Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-22

FAI'S HOMECOMING.
When the trainmen reached the end of
of their div ision they learned that two
freight wrecks had caused a demand for
crews, and SO they were ordered to con-
tinue straight through to St. Louis
Want OF sep the night before had had
its effect upon their strange passenger, and
not till they were again whirling away
across the country did a little form rise in
the corner and a little voice come forth
through the dusk, saying:
as it Christmas YETI"
mo. my little lady" said Jack Burns as
he and Dick turned quickly and looked at
her. Who are you, how did you get here,
and where arc you going"
81 am Fay" said the little girl, land the
Spirit of Steam helped me up on the engine
here, and | am going home.
Il am very hungry" she added present
ly, land / haven't had anything to eat
since drank some milk long before came
here"
Before she finished speaking the choice
OF Dicks lunch basket was before her A
good supper was soon finished, and the
cold rain and sleet outside, Joined to the
warm blaze of the coal inside, caused the
eyes to droop. and soon she was curled up
In the Corner asleep again
T., K.
What do Sou think il means anyhow"
Il don't know" said Jack dreamily.
There is something uncanny about it all.
She win unfold her wings and quietly
fiy out the window before we now it. I
guess"
1t WAS nearly daylight when little Fay
opened her eyes and sat up. 1t was snow
ing, and the flakes were coming down thick
and fast. and the sight made her heart leap
for JOY. The weather WAS just like that of
year ago, and she remembered overy cir
cumstance connected with that fateful
Christmas eve. On and on went the train.
After awhile they entered the suburbs
OF great smoky city, for now it was broad
daylight, and even the sun was trying to
come up, and she could see the intermina-
bic row after row of houses, with the
smoke from their chimneys curling up
ward in the still air. Presently they came
up TO another station, and she heard
voice back on the train call out Grand
avenue"
Grand avenuel Grand avenueI' whis-
pered the Spirit Of Steam as 1t came in
through tie cab window and wrapped her
in its arms. This is your placel Come
down the steps and l will hold you in my
arms"
And when the old engine pulled out from
the station, and Jack and Dick found their
strange passenger missing, they looked at
each other, but said never word.
And Fay was standing in a snowdrift
1t was very cold, and she followed two
men going up over the hill She remem-
bered Grand avenue and the kind old gem
tleman who had told her to run home, but
how could she find her wayt And while
she was thinking, and her fingers and toes
were growing cold and her lip was be-
ginning to tremble, she heard the chimes
OF the church and saw the spire that the
kind old gentleman had pointed out to
her, and away she went On the wings Of
the wind!
In fact, the wind would have to have
very large wings and work them with pro-
digious force to go half as fast as she did.
And when she did get into the yard of the
old house it seemed as If she would never
be able to reach the door, for Fido would
not let her by, but just pushed her down
and played with her and kissed her and
just barkcd and barkcd till he cried. And
when she couldn't get the door open and
ran and knocked on the window, and saw
papa and mamma sitting by a Christmas
tree just like the one q year before, and
to the door, and she felt their loving en-
braces and tender kisses, her heart ran
over with tears Of love and happiness.
All. but wasn't that a ChristmasI It
would take thousand yule logs to equal
in Fay's eyes the little lighted tapers hang
ing from the limbs of the evergreen tree:
it would take hundreds of wassail bowls
to compare with the sugar plums and cam
dies that delighted her eyes. And then
the dolls, and the wonderful watches with
real hands, and the tin tigers and lions
that looked SO fierce you could hardly
recognize them, and the candy mice and
pigs that deserved to be eaten and met
their deserts, and Noah's ark, with SO
many animals that you could not tell what
half Of them were, and ever SO many won.
derful things besidesl
And when at last she lay SO sweetly rest
full in mammals arms, with papa looking
fondly down. every bell in the city seemed
to know il and shouted out the glad It'd
ings rs loud as its brazen throat could yell,
only gradually quieting down in its excess
OF JOY to join at the close in the harmonious
refrain-"Peace on earthi Peace on earthr'