The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-10
" GREATER LOVE HATH 40 NAN THAN THIS.

"CREATER LOVE HATH no NAN THAN THIS"
Dragging itself westward across
the drenry plans Of Utah, the over
land train, from vantage point in the
sky, looked like small hOrsohair
snake crawling over the earth's sur
face. The earth-almOst the air--was
whitc with the heat Of the Summer
sun. All was vastncss, immcnsity,
silence, loneliness above, tho tlawlcss
blue; below, those seemingly illimit-
able plains Of reddish yellow, streaked
with alkali white, that SWAIN Dack and
forth before tho cycs in parallel lines
until far of they melted into long,
low stretch of shivcring light, the
m0cking water mirage at the base Of
the mountain range hundreds OF miles
away. Encompasscd within that
horizon there was nothing Of life ex-
cept within that desultorv moving
train.
Stocked in the cmigrant or third
class car of the train was crowd Of
tired, miserable and dirty people.
They looked out lisJlessly st tho
passing landscape, or stupidity at each
: other, or twisted themselves into all
sorts Of uncomfortable positions on
tho hard wooden seats in vain efforts
} to secure Il little sleep. Perhaps the
most unprcpO>Scsslng Of them ali was
u dark featured, roughly-dresscd man.
Beside him was Il very little girl in a
blue dress. His lowering, repellant
face had a sc0wl upon it which sug-
gcsted the cCnvict or the desperado,
but he was neither. The scowl and
tho unconscious sneer about his ugly
mouth were born simply of II long and
thoroughly fruitless struggle with mis-
= fortune.
= Although pretty, it was easily to be
t seen that the little girl was his child.
. She was the solitary ray of sunshine
4 IN that railway storage. Even tho
dull faces Of the people in the car took
L. on all expression Of tenderness when
t they looked at her, for she had cheered
them during the last three weary days
n with her joyous laughter and merry
q play. just nOw she was lying aSleeL
l. on the breast of the ill-favored looking
n man, one chubby hand pressed against
= his rough, unshavcn cheek. 1t was
II unnecessary to ask if the child had 1
mother.
II She was IL momcntous factor in /;
mighty problem to the man whose
G. arm was about her and whose kni
brows and troubled face showed how
C hard 1T was ho studied it. ~ craZN
g letter had come TO him across the con
ID tinent. and he had left tho tcncmcnt
id of New York to try and reach tht
Is golden land Of California. He hat
ID started with hardly sufficient none,
Ii to take himself and child more thar
Y half the distance, but he had Il con
fused sort of an idea that he would il
b. some way reach his destination. Bet
0. ter it was, at all events, Than to re
% main in the noisome Hester street den
where, without work, or the prOspcc
I'd OF any, his little sum OF money woul,
n soon DO gone.
it E'he station to which his scant,
q purse had enabled him to buy u ticke
n for himself and child had been passct
I'd hours before. and he was wondorin.
70 how soon the conductor of tho train
80 would discover the shameless imposi
tion he was practicing upon the rail
r. way company. fIe had not mucl
I'd longer to waiL for presently the auto
t, crat OF the train, in hurried passage
le through the car, stopped suddenly be
1T fore him and glanced at the check il
y his hat.
< Hcllo. Where arc you going ~
D. The man looked up in what was in
L. tondcd as a humble, respectful ant
piteous appeal, but his lip curlel Il,
W over his tccth, like that of u harrict
W dog. Ho could not help it. His voice
70 was mild enough though, as ho said
o " | am going to California, sir. will
d my little girl
@ The mans looks seemed to irritat,
9 tho not-too- even temper Of the raiiwa,
officer:
j. "You are, oh Well, whcro's you
,r ticket for tho rest Of the way? ?"
"lf you would please let me &,
VI through the train with my little girl,
q replied the unfortunate one, fal:er
| inrlu fhinly | ,n,,ll 4 Is.
i money"
" Go through the train? Not much
It Third-class passengers stay in this car
d You get off at tho next station" sait
the conductor in voice of fierce warn
@ ing as he passed on.
@ The man looked despairiugiy aroun(
d at his follow passengers. There wa
q a glimmering of sympathy and pity
for him in some OF their woe e-beg0nt
}. faces, but there was little money ir
D their pockets. even II they desired t,
i, help him.
!, In about an hour the conductor came
] into the car again and gave the bell.
, r0pu u vicious pull. The engine re-
, sppndod with Two short whistles, and
[ gradually the train slackcncd its spec Il
and stopped.
Come, now, you get off here"
7 cried the conductor, roughly; were
behind time already, and you want to
hurry up about it,"
Again tho mans lip curled in an
ugly way, but he made no answer,
except to gather up S%o few paper
bubbles Of bread and meat Oh, the seat
before him. Then, taking his child
, in his arms, he followed the conGac-
tor to the platform and stepped of the
train. Before 1t was under way again,
however, a humane brakeman on the
last step called out to him:
"Say, partner, thor ain't nothin'