The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1892-12-15


nguthrr'r fond embrae. remained and
sblded with her Hour after hour passed
IL this way IAN II last she could stand il
no longer. Slipping on her shoes and stock
ings. aud taking her little worn aud ragged
cloak. which reminded her Of home, she
N.ni quietly and cautiously into the moon.
light and over TO the wagon road
Which way should She turn Surely
home lay this way, aud she ran along up
the road, aud for the first time In, oh, ~
many months laughed aloud In her glee
rabbit ran along with It's queer, long
leaps IN front Of her, and stopped once or
twice to gaze back al her with its great
gray eyes, aud she laughed again In the
moonlight aud went tripping along The
moon sank lower aud lower ~ she kept up
her journey hour after hour without flag
cling. and presently the eastern sky began
90 fedden The birds began TO twiiter on
tie boughs, the cows 10 low away off over
,le hills, and all nature gave notice that
II was waking up from It's slumbers for
another DAYS life.
Bnt nothing ia animate creation Was as
happy ~ Fay She was free-free as the
breeze that tossed her tangled eurls back
aud forth And she was going home
home to papa and mamma Could any
body he As happy Ms shef
"li0wdy do little bird" she chirruped.
Are you very happy, aud is II going to be
your Christmas tomorrow liowdy do
You great big round SUM- see you com
ing up over the hills away OIL yonder.
QUIT hurting my eyes when look at you,
DO you know that Christmas is coming to
morrow
Once in great while she would pass
farmhouse, and when the sun was well up
above the horizon She came 10 where
man was walking across the road with two
great steaniug buckets Of milk.
Hello, little grl-where are you gong'"
said he.
Il am going home" she said with
smile
you are out pretty early, p he returned.
Don't you want some milky And taking
his cup he filled 1t for her, and then he did
It again, laughing as he left, saying, you
must like good sweet milk"
Fay nodded and smiled and tripped
along. After awhile she came To a ralroad
track All, that is the way to 90 home
surely. she thought for railroads go every
where. But how could She rider The
past twelvemonth had taught her finan-
cial wisdom among the traders she had
been with and She knev that riding upon
the rain cost money, atd She had not even
So much as n penny, But She dismissed
the thought Of trouble and tripped along
the track plucking little flowers by the
waysile aud laughing aloud oyerjoyed at
the sound Of her own glal, free voice.
When She came toa long bridge, with
the great beams lying very farapart for her
Der heart beat little more rapidly as She
began stepping upon them, but she kept
blayely on aud clapped her little hands
gHyly when she got across. Soon She came
TO "A little strange house but 40 one WAS
there. aud she sat upon beam TO rest IL
was n very queer looking little house, and
looked like a great round tub set upon
Immense posts After awhile she heard
the hoarse whistle of an engine: then came
the rumble Of u heavy train, and the great
iron horse, with his carriage, stood pulling
aud blowing right 10y the side of the strange
kind of house, and big iron pipe swung
Itself over to the housetop, and she could
hear water running.
All, il she only had money to pay for
tired And She looked at the strong engine
till she could hardly see it, for the tears
would fill her eyes in spite Of ali her eff.
forts But Just then a great gust of smoke
and steam came out and enveloped her,
and 10 her IL became kind faced old man,
with great, long white beard, and as il
wrapped its soft arms around her it said
II am the Spirit of Steam. As soft as ]
am, ldraw this immense train of cars. But
for me they would lie here helpless aud
useless When am called | respond with
Joy and | leap through the air, whirling
this great rumbling train after me by the
weight Of my little finger. Climb up the
steps and get on my train. will takecare
of you and will carry you home to papa
and mamma, and the Christmas tree that
was to be 80 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 engine and lay down in n corner. 1t
was very black and dirty with coal, but
she was So tired, and when "A great strong
man sprang into the engine and il started
off with n snort the Spirit Of steam folded
her IN his arms again and sang in her ear
such sweet and soothing lullaby that her
soul foated 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, sis this some joke of yours" and