Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1892-12-30

When the trainmen reached the end OF
Of their division they learned that two
freight wrecks had caused a demand for
crews, and so they were ordered TO con
tinue straight through TO St. Louis.
Want OF sleep the night before had had
its effect upon their strange passenger, and
not till they were again whirling away
across the country did little form rise in
the corner and a little voice come forth
through the dusk, saying:
as it Christmas yetW
mo, my little lady" said Jack Burns as
be aud Dick turned quickly and looked at
her who ere you, how did you get here,
and where are you goingW
IL am Fay" said the little girl, land the
Spirit Of Steam helped me up on the engine
here and am going home.
II am very hungry" she added present
ly, "and ! haven't had anything to eat
since drank some milk long before came
here"
Before she finished speaking the choice
Of Dicks lunch basket WAS before her. 4
good supper was soon finished, and the
cold rain and sleet outside, joined TO the
warm blaze Of the coal inside, caused the
eyes TO drDOp. and soon she was curled up
in the corner asleep again.
well, II does knock me out" said Dick.
What do you think il means anyhow"
II don't know" said Jack dreamily
"There is something uncanuy about IL all
She will unfold her wings and quietly
hy out the window before we know il, !
guess"
1t was nearly daylight when little Fay
opened her ewes and sat up. IL was snow.
ing, and the flakes were coming down thick
and fast, and the sight made her heart leap
for jDy. The weather was Just like that Of
"A year ago. and she remembered ovcry cir
cumstance connected with that fateful
Christmas eve. On and on went the train.
After awhile they entered the suburbs
Of great smoky city. for now il was broad
daylight, and even the sun was trying To
come up, and she could see the intermina-
bile row after row Of houses, with the
smoke from their chimneys curling up
ward in the still air. Presently they came
up To another station, and she heard a
voice back on the train call out Grand
avenue"
Grand avenuel Grand avenuel" wills
pered the Spirit Of Steam as it came in
through the cab window and wrapped her
in its arms, This is your place. Come
down the steps and will hold you in my
arms"
And when the old engine pulled out from
the station, and Jack and Dick found their
strange passenger missing, they looked at
each other, but said never word.
And Fay was standing i'm a snowdrift.
IL was very cold, and she followed two
men going up over the hill. She remem-
bered Grand avenue and the kind old gen
tleman who had told her TO run home but
how could she fud her way2 And while
she was thinking. and her fingers and toes
were growing cold and her lip was be-
ginning to tremble, she heard the chimes
of the church and saw the spire that the
Kind old gentleman had pointed out To
her, and away she went on the wings OF
the wind
In fact. the wind would have TO have
very large wings and work them with pro
digious force To 90 half a. fast rs shs did
And when she did get into the yard Of the
old house II seemed a. il she would never
be able To reach the door, for Fido would
not let her 10y, but just pushed her down
aud played with her aud kissed her and
just tarked and parked till he cried. And
when She couldn't get the door open and
ran and knocked on the window, and saw
papa aud mamma sitting 10y a Christmas
tree Just like the one "A year before, and
they both sprang up and screamed and ran
to the door, and she felt their loving EN-
braces aud tender kisses, her heart ran
over with tears of love and happiness.
All, hut wasn't that "A Christmas! IL
would take thousand yule logs 10 equal
in Fay's eyes the little lighted tapers hang
ing from the limbs of the evergreen tree:
it would take hundreds of wassail bow.
to compare with the sugar plums and can
dies thar delighted her eyes And then
the dolls, and the wonderful watches with
real hands, and the tin tigers aud lions
that looked 80 fierce you could hardly
recognize them. and the candy mice and
pigs that deserved To be eaten and met
their deserts. and Nbah's ark, with 20
many animal, that you could not tell what
half of them were, and ever 80 many won
derful thipgs besides!
And when at last she lay so sweetly rest
ful in mammals arms, with papa looking
fondly down. every bell in the city seemed
To know il and shouted out the glad It'd
ings as loud a. its braZen throat could yell,
only gradually quoting down in its excess
of JOY to Join at the close i'm the harmonious
refrain-"Peace on earthl Peace on earth"
HARRY w CoCkERILL.