The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-09-26

them as they did to us, and the chill
dren looked at us with wide open
eyes when we sat down near the
door.
The head of the party was young
man in ordinary costume, who seemed
to enjoy to the utmost his prominent
position. He was the only one who
who could speak English, and, there
fore, of great Importance to the COM
pany. The men wore broad brimmed,
soft felt hats, and bright scarfs over
their shoulders. The women were
very pretty, with their black eyes and
dark skins. Bright shawls were
around their shoulders, and bright
scarfs were tied quantity about the
head. Upon their children they
seemed to have lavished all their love
for gay colors. They looked like ami
mated rainbows as they climbed over
the seats or played in the aisle. All
were happy and bright in the pros
pect of long journey ended. Just
before the train started, half dozen
more men and women came in. They
seemed bewildered at first to find
themselves in such surroundings.
Many of them, l think, had never
known such comfortable quarters be-
fore; but the leader was quick in
explaining it all, while he seated
them. One poor woman, with her
little boy, did not join her merry
comrades, but sat silently apart, in
the front of the car. l noticed that
she was not dressed in the gay blues
and reds which the other women
wore, but was clothed quite in black,
even to the scarf which covered her
head. She drew her little boy close
to her, and they sat unnoticed for a
long time.
When the train was underway, and
everyone felt settled and at home in
their seats, they began to look around
them a little. Suddenly one young
man caught sight of himself in the
mirror at the front of the car. Port
uguese are, as rule, a handsome race,
but this one was not even good look
ing. 1t was very funny to see him
turn his head from side to side,
straighten his tie and adjust his col
lar with such evident satisfaction. 1t
was new experience for him, and
he called his brothers attention to it.
This second one found it quite as
good fun, and they amused us dur
ing the entire ride by constantly
jumping up for another look at them
selves.
One merry little girl rejoiced in
real American hat, and was very
proud of it, but l thought nothing
could be SO pretty as the bright
scarfs wound about the little round,
dark faces. All the children we're
very good and obedient, in spite of
the late hour and excitement. The
babies, in their blue caps and shawls,
slept quietly, while their older broth
ers and sisters enjoyed the new sur
roundings.
1t was when the conductor collected
the tickets that something happened
about which l want particularly to
tell you. All went well till he came
to the lonely woman and her little
boy. She looked up at him with sad,
wistful eyes, while she pointed to the
back of the car The conductor
showed her the tickets, but she only
shook her head, and pointed again.
No one could be found in the car
who knew about her fare, so the in
terpreter had to be called upon. He
came forward with much Importance,
and long dialogue followed. Tears
ran down the poor woman's cheeks,
and the interpreter talked on excited
ly, when the conductor came to see
what il was all about. The man ex-
plained:-
"She say, she have no ticket. She
give it to another woman, and the
other woman left behind-not on the
car-see?"
The conductor nodded.
"The other woman has her ticket,
and she not here-this woman, she has
no money-no ticket; her husband
dead in the old country, and she is
coming out here to her brother in
Fall River-see9"
The woman watched them anxious
ly, while her tears fell fast, and she
drew her child closer to her. She
felt very anxious about this interview
of which she could not understand
word.
The conductor was touched, as we