The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-18
THE TIMEs-RICHMoND VA. SUNDAY. DECEMBER is 1892

,rrs and taking ner little worn ana ragged
cloak which reminded her OF home. she
srent quietly and cautiously into the moon
Ioht and over TO the wagon road.
(which way should she turnf Surely
homo Law this way, aud she ran along up
,ha road and for the first time In, oh, so
,oonv months laughed aloud in her glee.
A rahhit ran along with its queer, long
leans In front Of her. and stopped once or
twice to gaze back at her with It's great
GRAY ewes. and she laughed again In the
moonlight and went tripping along The
Noon sank lower and lower as she kept up
her iourney hour after hour without flag
oing and presently the eastern sky began
N redden. The birds began to twitter on
the boughs. the cows to low away off over
the hills. aud all nature gave notice that
Il 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. And she was going home
home 10 papa and mamma. Could any
body be as happy as shei
"Howdy do, little bird" she chirruped.
"Are you very happy, and is It going to be
your Christmas tomorrow Howdy do,
Won great big round sun? see you COM
inc nm over the hills away of yOnder.
Quit hurting my eyes when | look at you.
Do Won know that Christmas is coming to-
morrow"
Once in a great while she would pass a
farmhouse, and when the sun was well mp
above the horizon she came to where
man WAS walking across the road with two
great steaming buckets of milk.
Hello little girl-where are you going"
said be-
81 am going home" she said with a
smile
"You are ont pretty early" he returned.
Don't you want some miikr And taking
his cup he filled it 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 railroad
track. All, that is the way to 20 home
surely. she thought, for railroads 20 every
where. But how could she rider The
mast twevemonth had taught her finan-
cjal wisdom among the traders she had
been with. and she knew that riding upon
the train cost money, and she had not even
so much as penny. But she dismissed
the Thought of trouble and tripped along
the track, plucking little flowers by the
wayside and laughing aloud, oyerjoyed at
the sound of her own glad, free voice.
When she came to a 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
to little strange house, but no one was
there. and she sat upon beam to rest. 1t
was a 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 heavy train, and the great
iron horse. with his carriage, stood putting
and blowing right by 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 if She only had money to pay for a
ridel It was SO far and already she was 50
tired. And she looked at the strong engine
till she could hardly see ii, for the tears
would Gil her eyes IN spite Of all her ef-
forts But just then great gust Of smoke
and steam came out and enyeioped her,
and to her it became kind faced Old man,
with great. long white beard, and as it
wrapped its soft arms around her it said:
81 am the Spirit Of Steam. As soft as
am. draw this immense train of cars. But
for me they would lie here helpless and
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 take care
of you. and will carry you home to papa
and mamma, and the Christmas tree that
was 10 be so very long ago shall come back
again"
And wrapped In the arms of the Spirit Of
Steam she climbed up the steps Of the
great engine and lay down in a corner. 1t
was vesy black and dirty with coal, but
she was so tired and when great strong
men sprang into the engine and it started
of with ii snort the Spirit Of Steam folded
her in his arms again and sang in her ear
such sweet and soothing lullaby that her
soul hoated 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 yoursS" and
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