Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03
BACK TO GRANDMA's'

There was tourist sleeper hitehed to
the northbound train on the Southern rail-
read that I took from Atlanta the other
night" said the portiy travelling man.
The tourist sleeper had come all the way
from California. Its passengers had been
dropped off all along the line. so that
there were only auout half a dozen lef-
by the time the tourist car reached At
lanta. Soon after the train left Atlanta
the steam heating pipe connected with the
tourist sleeper broke, and when the tour
list passengers got out of their berths next
morning they found the car pretty cold.
One of the passengers from the regular
sleeper, Immediately aft of the tourist
sleeper, noticed how cold the tourist car
was when he passed through on his way
to the dining car for breakfast. So he
had talk with the conductor of our reg
ular sleeper. with the result that the four
list sleeper passengers were invited into
our sleeper to get warm and to ride until
the tourist car steam-heating apparatus
should be fixed up.
Among the half dozen or SO weary
looking passengers from the tourist car
who came into our car was a tall, gaunt.
bronzed, rather sad-looking man In black
store clothes; a man whose huge horny
hands and stopped shoulders and weather
beaten countenance told a plain story of
toll He brought into our sleeper, carrying
her in his arms. one of the plumpest. rosi-
est, most cheerful little girls / ever saw in
my life. She was about four years old.
and every bit as sweet and pretty as
Georgia peach. The little things hands
were icy cold and she was shivering when
brought into the warm sleeper, but there
wasn't whimper in her. She was smiling
and ,good-natured, and she caressed her
gaunt dad and enjoyed the warmth so
much that most of the passengers were ir-
resistibly drawn to the little one.
fell into talk with the Phild'S father
In the smoking compartment soon after
he had entered the regular sleeper with
his little girl. He and the child had come
all the way from southern California
where he had a farm, and they were on
their way to a farm near a little town in
Virginia. They had already been on the
cars for six days.
:" Remarkably good traveller, your little
girl l said to the man. She doesn't APP
pear to be in the least tired. and is singu-
larly good-natured for little one who has
travelled such long distance
les, sub, the man replied, with his
southern accent, Lucy is a good traveluh.
Takes after her NAV In that and then he
gazed out of the window at the pines.
Nevuh did hear Lucy's NAV complain,
he added, after a long pause. But he didn't
say why he was travelling such great
distance with his sunny-souled little girl
and the mother not along with them.
men returned to the body of the car
While later, the gaunt man following me
IN presently and taking the seat opposite
me, l saw that the brave little girl was
still enjoying herself She was toddling up
and down the car aisle with big stick of
old-fashioned barber-pole peppermint candy
in one hand, looking things over. She
wasn't addressing any of the passengers,
but when the fine clothes of some of the
women passengers attracted her attention
she would stand off at little distance and
Hook at the rich garments fascina teddy out
OF her big blue eyes. and then, when the
lady wearing them caught her eye, smile
ehildishly and pass on. Most Of the wom-
en- pnched the ch1d's cheek and asked her
name and where she was going.
To gamma s. was the little ones in
variable reply to the last question.
Seeing the child alone with her father
the women had a natural hesitation about
asking her where her mother was.
Presently the child reached the end of
the aisle. She stopped to look at the rich
black silk skirt of rather fussy middle
aged woman who occupied the rght-hand
end set by herself. After examining the
skirt to her satisfaction she looked up at
the face of the fussy middIe-aged woman
out of her laughing blue eyes for quite a
long time Finally the middle-aged woman
stirred uneasily
. Child, don't stand there staring into my
face like that she snapped, with decided
acerbity. Don't you know any bette than
that? Don't your mother teach you any
better manners? Where is your mother,
anyway?
THE child looked abashed, and already
iici ldtilti, WIZ iidu iedTo the iHtUuiS-dSeu
womans angry talk was on his way from
the other end of the car to take the child
But the little girl replied to the woman's
last question.
:" She's wifi Dod,' she said, simply and
her little face suddenly become solemn.
-" 'Dod?' said the woman, not under
standing. Who's bod? What do you
mean by that?' 7"F
Just then the childs father took the
child gently by the hand.
Lucy said he, tenderly 'yo' all musn' t
bothuh TIL ladies Come with yo dad
WHO'S Dod?' the fussy woman persist
ed, addressing the man. What does she
mean by saying that her mother is with
She means that huh mothuh is dead
lady said the gaunt man, picking the lit
tie one up IN his arms. Lucy an me
buried huh two weeks ago in California, an
All m takn' III baby t. huh gran'mas in
Vahginia,' and the tall, gaunt man started
up the aisle with the child in his arms.
But the fussy woman was on her feet
in an instant and had OBTAINING hand on
his arm.
:" Wait a minute she said. You give
me that child and then some of us heard
her mutter TO herself, I sometimes think
am the meanest woman alive Then aloud
Let me have the baby for a little while
want to talk with her. and the gaunt man
gently handed the little girl over to the
arms of the fussy woman
The child bore no resentment toward
the fussy but repentaa woman who had
with each other and had a great time, in
Guiding a et's-play-party luncheon in the
dining car. until the little ones father
ron oh biG destination