The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-24

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in this way till ut 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 intoth 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
NAM months laughed aloud in her glee.
A rabbit ran along with it's queer, long
leaps In front of her, and stopped once or
twice to gaze back at her with its 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 its 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 she?
AIOHQJ W., 1IUUlC Oliut 6U6 CnlETuD6Qs
Are you very happy. and is it going to be
your Christmas tomorrow? Howdy do,
you great big round sum- 1 see you COM
ing up over the hills away off yonder.
Quit hurting my eyes when l look at you.
Do you know that Christmas is coming to-
morrow"
Once in a great while she would pass a
farmhouse, and when the sun was well 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 home" she said with a
smile.
"You are out pretty early" he returned.
Don't you a some milk?" 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 a railroad
track. All, that is the way to go home
surely, she thought, for railroads go every
where. But how could she rider The
past twelvemonth had taught her fnan-
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 a penny. But she dismissed
the thought of trouble and tripped along
the track, plucking little flowers by the
wayside and laughing aloud, overjoyed 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 a 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 a little strange house, but ne one was
there, and she sat upon a 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 al engine; then came
the rumble of a 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 a 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
ride! 1t was so far and already she was so
tired. And she looked at the strong engine
till she could hardly see it, for the tears
would fill her eyes in spite Of all her eff
forts. But just then ~agreat.gust of smoke
and steam came out and enveleped her,
and to her it became a kind faced old man,
with gNeat, long white beard, and as it
wrapped it's soft arms around her it said:
II am the Spirit of Steam. As soft as ]
am, Idraw this immense train of cars. But
for me they would lie here helpless and
useless. When l am called I respond with
Joy, and l leap through the air, whirling
this great rumbling train after nae by the
weight of my little finger. Climb up the
steps and get on my train. I will takecare
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 a corner. 1t
was very black and dirty with coal, but
she wa so tired, and when a great strong
man sprang into the engine and it started
off with a snort the Spirit of Steam folded
her in his arms again and sang IN her cal
such a sweet and soothing lullaby that hen
soul 1oated far away into dreamland while
she was carried swiftly over the country
toward the land where Santa Claus greets
Christmas amid snow aHdfce.
"Dick," said the engineer to the fireman
as their train went laundering across the
prairie, lis this some joke of yoursf" and