The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-21
The ONE TOUCH oE NATURE.
How 1t flushed Complaining Passengers
on Sleeping-Car.

We were round dozen of the gloom
lest passengers that ever got together
in a 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 uncomfort-
able, while to open the windows was
to invite coat of SCOT and showers of
cinders. Moreover, the supper at
Charlotte had been undeniably bad.
With such conditions 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 evidence of discontentwas a group
of sad-faced man, a woman with a
subdued countenance, and tiny tot
of 5, apparently the daughter of the
man and the niece of the lady We
all knew well enough why they were
SO quiet. In the baggage car was a
rough box, and the little girl clutched
tightly a bouquet of the same tube
roses we had seen carried in with the
coffin.
Cheerfulness did not increase as the
night grew on. Three drummers tried
to break the gloom by relating rather
oH-colored stories in an audible under
tone. A disappointed speculator re-
turning home was confiding his mis-
fortunes to a membAr of Congress 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 a
much louder tone than circumstances
justified.
Two Atlanta sports were talking
over poker game. interfering little
bursts of profanity into their CONVEX
sation, hardly broad enough to merit
reproof from the conductor but yet not
the kind of talk desirable in family
circles. Presently the porter began
making up the berths, commencing at
the rear where the funeral party was
| enconsed. The train rumbled on
| through the darkness, the hum of dis
| contented conversation filled 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 a
slight disturbance from the back part
of the car, which caused everyone to
turn their eyes thither. In the mid
die of the aisle stood a little fairy
form, clad in snowy night dress, her
golden curls shaking over her shoul-
ders by the rocking of the car, while her
blue eyes were troubled and half afioat
in tears. She was saying in a baby
voice, which opposition had caused to
rise to its highest pitch, distinguish
able above the rumble of the train:
Papa and auntie, l must; mamma
told me to before she went to sleep" "
Seeing the attention of the other pas
sengers drawn upon them. the father
flushed and made no further remon-
STRANGE and the lady also drew back.
The little tot got down reverently up
on her knees by the side of the berth,
clasped her tiny hands, and began:
Now lay me down to sleep,
and so on through it all until the final
amen, adding "God bless papa and
auntie and poor little Annie, whose
mamma has goned away"
Then unresisting, they tucked her in
to the berth. There was no more story.
telling, no more grumbling, no more
growing that night. The train rum
bled on with the sleeping mother in
the baggage car and the sleeping or.
phan in the Pullman. PhiE0delp lphiQ
| Times