The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-02-10
TIE ONLY MAN IN The WoRLp.
An Old Lady's Remark Which Moistened
the Eyes of Every Hearer.


the Eyes of Every Hearer.
In one corner of the car, near the door,
sat very old lady, says the San Fran
cisco Call. Such plain, almost shabby
old body, with queer black bonnet,
of style of years gone by, and rusty
black wrap. Her face was wrinkled
and scanned and worn with age and care,
and her slender old shoulders had begun
to bend beneath the accommodating bur-
den of years and the sorrow of this
world. Behind her steel-bowed glasses
her faded blue eyes shone dimly and the
soft bands of hair beneath the recessed
roof of her ancient bonnet were silverey
white. But the faded old eyes were
full of calm peace, the wrinckled old
face bore not a line of Impotence or
annoyance, and the gentle smile that
lowered about the sunken, withered old
lips were certainly not suggested by
anything connected with the cherries,
dispiriting scene of broken cable car
standing silent in the drenching rain.
She was accompanied by a lively, pref
ty girl of perhaps is years, whose smart
gown and stylish coat showing beneath
the storm coat that she had unbuttoned
and thrown back presented a sharp CON
trast to the old lady's antique attire
The girl had been fussing impatiently
for several moments, and finally, after
an irritated study of her companions
face, she burst forth with:
81 declare, grandma Idon't see how
you can sit there and take things so
quietly It's too provoking 1t seems
as though all the tiresome Thugs in the
world saved themselves up to happen
between Christmas and New Year'sp'
There was no reply, and after an in.
slant the young girl spoke again:
Doesn't it seem so to you, grandma"
The blue eyes that had been looking
afar through the mist came back to con-
seriousness OF the impatient child. The
wrinkled face bent itself tenderly to-
ward her, but the smile about the faded
lips was strangely wistful.
81 don't know, child" she said "The
season is always pleasant so me-" And
then softly, as though she had forgotten
her nearer and was speaking to herself,
II was married between Christmas and
New Years sixty years ago-to the only
man in the world"
There was hush, during which the
young gave a quick, startled glance
about the car to see whether anyone
had overheard grandma's speech. No
one looked at her. The conductor was
briskly wiping off a few troublesome
raindrops that had driven into his eyes.
The clustering passenger in the oppo-
site corner was gazing iutently down
the street with curious culver of the
chin that even his pugnacious black
mustache could not hide. The mother
of the impatient little boy suddenly
lifted him into her arms and Rugged
him to her heart. The facetious Young
glow, and he made no pretense that the
rain had gotten into his eyes. Outside
the heavens still swept torrentially, and
not sound came from the motionless
cable, but within the car hatred had
been banished, and every passengers
heart warmed with a sudden sense OF
brotherhood with every other one. The
steamY, heavy air seemed to tighten
and not soul there but felt its burdens
lifted and its sordid gloom frightened
and purified in the holy radience that
shown in the wrinkled face of the pas
senger who had been married sixty years
ago to the only man in the world.