Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-08-10
The Nightly Prayer.

We were q round dozen of the gloom
lest passengers that ever got together
in Pullman car one warm June night
coming up from Atlanta over the Pied
mont Air Line. There were several
reasons for the surly dullness which
deepened as the evening wore on. The
weather was clammy and uncC mfortable,
while to open the windows was to invite
a coat of SCOT and showers Of cinders.
Moreover the supper at Charlotte had
been undeniably bad.
With such conditions, says the Phila-
delphia Times, it was not to be
wondered at that an air of gloomy
moroseness pervaded the car. The only
party who did not openly evince any evil
Gence of discomfort was a group of sad
faced men, woman with a subdued
countenance and tiny tot of 5, appar-
emily the daughter of the man and the
niece Of the lady. We all knew we'll
enough why they were so quiet. In the
baggage car was rough box, and the
little girl clutched tightly bouquet of
the same tuberoses we had seen carried
in with the coffin.
Cheerfulness did not increase as The
night drew on. Three drummers tried
to break the gloom by relating rather
f-color stories in an audible under
tone. A disappointed speculator return
ing home was contiding his misfortunes
to member of Congress en- route to
Washington, and giving his opinion of
the land speculation into which he had
been drawn in language more express
i've than elegant and IN much louder
tone than circumstances justified.
Two Atlantic sports were talking over
a poker game, interfering little bursts
of profanity into their conversation
hardly broad enough to merit reproof
from the conductor, but yet not the
kind of talk desired in family circles.
Presently the porter began making up
the berths, commencing at the rear,
where the funeral party was ensconced.
The train rumbled on through the
darkness, the hum of disconnected con-
versat1on filed the car, and none of the
men paid the slightest attention to the
white iacketed negro and his work.
By and by there were sounds OF q
slight disturbance from the back part
of the car, which caused everyone to
turn their eyes thither. In the middle
of the aisle stood a little fairy form, clad
IN a snowy night dress, her golden curls
shaking over her shoulders by the rock
ing of the car, while her blue eyes were
troubled and half af1oat in tears. She
was saying IN BABY voice, which oppO-
sition had caused to rise to its highest
pitch, distinguishabIe above the rumble
Of the train: ''Papa and auntie, must;
mamma told me to before she went to
sleep" Seeing the attention of the
other passengers drawn upon them, the
father flushed and made no further re-
monstrance, and the lady also drew
back. The little tot got down reverently
upon her knees by the side of the berth,
clasped her tiny hands and began:
Now lay me down to Sleep
pray the Lord my soul to keep,
and so on through it all until the final
amen, adding "God bless papa and
aunt1e and poor little Annie, whose
mama has goned away"
Then unresisting, they tucked her in
to the berth. There was no more story
telling, no more growing that night.
The train rumbled on with the sleeping
mother in the baggage car and the sleep
ing orphan in the Pullman.