Smyrna times., 1904-03-30
And A LITTLE CHILD
SHALL LEAD THEM
By Louie
Hubert Guyol
Copyright, 1908, by T. c. Mcclure.

world. Without family or ties, no one
cared when he came nor where he
went, so that whenever he did think of
settling down it was with a very de-
cided picture in his mind-a picture
Of home that was home in the fullest
sense of the word, where there reigned
a wife whose life would be bound I'D
in that home; where there romped lit
tie children who would welcome him
with smiles and with dropping faces
see him go. And it was this feeling, but
duly realized, that made him look
upon Miss Ellison with something of
doubt, albeit much of admiration.
Life was joyous to Alice Ellison.
Her blood ran high, and nothing had
crossed her path that tended to make
her feel aught but the joy of living.
1t was natural, therefore, that she
should laugh and dance and sing.
Sometimes, though, it palled on her.
and she would sit within the silence of
her room, wondering why she could
not fall in love, really and truly and
deeply And always at this wonder
the picture of Allyn Hardin rose be-
fore her and her heart grew tender.
And then something would crop I'D.
like the weeds in the parable, choking
out these tiny seeds of love. And that
something was pitifully like the vision
that had but just caused her momen-
tary gladness. But the clear blue eyes
were SO cold, the fine mouth to firmly
set with determination, the chin so
square, that she would rise inpatient
ly, crying out:
"Ah, no, he would never be tender,
nor sweet, nor-nOr''-
For she, too, had her picture of what
a home should be, and while she
scarcely dared dwell on it, as he could
do, it was there, in the clouds above
her head-a home in which there was
a woman whose life's one aim was to
keep the tired lines from her husbands
face, the worrying cares from his
heart, to maintain forever the smiles
on those little upturned faces at her
knee. But the husband must be one
with heart warm enough to take and
profit by the sympathy she held out to
him in such good abundance, man
who could understand the hearts of
those little children in the arms of that
woman.
So, thinking much but understand
ing little of each other, they went their
separate ways until one morning early,
when a train drew out from the depot,
Alice seated in the chair car, Allyn
swinging on to the step of the last
coach.
He was off on his vacation, and in
the curlings of the smoke he saw not
the face Of Alice Ellison, but cool, green
hooks by running streams. He heard
the crunch of the dried leaves beneath
mis- feet and felt the Juggling of the
trout upon his line
4 He had bid Alice goodby two even
ings before, expecting to leave the city
then, and he recalled her look of good,
frank friendship as she had put her
hand in his. what a pity there is not
more to her." he unused. "She is so at
tractive, but she lacks weight"
The train was coming to q stop, and
Allyn rose and went out ON the plat
form. They were slowing into a pic
turesque little town with green trees in
sight of the depot and big, sprawly
southern homes, white and green in the
sunlight.
Was that Alice?
Yes, there on the lower step of the
coach ahead of him she stood, with an
Impotence barely hidden by her quiet
W mo hn in 70 CT
She was smiling, oh, so brightly, and
the train had scarcely come to a stand
still before she had sprung down and
was running across the platform t.
meet
Allyn Hardin could not believe his
own eyes.
A little girl with brown legs flashing
bare above low socks and face left bare
by the bonnet that hung about hel
neck, rejecting the brightness he hat
seen on Alice's, came rushing down thu
platform too. With a shrek of Joy sh'
threw herself into Alice's open arms.
The whistle blew again. Alice wa
moving off with a young man and wo
man who had Joined her.
MISS ElllSOn! HOW uO JOu uOt
Alice turned about quickly.
oh" she gasped, Il thought yo'
were in Wisconsin," She moved to
ward the train, not losing hold of tn
little hand that lay in hers.
II could not get off. Wish l ha'
known you were aboard''-the train wa
moving. "Goodby, goodby."
Bon voyage" called Alice. Their
blending toward the child, "Wave By
by to Mr.. Hardin"
sunburned little hand clawed I'll
pair, and Alice, raising her head, locke
PUP at Allyn. They both laughed.
On the rest of that northbound tri
all that Allyn saw was little countr
railroad station, with it's usual motle
setting. Standing forth from it al
were the same two figures, the Mador
ma and the child-one in gown of softl
elnging blue, the other in ruffied whit
apron.
The two weeks visit to her brothe
game to an end, and the train was fas