The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-12-23
orner of the tent and cried softly

of into corner OF the tent and cried SOFTLY
TO herself.
But she could not sleep. The picture Of
kind, manly face, and the warmth Of q
mothers fond embrace remained and
abided with her. Hour after hour passed
in this way till at last she could stand it
no longer. Slipping on her shoes and stock
ings, and taking her little worn and ragged
cloak, which reminded her of home, she
went quietly and cautiously into the moon
light and over to the wagon road.
Which way should she turn' Surely
home lay this way, and she ran along up
the road, and for the first time in, oh, so
many months laughed aloud in her glee.
A rabbit ran along with its queer, long
leaps in front of her, and stopped once or
twice to gaze back at her with it's great
gray eyes, and she laughed again in the
moonlight and went tripping along. The
moon sank lower and lower as she kept up
her journey hour after hour without flag
ging, and presently the eastern sky began
to redden. The birds began to twitter on
the boughs, the cows to low away off over
the hills, and all nature gave notice that
it was waking up from it's slumbers for
another days life.
But nothing in animate creation was as
happy as Fay. She was free-free as the
breeze that tossed her tangled curls back
and forth. And she was going home
home to papa and mamma. Could any
body be as happy as shep
"Howdy do, little birds" she chirruped.
"Are you very happy, and is it going to be
your Christmas tomorrow Howdy do,
you great big round sun? see you COM
ing up over the hills away off yonder.
Quit hurting my eyes when'I look at you.
Do you know that Christmas is coming to-
morrow?"
Once in n great while she would pass a
farmhouse, and when the sun was we'll up
above the horizon she came to where a
man was walking across the road with two
great steaming buckets Of milk.
'Hello. little girl-where are you going"
said he.
Il am going nome,' sne salu with !.
smile.
"You are out pretty early" he returned.
"Don't you want some milkW 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 go home
surely, she thought, for railroads go every
where. But how could she ride? The
past twelvemonth had taught her finan-
cial 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 n penny. But she dismissed
the thought of trouble and tripped along
the track, plucking little flowers by the
wayside and laughing aloud, overjoyed at
4 I...e - hn,, 1nI f,.AA ,,.N,a
When she came to II 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
bravely 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 very queer looking little house, and
looked like q great round tub set upon
immense posts. After awhile she heard
the boarse 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
itself over to the housetop, and she could
hear water running
All, If she only had money to pay for a
tired. And she looked at the strong engine
till she could hardly see 1t, for the tears
would fill her eyes in spite Of all her eff.
forts. But just then a great gust Of smoke
and steam came out and enveloped 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:
IT am the Spirit of Steam. AS soft as /
n hio iuoy, tra n ~ on p,,t
for me they would lie here helpless and
useless. When am called respond with
10y, and leap through the air. whirliug
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 to 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 corner. 1t
was very black and dirty with coal, but
she was so tired, and when great strong
man sprang into the engine and it started
off with snort the Spirit of Steam folded
her in his arms again and sang in her ear
such a 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 yoursS" and
| -. A1lla.
III 81. ..M TEfHsss.-1