Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-02-06
AFTER THE QUARANTINE.


The Storage Passenger Homeless ard
FriendIess in a New CouutrY.
The maiI-train going west was side
tracked and the passengers gong east
via the Michigan Central from Ypsi.
lanti We're waiting for the fast express.
1t was thirty minutes late, and the
impatient crowd amused themselves
by pr"menading the long platform, and
10y following the winding walks around
and through the park at the pretty de-
pot.
The morning sun lit up the dew on
the morning glories, trcllised every
where over the unsightly fence, with
the ivy and clematis making garland
ed bower along the trimly-kept borders
of foliage plants, and the flower beds
were ab,aze with asters, geraniumS,
petun'a las, panSicS, and every variety of
fall blossoms.
Two little girls in white dresses and
broad brimlned hats, swaying baskets
laden with bouquets, to each one at
tached card, "With the compliments
of the chief engineer" tripped up and
down. adding beauty and color to the
piCturrSQurncSs
An old woman came fcebly to the
door OF sccOnd-class carriage in the
waiting. She was only poor old emil
grant, n steerage passenger on one of
the lll-fated vessels that had been in
quarantine for more than twenty days.
She had seen her whole family sicken,
and many die with the dreadful chol-
era; bad heard the agonized, despair
ing cries for water; had seen them grow
cold and rigid, and had them torn one
by one from her and consigned to a
watCry and namclcsS grave
Then she had been i'll. and all her
kindred and friends had hurried on to
the far west, leaving her alone, in n
land of strange people, strange Ian
Tua%e and customs. Her heart was
full of its own bitterness and she
seemed daZzlcd at the b,azc of sunlight
the flowers. the children, the passing
and repaSsing of the multitudes. Then
suddenly all the pent up emotions of
her heart seemed to burst forth in one
passionate cry of pleading as the little
girl drew near with the basket of flow
erS.
Was it some blossom familiar to the
faded eyes in the dear fathcrland, or
the innocent sweetness of the child
bringing back the remembrance of her
lost little ones, over which the angry
sea sang it's dirges? No one knew:
but She flung out her arms to the child,
begging piteously, and the frightened
little girl shrunll back, and stopped in
amazement, though she comprehended
not word, except the rapt, suffering
lines on the aged face, worn with sick
ness and sorrow.
GIVE her some flowers" exclaimed
gentleman coming forward, "she is
asking you for them"
The child flung her one, two, three
sprays. She seized them eagerly, she
pressed them to her faded checks. She
kissed and fondled them, she wept and
prayed, all oblivious to the curious
gaze of the crowd gathered around
her while she rocked to and fro Groom
ing soft cradle song-the song of her
dead baby perhaps.
An old man came out on the plat
form, said something tender and sooth-
ing and drew her in. A thrill ran
through the crowd, tears stood in many
eyes. The tall gentlemrn passed
around a hat and gold fell with the sill
yer in it as he rushed in and cmpticd it
in her lap with the whole basket of
flowers intended for the ladies' on the
fast express.
like to think that man might have
been the chief engineer of the road
who witnessed the joy that came to
breaking heart from the giving of his
daily gift of flowers.
Then came Il flash, crash, the crowd
parted, the fast express came and went,
and the mail-train and it's freight of
steerage passengers with their heart
aches were left behind.-Union Signal