The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-06-25

on, n raw the Old Sorrel horse, the
, .attling wagon and John with II. fam
| lily driving homcward. She drew back
with a little rf.y, tearing he might see
her ord stop the train: but they went
/ on so fast that could not be, and the
old horse logged into the woods, and
John never thought hi. pld Aunt Han.
nah, his chsrTe FOR twenty roAe wears,
was running away.
Nt87ston a s;raiy conductor bought
a": = ,hruHgh ticket for Dcntor
"Itsa long Journey b. an cid !ady
Ike ven" he sG:i.
"Bu. I'm pcart for my aSc.~ahc said,
anNiou~ly; Il Fever he'd a dIy's sick
neAs~ace | was Il gal"
Going eli the WY alone
] With Providence" she answered.
brightly. alert and eager IN help her;
self. but silent md t~honshtsa' as Tho
train took her iBth strange landscapes.
whore the miles went 50 swiftly it
ss"rHad like the past years of her life
as she looked lack on them.
Thy works is marvellous" .,he muir
INJURED often, sitting with her hands
folded, and few idle dar- had ih"rr
been in her world, rh-tR ni,. had sat
and rested Fog 80 long.
Inthc day coach the people we're k ind
and generous, sharing their Baskets
with her and sccins .i.at She changed
cars righ' ala her carpet hai was safe.
She WIS like any of the dear old grand
mas in eastern homes. or. to grizzlcd
men and weary women, liltc the mcrl-
DRY of a dead mother ms faint and far
away as the scent of wild roses in n
hillside country burying-errund. She
tended babies for tired Women and
talked to tr-c men 81 farming and crops.
ny told The children Bible stories; 5n.
never a word She said 81 Sr;Sel!. not
one.
On again, guided by kindly hands
through the great. ~bewil1crinr city by
In" lake. and nov through 4 vet
stranger land. Tired and worn by night
in the uncomfortable seats. her Draw
wide. level plains. lonely ami d1.ar.
dawned on her sight. she sighed 'firn.
ITS a dre'ful big wr-li. She said to
n E~ray-hear,icl old Farmer near her:
SO hig feel c'cnmost LOST in it: but.
hopefully, across them deserts like
this long ago Providence sent 4 star to
guide them wise mcn IF the east. an !
hain't lost my faith"
l;ut As the day wore on. and still the
long, mnrOtuTors land showed ho
human hahi;ation, ra oasis of green.
her cyc- dininlcti. something like a sob
:">c under the black 'lscrchi-f on the
bowed shoulders, and the -IrctaclcS
were taken OF "ilh trembling hind
and pr. away carefully in tie warn Tin
case.
BE We goin' fur, mnthsrs' said the
old farmer.
lie had h'"igiit her a cupful of cof-
fee ut The last station. and had pointed
out On the way things he thought might
interest her.
TO Denver"
wal. wal; you're from New Eng
land. | II h. hound?"
Prom Maine" She answered and
then She grew communicative. for she
was always a rhatiy old lady. and she
had possessed her soul in silence 20
and it was relief to tell the story
nj her weary years of waiting tna kind |
y listener. |
She told him all thN relations sh" had |
Were two grar+nrphcws and their fam
lies, That twenty years ago sam flor
had brought them both up whcp
their parents died of consumption. that
so many Of emr folks went out
west. He was always adventurous. and
ted years 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 she should
have a home. otherwise he
would have gone away TO-. Well. for
five years they wrrr happy, whan John
married. Hnd his wiFr had grown 80
think her a burden rs the rc"rs went /
End the children when they grew
h:9 did not care for her, and she felt /
she had lived too long.
~ groucd 50 lonesome" she said. lit
.ccns | couldn't TAX. up heart 20 live
day by day. an yit | knowcd our folks
was lnng-livcd. Ten years back. when
sam wrote IN" he was Goin' fair. an
me money. ! began to think of
him., for he WIS allus generous an kind. I
an the gratcfulcst boy: an 50 | began
saw to go to him. fur ! knnwcd |
could wnlk fir my board fur a good
years to ON Fur tire" years
hi amt hardly vrojc. but ! laid that 10
the wild l;"ntry he lived in. | said
bars an lniuns don't sil"cr me none.
fur when | was a gal up in Aroostuk
there was plenty of both, an as
fur buffcrlcrS. them horned cattle don't
,kecr me none fur I've been used to 4
Iarn ailuS. But the loncsomcncSs of
.hesc mcddcrs has sorter upset me. an
made ne think every day sam was fur
her OFF than eve caic'latcd on"
But what will you do if sam amt in
Denvec?' asked tina farmer.
~ hev put my faith in Providence,
,hc answered simply. and tho stranger
'nnid rot mar that trust by any word
Df warning.
lie gave her his address as he got of
1t the Nebraska line, and told her to
'end him word if She needed help.
With Il warm hand clasp he parted from
Ter to join the phantums in her memory
'f folks that had bin kind To her. God
bless EN-. and the train went ruml,-
ing on its way
l;u: many of the passengers had lis
cned to her story and were interested,
md they came to sit with her.
One pale little lad in the seat in front
urned around to look at her now and
hen and To answer her smile. lie
vas going to the new country for health
md wealth. poor lad, only Il find ctcr-
lal rest IN the sunny land. but his last
lays frightened by the reward of his
thoughtful act of kindness. |.
"Shc probably brought these boys
Ip, he thought. land denied her life
or them. Is She to die unrcwardcd. /
There cannot be any good in
world if that be
lie though: of her and took ont his !
oor purse: there was SO little money in
t. too: every cent made big hole in his :
tore; hut the consciousness of a good
ecd was worth something. !
Il mayn't have the chance to do MANY
lore. thought the lad, buttoning his !
'orn O~vercoat. !
He slipped off without Il word at Il {
tation and sent q telegram to Denver. I