Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-08-31
BAsY ANNIE,s PRAYER.
She Had TO Say it, Because Mamma Tol
Ter TO.

She Had To say it, Because Mamma Told
Ger To.
We were a dozen of the gIoomiest pas
SengerS that ever got together in a
Pullman car enc warm June night COM
ing up from Atlanta over the Piedmont
Air Line, says the Philadelphia Times.
There were several reasons for the
surly dullness, which deepeued as the
evening wore on. The weather was
clammy and uncomfortable, while TO
open the windows was 10 invite a coat
Of SCOT and showers OF cinderS. More
over, the supper at Charlotte had been
undeniably bad.
With such conditions il was not to be
wondered at that an air Of gloomy mo-
roseneSs pervaded the car. The only
party who did not openly evince any
evidence of discomfort was group of a
sad faced man, a woman with sub
dued c0untenance and a tiny tot OF five,
apparently the daughter of the man
and the niece of the lady. We all knew
well enough why they were so quiet.
In the baggage car was rough box,
and the little girl clutched tightly a
bouquet Of the same tube-roses we had
seen carried in with the coffin.
Cheerfulness did not increase as the
night grew on. Three drummers tried
to break the gloom by relating rather
off.cOlor stories IN an audible under
tone. A disappointed Spectator re-
turning home was confiding his misfOr-
tunes to a member of Congress en- route
TO Washington and giving his opinion of
the land speculation into which he had
been drawniD language more expressive
than elegant and in much louder tone
than circumstances justified.
Two Atlanta sports were talking over
poker game, INTERPRETING little bursts
of profanity into their conversation,
hardly broad enough for reproof from
the conductor, but yet not the kind OF
talk desirable in family circles. Pres
emily the porter began making up the
berths, commencing at the rear, where
the funeral party was e>cOnced. The
train rumbled on through the darkness,
the hum of Disconnected conversation
filed the car, and none Of the men paid
the slightest attention to the white
iackcted negro at his work.
By and by there were sounds OF a
slight disturbance from the back part
of the car, which caused everyone to
turn their eyes thither. In the middle
OF the aisle stood little fairy form clad
in a snowy night dress, her golden curls
shaking over her shoulders by the rock
ing Of the car, while her blue eyes were
troubled and half afoat in tears. She
was saying 10 baby voice, which oppo-
sition had caused TO rise 10 its highest
pitch, distingushable above the rumble
Of the train: Papa and auntie, / must;
mamma told me 20 before she went TO
sleep" Seeing the attention OF the
other passengers drawn upon them, the
father flushed and made no further re-
monstrance, and the lady also drew
back. The little tot got down reverent-
" upon her knees by the side OF the
berth, clasped her tiny hands and be-
gan:
Now lay me down TO sleep,
pray the Lord my soul 10 Keep,
and so on through it all until the final
amen, adding. "God bless papa and
auntie and poor little Annie, whose
mamma has goned away"
Then, unresistIng, they tucked her
into the berth. There was no more
storytelling, no more grumbling,s no
more growing that night. The train
rum bled on with the sleeping mother in
the baggage car and the sleeping orphan
in the Pullman.