The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-12-29

I moonlight aDo vent IiIpplng mong IN,
moon sank lower and lower as she Kept M
| her journey hour after hour without flag
| Ring, and presently the eastern sky begat
TO redden. The birds began TO twitter OF
the boughs, the cows to low away off owe,
the hills, and all nature gave notice that
1t was waking up from its slumbers fol
another days life.
But nothing in animate creation was n,
happy as Fay. She was free-free as tn,
| breeze that tossed her tangled curls back
and forth. And she was going home
home to papa and mamma. Could any
body be as happy as shoP
"Howdy do, little bird2" she chirruped
"Are you very happy, aud is it going TO be
| your Christmas tomorrow Uowdy do
| you great big round sun2 | see you com
ing up over the hills away off yonder
Quit hurting my eyes when look at you
Do you know that Christmas is coming to-
morrowY
Once in great while she would pass a
farmhouse, and when the sun was well up
above the horizon she came to where n
man was walking across the road with two
great steaming buckets Of milk.
Hello, little girl-where are you going?"
said he.
~ am going home," she said with a
smile.
You are out pretty early" he returned.
Don't you want some milkp And taking
his cup he filed 1t for her, and then he did
1t again, laughing rs he left, saying, "You
must like good sweet MILK
Fay nodded and smiled and tripped
along. After awhile she came to railroad
track. Ah that is the way TO 20 home
surely, she thought, for railroads 10 every.
where. But how could she rider The
past twelvemonth had taught her flnan.
cial wisdom among the traders she had
been with, and she knew that riding upon
the train cost money, and she had not even
so much as II penny. But she dismissed
the Thought Of trouble and tripped along
the track, plucking little flowers by the
wayside and laughing aloud, overjoyed at
the sound of her own glad, free voice.
When she came to a long bridge, with
the great beamslying very far apart for her,
her heart beat little more rapidly as she
began stepping upon them, but she kept
bravely on and clapped her little hands
gayly when she got across. Soon she came
to a little strange house, but no one was
there, and she sat upon beam to rest, II
was very queer looking little house, and
looked like great round tub set upon
immense posts. After awhile she heard
the hoarse whistle of an engine; then came
the rumble of heavy train, and the great
iron horse, with his carriage, stood putting
and blowing right by the side of the strange
kind of house, and q big iron pipe swung
itself over TO the housetop, and She could
hear water running
Ah, If she only had money to pay for >
ride! 1t was so far and already she was so
tired, And she looked at the strong engine
till she could hardly see it, for the tears
would I'LL her eyes in spite of all her cf
forts. But jus6 then II great gust Of smoke
and steam came out and cnvelOped her,
and to her it became kind faced old man.
with great, long white beard, and as it
wrapped its soft arms around her it said:
VI am the Spirit Of Steam. As soft rs |
am, draw this immense train Of cars. But
for me they would lie here helpless and
useless. When ! am called respoud with
joy, and leap through the air, whirlinr
this great rumbling train after me bvithe
weight'of my little finger. Climb up the
steps and get on my train. will takecare
Of you, and | will carry you home to mana
and mamma, and the Christmas tree that
was TO be so very long ago shall come back
again"
And wrapped in the srms of the Spirit of
Steam she climbed up the steps Of the
great engine and lay down in corner It
was very black and dirty with conl, but
she was so tired, and when n great strong
man sprang into the engine and it started
Off with a snort the Spirit of Steam folded
her IN his arms again and sang in her ear
such sweet and soothing lullaby that her
soul floated far away into dreamland while
she was carried swiftly over the country
toward the land where Santa Claus Creets
christmas amid snow andice.
Dick" said the engineer to the fireman
as their train went laundering across the
prairie, "is this some ioke Of YonrsHn md