Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-04-29
anxiously; I never he'd days sickness

but silent and thoughtful as the train
took her into strange landscape where
the miles where the landscape went so
swiftly it seemed like the past years of
her life as she looked back on them.
"Thy works are marvellous" she MUIR
mmed often, sittings with her hands
folded, and few idle days had there been
in the world where she had sat and rested
so long.
In the day coach the people were kind
and generous, sharing their baskets with
her and seeing she changed cars right
and her carpetbag was safe. She was
like any of the dear old grandmas in
Eastern homes, or to grizzled men and
women like the memory of our dead
mother, as faint and far away as the scent
of wild roses in a hillside country bury
ing ground. She tended babies for tired
women and talked to the men of farming
and crops or told the children Bible
stories, but never a word she said of her.
self, not one.
On again, guided by kindly hands
through the great bcwildering city by
the lake, and now through yet a strange
land. Tired and worn by night IN the
uncomfortable seats her brave spirit be-
gan to fall little. AS the wide, level
plains, lonely and drear, dawned on her
sight she sighed often.
s'It's dre'ful big world" she said to
a gray bearded old farmer near her; $50
big feel e'enmost lost in it, but" hope
fully, s'across them deserts like this long
ago Providence sent star to guide them
wise men of the East, an | hain't lost
my faith"
But as the day wore on, and still the
long, monotonous land showed no human
habitation, no oasis of green, her eyes
dimmed, something like sob rose under
the black kerchief on the bowed should
ers, and the spectacles were taken off
with trembling hand and put away care
fully in the worn tin case.
.'Be ye goin' fur, mother2" said the old
farmer.
He had bought her a cup of coffee at
the last station, and had pointed out on
the way things he thought might interest
her.
ITO Denver"
"Wal, wal; you're from New England,
III be bound"
"From Maine" she answered; and
then she grew communicative, for she
was always chatty old lady, and she
had possessed her soul in silence so loug,-
and 1t was relief to tell the story of her
weary years of waiting to kindly lis
tener.
She told him all the relations she had
were two grand nephews and their fami-
lies. That twenty years ago Sam tor
she had brought them up when their
parents died of consumption, that takes
so many of our folks) went out West. lie
was always adventurous, and for ten
wears she did not hear from him; but
John was different and steady, and when
he came of age she had given him her
farm, with the provision that she should
always have home, otherwise he would
have gone away, too. Well for years
they were happy, then John married, and
his wife had grown to think her bur
den as the years went on, and the chill
dren when they grew big did not care for
her; she felt that she had lived too long
II growed so lonesome" she said
pathetically, ''it seems | couldn' 'tttake
up heart to live day by day, anfyit |
knowed our folks was long lived. Ten
years back, when Sam wrote he was dom
fair an sent me money. begun to
think of him; fur he was allus generous
an kind, an the gratefulest boy, an so
| began TO save to go to him, fur |
knowed / could work my board for
good many years 10 come. Fur three
years he amt hardly wrote, but l laid
that to the wild kentry he lived IN. |
said bars and Injuns don't skeer me
none, fur when | was gal up in
Aroostuk kentry there was plenty of
both, an as fur buffalers them horned
cattle don't skeer me none, fur I've been
used to "a farm allus. But the lone
sumuess OF these medders has sorter up
sot me and made me think every day Sam
was further oil than | ever calc lated
on"
''But what will you do If sam ain'tin
Denverl" asked the farmer.
al hev put my faith in Providence, )"
she answered simply, and the stranger
could notnnar that trust by any word of
warning.
lie gave her his address as he got OIL
at the Nebraska line, aud told her to
send him word if she needed help. With
a warm hand clasp he parted from her TO
join the phantoms in her memory of
'folks that had been kiud TO her, God
bless me, aud then the train was rum
bling on.
But many OF the passengers had is
tened TO her story aud were interested,
aud they came 10 sit with her.
One pale, little lad in seat in front,
turned TO look at her now aud then and
to answer her smile. lie was going to
the new country for health and wealth,
poor lad, only TO tind eternal rest in the
sunny land, but his last days brighieaed
by the reward for his thoughtful acts OF
kindness.
"she probably brought those hoys
up" he thought, sand denled her lite
for them. Is she to die unrowarded, !