,
| tell you. Why, it's as good as coat-of-
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like you for relation.
Then he found out who sent the telegram
and paid the lad, who blushed and STAN
mered and did not want to take it.
suppose you want a job, said the
big man. ''Well, | can give you one; I'm
In the food commission business Give
you something light. Lots of your sort.
poor lad, out here. All the reference
want is that little kindness Of yours to Aunt
Hannah
Here's the depot, Aunt Hannah and
you won t see bars and Iniuns, nor the
buffaloes you were talking about. but the
prettiest and sunniest city you ever set your
eyes on.
He picked up the old carpet bag, not a
bit ashamed of it, though it looked like
Noah might have carried it to the Ark
They said goodbye. and the last seen of
her was her happy old face beaming from
a carriage window as she reeled away to
what all knew would be a pleasant home
for all her waning yeas;-N. Y. Mail
and Express.
A Pathetic Picture
Once a Week.
A deeply pathetic scene from the drama
of real life was enacted a short time ago
in an auction room in Atlanta, Ga. It
was during a sheriff sale, and the bailiff
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