The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-01-08
HOW MARGIE DIED.
Pathetic Incident of q Railway
Travellers Journey.
A Homely story from the Daily Lie
OF HomcIy rcopIe-The Mis-
takes of Life OF Toll
and DrUdEcry,

The train was half a hundred miles
out of Chicago, headed for the city, and
at n little station an old farmcr came
aboard. lie was a little, weazrn"d
man. with = sensitive mouth half CON
cealed by an iron-grav beard His ILL
fitting clothes were evidently his most
uncOmfOrta bic best and he moved awl-
wardly and stitlly in them. There were
no vacant seats, saws the Chicago Mail,
and after some hesitation nc slid softly
into one occupied by grave stranger.
intent upon his paper. The old man
was i'll at ease and as he turned a care
worn, ha%isard face toward the brown.
flying landscape il showed marks Of
some recent trouble. The stranger
laid aside his paper after awhile ana
half wiotfully the old man glanced at
him. lie spoke ut last. with 4 strange
huskinoss I'm guin' to the city for
the second time in my life" he said,
half startled ut his own voicc.
"Gc,?" and in the intonat.on Of ths
others there was an invitation TO 20 on.
The second time repeated the old
man: thirty year ago. come June.
went there for rcddin' suit, and I'm
a-gulU' back there to-day for . colin
and shrnud for-thc little woman that
married me-
liIs voice broke, and turning again
TO the window ne looked out upon the
dull, cold landscape and was silent
many minutes.
''Nou don't llnow what it is. mister:
You can't understand" and he was cl-v-
ING very softly and hopelessly. .'You
don't know what ii is to live and work
louEs'de of woman for thirty years
day IN and day out to lind her always
patient and wi..IR' and worxin'-and
then leave her a-layin' dead and co.d
with her worn-our hands crossed on her
breast. You don't have no idce what il
is, and the sleeve Of the old man was
drawn apotogclicaliy across his eyes.
I've ben thinllin' good deal since
last night when Nargic died: it kinder
puts man to his Thoughts. 1t wa, just
little after the turn o the night. and
nobody but me was watchin. when she
kinder woke up, like, rs if she'd ben
asleep.
David says she. its rcstfuI-so
restfui, and took hold Of her hand.
is that you a-aiuGIn, David?' SAYS she.
Go on but hadn't sung word and
couldn't a done it-.go on, David says
she, and III bc rrstin', for I'm So tired
And 50 She went to sleep again and
walked mp in eternity.
And do you know. stranger. them
words O. hcrn have SGT me to thinIliu'.
Poor tired soul. and Z never thou,sht
how much she needed rest. Tthou,,ur
as | set there. watchin' her breath
a-"oiu' out last night, that mcbbc we'd
make a mistake Of it all We never
thought OF it while we was a-worIziu'
and a-~limpin' and a-suyin'-trvin' to
make rutn cuus meet ana 10 Law up
somethju' for the children. But /
thought about it all last night when
only me and her was waitin' for the
last. She never had no pleasure. She
never took no holidays nor VISITED like.
other wimmjn. She raised the chill
drcn and stopped pigs and milkcl COWS
and churnou and cooked for harvest
hands / never lluuwcd nor thou.sLt
how she done it all tIll | SAW thcn poor.
crossed hands with little whit. nlSics
m en- Some 'uu o the ncisLbu-s put
'em there, and il kinder choI,ed mo.
-" hen 3 looked. luowed she'd meyer
had NO time ior posics when She n;uht
have smellod 'cm. She didn't have
cine for nothu' but the thorns. mister.
and-that'a what hurts me.
After moment lie looked up through
his tears.
Some folks may low it won't do no !
good, mister" and his voice. ,,r,.yv |
stronger; INIT I'm a-goin' to see that |
~ae'1 put .T'vaE in Somcthiu' rich We !
wasn't sEimrin' and suvin' thirty wear |
,or this. bat I'm a-goiu' to have. the |
best mouvyII buy. shes earned il. |
God knows: and she's earned Somcthiu, !
"lac-,hr's earned that white r.imcut /
That the good book says is washed in |
tie blood Of the Lamb
The old mans voice sunk into that
r"v"f"nt whisper SO common to the cod
fearing ot hi class at the uttorancr OF
holy things, and in the silence which
followed he sunk into a ryvcrie. He
was awakened from it only by the
stopping Of the train at Van Buren
street. Vt the door uf the ear he shool,
hands with his companion and a mo-
uent later was swallowed up in the
,rovd.
1t was pitiful-all Of it. And vct
-tere was a passenger on that train who
IS he letter man for recalling it: the
better man for the recollection of the
''t rrrHsr'N look and gesture, and for
ha thought that there are silver handles
the collin that holds his sacred dust.
wing out under a dark mound amid the
barren brown Of an Illinois prairie.