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

! 10 herself.
But she coud not sleep. The picture OF
kind. manly face, aud the warmth of n
mothers fond embrace remained and
ahided with her. Hour after hour passed
in this way till at last she could stand |:
no longer Slipping on her shoes and stock
ings, and taking her little worn and ragged
cloak, which reminded her of home she
went quietly and cautiously into the moon
light and over 10 the wagon road
Which way should she turnf Surely
home lay this way, and she ran along up
the ro1d. and for the Grst time IN. on. 20
many months laughed aloud in her glee.
4 rabbit ran along with its queer, long
leaps i'm front Of her and stopped once or
twice to gaze back at her with its great
gray eyes, and she laughed again in the
moonlight and went tripping along. The
moon sank lower aud lower "a she kept up
her Journey hour after hour without hag
ging, and presently the eastern sky began
TO redden The birds began TO twitter on
The boughs the cows to low away Of over
the hills aud all nature gave notice that
It was waking up from its slumbers for
another days life.
But nothing in animate creation was RS
happy as Fay. She was free-free as the
breeze that tossed her tangled curls back
and forth Aud she was going home
home TO papa and mamma. Could any
body be as happy rs shel
"IIowdy do little birdw she chirruped.
Are You very happy, aud is il going 10 be
your Christmas tomorrow? Howdy do,
you great big round SUM- ! see you com
ing up over the hills away of yonder.
Quit hurting my eyes when look at you.
DO you know that Christmas il coming to.
morrow"
Once in a great while she would pass
farmhouse. and when the sun was well up
above the horizon she came To where
man was walking across the road with two
great STAINING buckets Of milk.
Hello. little girl where are you going"
sand he.
II am going home" she said with a
smile
"You are out pretty early" he returned.
Don't you want some milk'' And taking
his cup he filed il for her and then he did
IL again. laughing A. he left, saying, You
must like good sweet milk"
Fay nodded aud smiled and tripped
along. After awhile she came 20 railroad
track. All, that is the way 90 60 home
surely, she thought, for railroads 20 every
where. But how could she rider The
past twelvemouth had taught her finan-
cial wisdom among the traders she had
been with, and she knew that riding upon
the train cost money, and she had not even
20 much a. "A penny But she dismissed
the thought OF trouble and tripped along
the truck, plucking little flowers by the
wayside and laughing aloud, overjoyed at
the sound Of her own glad. free voice.
When she came 10 long bridge, with
the great beams lying very far apart for her.
her heart beat little more rapidly as she
began stepping upon them but she kept
brayely on and clapped her little hands
gayly when She got across Soon she came
10 little strange house, bat no one wa.
there. aud she sat upon a beam TO rest. IL
was very queer looking little house, aud
looked like "A great round tub set upon
immense posts. After awhile she heard
the hoarsc whistle OF an engine; then came
the rumble 81 a heavy train, and the great
iron horse. with his carriage, stood putting
aud blowing right by the side Of the strange
kind Of house, aud big iron pipe swun.,
Itself over TO the housetop, and she could
hear water running.
All. II she only had money TO pay for a
ridel IL was 40 far aud 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 eff
forts. But Just then a great gust of smoke
and steam came out aud onyeloped her,
and To her il became a kind faced old man,
with great, long white beard, and as it
wrapped is soft arms around her 10 said:
II am the Spirit Of Steam. As soft a. !
am. draw this immense train OF cars. But
for me they would lie here helpless aud
useless. When ! am called respond with
JOY, aud | leap through the air, whirliug
this great rumhling train after me by the
weight Of my little finger Climb up the
~ ~ ami gel on my train. | will takecare
Of you, and ! will carry YOU home TO papa
and mamma. and the Christmas tree that
was 10 be ~ very long ago shall come back
again
Aud wrapped in the arms OF the Spirit Of
Steam she climbed up the steps Of the
great eugine and lay down in corner II
was very black and dirty with coal, but
she was so tired, and when great strong
man sprang into the engine and il started
of with n snort the Spirit Of Steam folded
her Ia his arms again and sang in her ear
such q sweet and soothing lullaby that her
soul noated far away into dreamland while
she was carried swiftly over the country
toward the land where Santa Claus greets
Christmas amid snow and ice
"Dick," said the engineer To the fireman
as their train went laundering across the
prairie, lis this some joke Of yoursf' aud