Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-01-28


folded, and few idle days had there
been in her world where she had sal
and rested so long.
In the day coach the people wer,
kind and generous, sharing their bas.
kets with her and seeing she changed
cars right and her carpet-bag was safe.
She was like eny of the dear old grand
mas in Eastern homes, or to grizzled
men and weary women, like the men,
ory of dead mother as faint and far.
away as the scent of wild roses in 8
hillside burying-ground. She tended
babies for tired women and talked tc
the men of farming and crops, OF told
the children bible stories; but never 6
word she said of herself, not one.
On again, guided by kindly hand
through the great bewildering city by
the great lake, and now through yet 6
stranger land. Tired and worn BY
nights in the uncomfortable seats, hei
brave spirit began to fail little. A,
the wide, level plains, lonely ant
drear, dawned on her sight, she sigh
ed often.
"It's dre'ful big wurld," she sal.
TO gray-bearded old farmer near her
ESQ big feel e'enmost lost in it, but
hopefully, "across them deserts like
this long ago Providence sent star tc
guide them wise men of the East, an
] hain't lost my faith"
But as the day wore on, and still tn,
long, monotonous land showed no hu.
man habitation, no oasis of green, her
eyes dimmed, something like a sob
rose under the black kerchief on the
bowed shoulders, and the spectacles
were taken off with trembling hand
and put away in the worn tin case.
"Be We goin' fur, mother?" said the
old farmer.
He had brought her cup of coffee al
the last station, and had pointed out
on the way things he thought might
interest her.
"To Denver"
oval, wal; you're from New Eng
land, I'll be bound?"
"From Maine" she answered; thel
she grew communicative, for she was
always chatty old lady, and she had
possessed her soul in silence so long,
and it was a relief to tell the story of
her weary years of waiting to kindly
listener.
She told him all the relations she
had were two grand-nephews and
their families. That twenty
years ago Sam (for she ha
brought them both up when their
parents died Of consumption, that
takes so many of our folks) went out
West. He was always adventurous,
and for ten years she did not hear
from him; but John was different and
steady, and when he came of age she
had given him her farm, with the pro-
vision she should always have home,
otherwise he would have gone away
too. Well, for five years they were
happy, theU John married, and his
wife had grown 10 think her burden
as the years went on, and the children
when they grew big did not care for
her, she felt she had lived too long.
al growed so lonesome" she said
pathetically, sit seems couldn't take
up heart to liye day by day, an yit l
knowed our folks was longed lived
Ten years back, when Sam wrote he
wasa doin' fair an sent me money, |
begun 10 think of him; fur he Mas
allus generous an kind, an the CRATE
fullest boy, an so begun 10 save to
90 TO him, fur knowed 1 could work
my board fur good meny years TO
come. Fur three years he amt hard
ly wrote, but I laid that TO the wild
kentry he lived III. said bars an
Injuns don't skeer me none, fur when
was gal up an Aroostuk kentry there
was plenty of both, an as fur buffalers
them horned cattle don't skeer me
uone, fur I've been used 10 a farm
allus. But the Ionesumness of these
medders has sorter upset me am made
me think every day Sam was further
If than ever calc'lated on"
"But what will you do if Sam amt
In Denverf" asked the farmer.
"I hev put my faith in Providence, +"
she answered simply, and the strang-
er could not mar that trust by any
word of warning.
He gave her his address as he got
off at the Nebraska line, and told her
to send him word if she needed help.
With warm hand-clasp he parted from
her to join the phantoms in her memory
of "folks thet he'd bin kind to her,
God bless em'," and then the train
went rumbling on.
But many of the passengers hao
listened to her story and were inter
ested, and they came to sit with her.
One pale little lad in the seat il
front turned round to look at her now
and then anto and swer her smile. Ne
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 frightened by the reward
for his thoughtful act Of kindness.
"She probably brought these boys
up,n he thought, "and denied her life
FOR theYn Is she IN dia unpeXya rded