The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-04
THE TOUCH OF NATURE.

How It Completely flushed Complaint
on n Sleeping Car.
We were 4 round dozen of the gloomies
passengers that ever got together on a Pull
man car one warm June night coming uy
from Atlanta over the Piedmont air line
There were several reasons for the surly
dullnsss, which dsepened as the evening
wore on. The weather was clammy anc
uncomfortable, while to open the windowt
was to invite . coat Of SCOT and showers O,
cinders. Moreover, the supper at Charlotte
had been undeniably bad. says q writer in
the Philadelphia Times.
With such conditions it was not to b.
wondered at that an air of gloomy norose.
ness pervaded tho car. The only party
who did not openly evinoe any evidence OF
discomfort was q g:oup of a sad faced man,
a woman with a subdued countenance, and
a tiny tot of five. apparently the daughter
Of the man and the niece of the lady. W.
all know quite we'll enough why they were
box, and the little girl clutched tightly at
bouquet of the same tuberUBes we had seen
carried in with the coffin.
Cheerfulness did not increase as the night
grew on. Three drumners tried to break
the gloom by relating rather off-colol
stories in an audible undertone. A disap-
pointed speculator returning homo was con.
tiding his misfortunes to a member of con-
Qress en- route to Washington, and giving
his opinion of the land speculation into
which he had been drawn in language more
expressive than elegant and in q much
louder tone than circumstances justified.
Two Atlanta sports were talking over
poker game. interfering little bursts OF
profanity into their conversations, hardly
broad enough to merit reproof from the
conductor, but vet not the kind of talk de.
sirable in family circles. Present y tn,
porter began making up the berths, com.
mencinH at the rear, where the funera
party was e~nsconoed. The train rumblec
on through the darkness. the hum of dis.
contented conversation filled the car, nnt
none of the men paid the slightest attention
to tho white-jacketed negro and his work
BY and BY there were sounds Of a Sigh
disturbance from the back part of the car
which caused every one to turn his eyes
thither. In the middle of the aisle stood \
dress, her golden curls shaking over he
shoulders by the rocking of the car. while
her blue eyes were troubled and half afloRt
in tsRrs. She was saying in a baby voice,
which opposition had caused to rise to itl
highest pitch. ~distluRuishable above the
rumble of the train: Papa and auntie. ]
must; namma told me to before she went
to sleep" Seeing tho attention Of the
other passengers drawn upon them, the
father flushed and made no further rsmon-
STRANGE, and the lady also drew back. The
little tot got down t~sversntly upon hel
knees by the side of the berth, olasped bel
tiny hands and began:
Now l lay me down to sleep,
pray the Lord my soul to keep;
And 40 on through it all until the fna'
amen, adding: God b'ess papa and auntis
ana poor little Annie, whose ann ha,
Ronsd away"
Then, unrssistins. they tucked her into
the berth. There was no moro story tell
inv. no more 6 rumbliug, no more growing
that night. The train rumbled on with the
sleeping mother in the baggage car and the
sleeping orphan ia the Pullman.