The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-07-10
THE RUNAWAY.
1rIfIrl1nSf1l11SISfII Il5ISllIlIl3rIa1Ha

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
gled into the woods, and John new
er thought his old Aunt Hannah, his
charge fer twenty long years, was run
ming away.
At Boston a kindly conductor
bought her through ticket for Den
yer.
ITS long journey for an old lady
like you,' he said
"But I'm peart for my age" she
said, anxiously; 81 never he'd a days
sickness since 1 was a gall"
Going all the way alone?"
with Providence she answered,
brightly, alert and eager to help her
self, but silent and thoughtful as the
train took her into strange landscape
where the miles went so. swiftly it
seemed like the past years of her life
as she looked back on them
"Thy works are marvellous" she
murmured often, sitting with her
hands folded and few idle days had
there been in her world where she
had sat and rested so long.
In the day coach the people were
kind and generous, sharing their bas-
kets with her and seeing she changed
cars right and her carpet-bag was
safe. She was like any of the dear
old grandmas in Eastern homes, or
| to. the grizzled men and women, like
| the memory of our dead mothers as
| faint and as far away as the scent OF
wild roses in a hillside country bury
ing-ground. She tended babies for
tired women and talked to the men
of farming and crops, or told the
| children Bible stories; but never a
word she said of herself, not one.
On again, guided by kindly hands
through the great bewildering city
by the lake, and now through yet a
| stranger land. Tired and worn by
night in the uncomfortable seats, her
brave spirit began to fail little. AS
the wide, level plains, lonely and
drear, dawned on her sight she sighed
often.
tits dre'ful big world" she said
| to gray-bearded old farmer near
her; $50 big feel e'ermost lost in
it, but" hopefully, across them,
deserts like this long ago Providence
sent. star to guide them wise men
to the East, an hain't lost my faith"
But as the day wore on, and still
~
human habitation, no oasis of green,
her eyes dimmed, something like a
sob rose under the black kerchief on
the bowed shoulders, and the spec
tacles were taken off with trembling
hand and put away carefully in the
worn tin case.
BE We goin' fur, mother?" said the
old farmer.
He had bought her a cup of coffee
at the last station and had pointed
out on the way things he thought
might interest her.
ITO Denver"
oval, wal; you're from New Eng
land, I'll be bound"
From Maine" she answered; and
then she grew communicative, for
she was always chatty old lady, and
she had possessed her soul in silence
so long and it was a relief to tell the
story of her weary years of waiting
to kindly listener.
She told him all the relations she
had were two grand-nephews and their
families. That twenty years ago Sam
(for she had brought them up when
their parents died Of consumption;
that takes so many of our folks) went
out West. He was always adventure
oes, and for ten years, she did not
hear from him; but John was differ
ent and steady, and when he came of
age she had given him her farm,
with the provision that she should
always have home, otherwise he
would have gone away, too. Well,
for five years they were happy, then
John married, and his wife had grown
to think her burden as the years
went on, and the children, when they
grew big, did not care for her; she
felt that she had lived TOO long.
Il growed so lonesome" she said,
patheticaIly, "it seems | couldn't take