The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-01-29

~ - - - NJ
The PitifuI Story Of a Wandering
Girl.
Nashville Americana
1t is sad, cruel story.
1t emphasizes the wickedDess of
man and the criminal credulity of
woman. = - .,-.+-'t-e s-,. .-.
please sir, can you tell me how
far it is to New York ?'i - s=os.s
These words came from the thin
face OF 3 poorly clad young creature
who couldn't have been more than IS
years old. They came with o pitIful
appealing cadence that stopped the
reporter IN his leisurely sauntering
about town and burnt q hole down
into his heart through thick winter
garments, and there they lodged.
1t was q face prematurely old, and
it was q figure that was wearied and
listless from exposure and want of
reat.
The time Of my story was some two
days ago, when the thermometers had
just begun their mad competition as
to which could first squeeze out from
it's CLASSY tube the little pub of
mercury. 1t was already cold and
was growing colder.
L OO AOI hnOW Tue eAaCL OlSLAuC0,
was the reply she received, "but why
do You ask?n
The poor face was again upturned
to the reporter and replied. "Be-
cause. sir, / am going there"
"Why do you not apply to the rail-
road for your Information ?n
81 am not going on the cars" and
the sad face glistened with a tear
which, rejecting the fast slanting
rays of the dying sun, gave to her ex-
preston it's only brightness.
"YOu are surely not going so far in
wagon?" [ half queried and half
shivered through my teeth.
mo, sir. I'm going to Walk
! and again a tear came.
'Great God, child, walk to New
York? Why you will never live to
complete your Journey" And glanc-
ing at her more closely, L added,
"YOu belong in a hospital right now"
These were the first words, as near
as memory can recall. Aud as sure
as there is heaven for the just and
q saving grace for those who deserve
| 1t, the young country girl, poorly
educated as she was, but in her adj
dress and appearance q thousand
traces of maidenly mOdesty, gentle
ness and innocence, was worth the
attention OF any man on earth with a
heart in his bosom and the love of
God in his soul.
1 took the poor trembling creature
into q DOCTORS Office and she told me
her story.
1t was as pathetic recital as ever
fell from q wOmau's lips. 1t was told
because the girl was honest and igDO-
rant. 1t came with none of the touch
of art which guilt can command and
none of the flourishes of rhetoric
! which education might have con-
ceived. s....
She had come from Bangor's sta
ton, little vii age down in Alabama
not very far from Birmingham. At
an early age she had lost both parents,
and during the several years immedi
ately preceding her departure had
lived with her grandmother and an
uncle.
These had Feen kind to her and ex-
acted OF her, in return for a home,
only the usual domestic duties which
are required about house.
Some eight months ago there came
to this little Alabama home q nice
looking young fellow, of pleasing ad-
dress and fascinating manners, who
was buying lumber for some men in
the East. He put up at the house
and there lived for several months.
fter buying as much as he wanted,
the. young man continued to linger.
/ He had been attracted to the girl and
had won hef love. In him she had
eouAded, and after the Consent of
her people had been gained it was
understood that the two were to be
married. 1t was the first time such q
thing as q sweetheart had crossed her
life, and cO0fiding as she loved, she
became his victim. He wanted to go
to his home in New York, he said,
and prepare place for her. In the
meantime she yielded to him, and
upon the altar of q genuine love laid
as votive. offering her virginity. The
time came fOIRparting, and the little |
tired, fOrsaken woman told the scene |
as no author could have told it. In |
her gentle but ungrammatical Ian |
guage she told how he had put his |
arms around her, kissed her and told |
her to wait patiently for his return.
She waited and longed. Crude in |
such matters OF the world, whose size |
che could not begin to comprehend, |
she hal not asked even for his address |
She loved him aud believed that he |
loved her. The letters did not come. |
No message whatever, and every train |
that pulled into the little depot |
brought with it only disappointment
She waited and watched but all IN |
vain. Her physical condition at |
length attracted the attention of |
neighbors, gossips took up the story |
of her ruin and finally her grand |
mother and her uncle drove her from |
their door.
land then, sir, I started for New |
York. had no money and only the |
clothes you see upon my pack, but |
thought might walk to New York, |
and If can only find Mr.. Hite know |
he will marry me and love me and |
protect me.
al walked as far as Cullman, where |
q conductor on freight train took me |
up and carried me as far as Decatur. |
There gentleman gave me the |
money to pay my way to Athens |
The rest of the way / have walked |
Sometimes / have been taken in by |
people along the road and other times |
| have slept in straw stacks. Often |
have been very cold and hungry, |
but have never asked for favors, but |
they have been shown"
al didn't think New York was so |
far. Granny told me it was beyond |
Nashville, but didn't think it was |
so much beyond"
tried to talk the girl into the idea |
OF allowing me to recommend her to
some good people for aid and advice
tried to tell her that perhaps, after
all, even il she eventually reached
New York she might not find her
sweetheart. But she would not. She
still trusted and declared that IL ever
she reached New York all would end
well, as her lover had said tLet he
lived there and he would welcome
her.
And such is the power Of love. 1t
IL the lodestone which drags US down
or lifts as up away beyond our fels
lows. It IL q heaven Of bliss, and IL il
an awful crime, Just Is it chooses toYi
come. No argument could check this
simple child. nlfnoAe mother, IL her
ABSURD hunt Cor depravsa viiiain. II