Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-12-29
me seLAreD cHsIsrMAs TRAM
BY William MeoInnie..
Ladies Home Journal:


across the desert. winding through
canons and climbing mountains, on ITS
way east across Arizona and New
Mexico. II stopped for dinner where II
should have stopped for breakfast, and
IL WAS a suilen-looking lot OF passen'
gers that left the cars for the dining
room Dinner did not brighten them
up much. and they returned to their
cars complaining bitterly of the luck
that should make their train late
this particular day. when all were
anxious that n should be on time The
main pulled out and the passengers
settled themselves az best they could
for tedious afternoon ride.
In the smokins-room Of the rear
sleepsr sat six travelling men--a shoe
man. 81 shirt man. two grocery men.
hardware man and a dry-goods man.
An were going home for Christmas;
with the exception OF the dry-Euods
man all were married The two gro
Gerry men. the hardware man and the
dry-goods man started game OF
cards.
The shirt man onened rhe daily
|
was all christmas and II made him
so homesick that he threw it on the
scat and pufred vigorously at his ci.
| gar He had been gone long. and now
must miss his Christmas dinner with
his wife and babies. One of them he
had never seen.
The shoe man was looking out of
the window, but his eyes were not on
the scenery He was irving to look
into a little home five hundred miles
away and see what they were doing
| for Christmas.
The hardware man puifed al his
cigar for few miputes and then threw
| il in the corner Don't taste good .
he said. He was thinking Of home.
| With the exception OF the drv-goods
man the PLAYERS were not thinking OF
The game. and for fully hve minutes
ri stretch no one would speak
In the middle section Of the sleeper
sal woman whose voice had thrill
ed thousands She was on her way to
| spend Christmas with friends in one
of the cities of Kansas She must miss
the Christmas dinner: the thought
made her cross She found fault with
Everybody and everything Across the
aisle from her sal mother with her
little blue-eyed golden-haired two
ycar'old beside her. They were on
their way TO SPEND Christmas with the
''old folks" Her husband a travelling
man, would be there to meet them
Now they would be late. She felt like
CRYING. The little girl was tired; she
bothered" mamma Mamma shook
her and set her in the corner OF the
section. where she cried softly.
The big compound" was making
the ground tremble with its roar as i,
dragged the train up the heavy grade
The clouds of black smoke rolling
back over the train would sometimes
shut ont the view
The train came to a sudden stop
"Wbars the matter?' was asked of .
brakeman who came through the car
Freight got couple Of cars OF
the track trying to take the switch
ahead OF us''
How long will 1t take TO put then
on?"
Bont two hours
This was the last straw-no hop,
for any eastern connections now.
Let's take n walk" said the sho,
man to the shirt man. and together
they started of towards little clumJ
OF cottonwoods about hundred yards
distant. the only trees TO be seen fol
miles. just within the edge OF the lit
tie grove they came upon mar
standing beside a narrow. gravelik.
hole he had evidently lust dug.
Prospecting? asked the shoe man
He shook his head.
Then they saw his face was sad
His ewes looked as though he had
been weeping.
"Grave?" asked the shoe man.
He nodded his head
| Who for" The tone was one OF
sympathy.
MY little girl" said the man. After
a few moments he went on: We liv.
ed in Western Kansas our little girl
was always sicIuy-doctor said Try
the mounlains'--so we sold out and
started in our wagon. But is was toe
'ate'--his voice broke. "She-died-
last nleht-it's long ways to the
next town-we don't know soul in
the Territory-so we concluded we'd
bury her here ourselves" And then
looking wisffully al rhe two men. he
asked BE either of YOU men a
preacher? Wife can't stand 1t to bury
the little one without some one Ia
| make PRAYER and sing a song"
| Both men felt something rise in
their throsts, Il was the shoe man
| who spoke, We are NOT preachers
hut'--he hesitated--"we will see vour
baby Is buried as Christian"
| She is over yonder." said the man
pointing to covered wagon near the
other side Of the grove.
We will he back in a few minutes.
said the shoe man. and. taking the
shirt man by the arm he started to.
wards the train. About halfway there
he stopped and said; i've got a tesla
meni In my grip; my little girl put II
there before started on this trip.
| You read chaper and say word or
TWO. III Try and make prayer. and
| III ask that singer TO sing song.
| Well get the other four boys for
| bearers"
| We aan vat b. have a