St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-01-28
THE OTHER HALF.


Hearts and Purses.
There had been q gay party down the
river. When the train came TO stand
still about one hundred and fifty young
people and the attendant chaperons
were waiting in the little station on
the club house grounds and making
things lively with their cheers for the
commodore, cheers for the pretty girls
and finally cheers and . tiger for the
astonished engineer.
Only one sad face among % many,
aud that belonged to woman young In
years, but thin and worn by days Of un-
remitting toll such ss the others had
never dreamt of. She carried In her
arms a bundle done up in = newspaper.
A loosely tied slip shod package that
she handled with care. When the crowd
surged into the car she took her seat at
the extreme end in one of the places
that brought her right In tho midst of
. group Of particularly wild and gay
young revelerS With anxious care she
held the package done mp in its greasy
paper on her lap, and ever and anon
wiped away q tear with corner Of the
torn wrap trimmed with its tawdry jet
passementerie.
A lurch Of the train threw one Of tho
young fellows who was sitting on the
arm of the seat almost into the precious
bundle. With q startled cry and .
voice madc shrill by fear the woman
cried:
Look ont; can't you see yer crushing
me bundle?"
II beg ten thousand part1ous. mad
ame," replied the youth, who had raised
. laugh at his expense owing to his
awkward lurch and the sharp explsna-
ton of the woman.
"Wou't you allow me to secure you .
seat in the cattle car, where you and
your trunk will be in no danger Of be-
ing harmed by contact with the wide
world?" And soto voce he added 70
his fair companion: ''Its the place for
such cattle. anyhow. The English sys-
tenn of first, second and third class IS
far superior to our mode Of crowding in
with all sorts of creatures?"
The quick ear Of the woman had
caught the word ''cattle," and she
sprang TO her feet like tigresa
'Cattle, is it?'' she glared II may
not be lady like yer pretty friend. but
I'm woman with . womau's feelin'A
That bundle has flowers in it for me
dead baby. While yez were dancin'
and drinxin' me little bye wuz lyin' cold
and stiff. And these two arums that
should have held him had to wash the
dishes at the club house to get money
enough to take me back to the day
nursery, where left him this marn-
in. l have known me little bye was
dead for four hours, and with me heart
a-breakin' had to go on with me work
to get me money. There arc only .
few buttercups in that bundle. but me
little bye loved 'em, and name to car.
ry them to where he is and place them
in the little dead hands and around the
little body. Oh! me baby, me baby!"
and the poor mother. overcome by her
feelings, sank into her seat and gave
way for the first time to an unre-
strained fit Of sobbing and crying that
shook the poor frame under the pitifal
finery and left not q dry eye in the car.
Without q word the young man who
had been the cause Of the outburst took
off his hat, laid . dollar bill within and
started through the car. When the
train drew into the Philadelphia depot
respectful hands assisted the mother to
alight and there were many other
floral offerings on the little caslket be-
side the cherished bunch of buttercups
held in the baby fingcrx-Philadelphis