The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-07-22
IN THE CRACKER CAR.

Dick came out on the piazza, a i
cracker in each hand.
Wont you have one?" he invited
Uncle Richard, who was sitting there.
Thank you," said Uncle Richard,
"but I never eat crackers haven't
eaten one for twenty-five years"
"Oh!" cried Dick eagerly 'Why
not? Is it story?"
YES" Uncle Richard owned with a
little smile, ''it is. We boys were
going home from school one afternoon
and when we came to the grove we
said, Let's play I spy!' So Joe was
it; and Tom and Billy and ] hurried
| to hide behind the bushes, while Joe
counted five hundred. But the bushes
didn't hide us because it was fall and
the leaves were off; and we hunted
for a good place, till we got to the
edge of the grove just as Joe called,
| Five hundred! I'm coming!'
"A railroad siding ran close by, and
a freight car, with it's door open, stood
on the track.
Let's hide in the car whispered.
Joe will never think to look there!'
Nov, we were forbidden to go near
the track. But if we we're not hiddenY
before Joe rounded the next clump of
bushes, he would see us. So without
stopping to remember, we climbed in,
and using all our strength pushed the
door together
III rs ~ r1x h0xr h ed
outwitted Joe. Wouldn't we rush out
of the car and surprise him, when he
came back!
But Joe didn't come back. And
by-and-by we concluded to go. And
then we found we couldn't open that
door! 1t was heavy and slid on trucks
like barn door. We showed with all
our might, but the door would not
move. We shouted and pounded for
help; but Joe had gone home, and
there was no one to hear. We were
frightened now, and Billy, who was
youngest, began to cry.
} after a while we examined our
} prison. BY the dim light that sifted
, in, we read on the labels of the bar
) rels and boxes that filed the car,
!, pilot bread and crackers The only
: empty space was near the door,
} can engine came down the track,
and brakemen coupled our car to the
train We shouted and beat the door
frantically, but the putting of the big
freight engine drowned the noise we
made, and our car went rafting away
behind it. Billy wasn't the only one
who cried then!
:, "By-and-by we grew hungry, and
Tom proposed that we open box of
crackers and pay for them when we
got out We broke our knife blades
doing it, but we managed to pry a
box open, and ate all we wanted. The
dry crackers made us thirsty, and we
had nothing to drink. Homesick
enough, we finally fell asleep, huddled
close together to keep warm.
when we woke, there was a gray
light in the car, SO we knew it was
morning. My! but we were thirsty!
We could hardly swallow the cracker
breakfast, our Threats were so dry.
after a long time, rain began to
drive through the chinks, and we
caught it in our hands and moistened
our mouths. I can tell you, nothing
ever seemed SO good as that rain
water!
1--WE didn't know where we we're
? there wasn't any window in the car to
, look out of. And we had no idea
of time, as the slow freight swayed
and bumped along.
, cat last the car stopped. We
shouted and pounded and kicked, and
this time some one heard, and opened
the door. We tumbled out of the car,
and told our story. The station agent
telegraphed our fathers, and we were
: sent home on the next train
Il have never cared for crackers
, SINCE" concluded Uncle Richard.
/ Il shouldn't think you would" said
t Dick thoughtfully, brushing away his
crumbs.
/ Alice M. Harrington. in S. s. Times,