The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-06-15
GOING 10 JOHN

Going north, madam"
no maam.p
Going south theni"
4 Il don't know ma'am. / never was
on the cars. I'm waiting for the train
to 40 to John"
john
"ohl Johns my son. He's out in
Kansas.1
I'm going to Kansas myself. You
intend to visitg7
no ma'am.s
! she said it with q sigh so heart bur-
dened the stranger was touched.
John sickYs
NO
The evasive tone, the look Of pain
4 in the fnrrowed face, were noticed BY
the lady who asked these questions as
the gray head bowed upon the toll
marked hand She wanted to hear her
story, and to help her.
Excuse meJohn in troubIeis
"No, no-rm in trouble. Trouble my
old head never thought to see.g
The train does not come for some
time. Here, rest your head upon my
cloak
"You are kind. If my own were 50
! shouldn't he ID trouble
What Is your troubleS Maybe | can
help you.y
Its hard to tell 1t to stranger, but
my heart is too full to keep ii back.
When I was left a widow with three
children, ! thought it was more than
| could beari but 1t wasn't as bad as
this
The stranger waited until she REL
covered her voice To 70 on
n had only the cottage and my hands.
! toiled early and late all the years until
John could help me Then VIE kept the
girls at school John and me- They
were married not long ago. John sold
the cottage, sent me 10 the city To live
with them and he went back West to
begin for himself. He said he had pro-
vided TOR the girls, and they would pro-
vide Tor me now"
Her voice ehoked with emotion. The
stranger waited in silence.
II went to them III the city I went
to Mary's first She lived in 4 great
house with servants to wait on her;
a house many times larger than the
little cottage-but ] soon found there
wasn't room enough for me
The tears stood in the lines Of her
cheeks. The ticket agent came out soft
", stirred the fire and went back After
pause she continues:
III went to Martha's--went with 4
pain to my heart | never felt before
was willing to do anything SO as not
TO BE- B burden, But that wasn't 1t.
found they were ashamed Of my bent
old body and my withered face
Of ing rough, wrinkled hands
made so tioling for them
The tears came thick and fast now.
The strangers hand rested carelessly
on the gray head.
AT last they told NE | must live at
a boarding house, and they'd keep me
there couldn't say anything Iwrote
to John what they were going to do. re
wrote right back, long, kind letter for
me to come right to him / should all
ways have a home while he had a roof,
he said. To come right there and stay
as long as ! lived That his mother
should never 90 to strangers. So I'm
going to John. He's got only his rough
hands and his great warm heart-but
there's room for his Old mother-God
The stranger brushed tear from her
cheek and waited the conclusion.
Some day when am gone where
I'll never tronhle them again. Mary and
Martha will think of it all Some day
when the hands that toiled for them
are folded and still when the eyes that
watched over them through many
weary night are closed forever; when
the little old body, bent with the bur
dens it bore for them, is put away
where it never can shame theme
The agent drew his hand quickly be-
fore his eyes and went out as ii 10
look for the train The strangers fin
gers strolSed the gray locks. while the
tears of sorrow and of sympathy fell
together. The weary heart was un-
burdened. Soothed by a touch of SYM
nathy the troubled soul yielded 10 the
longing for rest, and she fell asleep
The agent went noiselessly about his
inties that he might not wake her. As
the fair stranger watched she saw a
smile on the careworH face. The bps
moved. She bent down to hear.
I'm doing it for Mary and Martha.
They'll take care Of me sometime"
She was dreaming ef the days in the
little coftaQc-of the fond hopes which
Inspired her. long before she learned,
with a broken heart that same day she
uould. homeless in &c WeElS, re 90 (