The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-09-24
THE F6tCH OF NATURE,
HOW 1T HUSHED COMPLAINTS
ON A SLEEPING CAR.
A Baby's Voice Rose Like Reproof and
the Tired Travellers Forgot Their
Own Discomfort-A Pa
thetic Incident.

We were a round dozen OF the
gloomiest passengers that ever got to-
gether on Pullman car one warm
June night coming up from Atlanta
over the Piedmont Air line. There
were several reasons for the surly
dullness which decpened MS the cve-
ming wore on. The weather was
clammy and uncomfortable while to
open the windows was to invite coat
Of SCOT and showers Of cinders.
Moreover the supper ut Charlotte had
been undoniably bad.
With such conditions IL was not to
be wondered at that an air OF gloomy
moroscness pervaded the Car. The
only party who did not openly evince
any evidence OF discomfort was u
group OF a sad-faced man. woman
with a subdued countenance and a
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 rough box and the little girl
tuberoses we had seen carried in with
the coffin
Cbeerfulness did not increase as the
night grew on. Three drummers tried
to break the gloom by relating rather
on color stories In an audible under
tone. A disappointed speculator re-
turning homo was confiding his mis-
fortunes to member of congress en-
route to Washington. and giving his
tntn NJ hA iotf int
which he had been drawn in language
more expressive than elegant and in u
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 fam
lily circles. Presently the porter be-
gan making up the berths commenc-
ing at the rear where the funeral
party was ensconced. The train rum
bled on through the darkness the
hum of the discontinued conversation
filed the car and none OF tho men
paid the slightest attention to the
ite-jacketed negro and his work.
BY and by there were sounds OF
slight disturbance from the back part
of the car, which caused every one to
turn their eyes thither In the middle
OF the aisle stood a fairy little form.
clad in snowy night dress her
curls shaking over her shoulders by
the rocking OF the car while her blue
eyes were troubled and half afloat 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 I 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 rever-
emily upon her knees by the side of
the berth, clasped her tiny hands and
began:
Now lay me down to s'eep,
pray the Lord my soul to keep.
and so on through it all until the final
amen adding God b'ess papa and
auntie and poor little Annie. whose
mamma has goned away"
Then unresistlng, they tucked her
into the berth. There was no more
storytelling. no more grumbling no
more growing that night The train
rumbled on with the sleeping mother
in the baggage car and the sleeping
orphan In the Pullman.