The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-01-03
but Few Seemed to Know
of the Fact.
TIE CASE OF A LITTLE CHILD
And How the Passengers Saw
a Christian Duty Con-
fronting Them.
a vOUCHING STORY OF LOVE

1T And | am sure there were 9th
ssEas who knew it even better than l..
All that many saw, however, was
N child travelling alone-a little
pabe-faced boy, hardly six years old,
with an express tag tied to a button
slf 9iis cheap jacket, bearing these
words: Jimmie Watson. He is
sgoing to the Baptist Orphanage at
Evergreen. The superintendent will
meet him."
Presently the conductor came
dhrangh, a big boisterous man,
.sYayrming the door with a bang,
=TE1 shouting at the top of his voice,
DSYIrkets!" But when he came to
The child's seat, and read that tag,
he was different man.
"All right, my little man. Don't
worry. I'll look after you" The
big mans voice had become soft as
a woman's. and there was light in
his eyes that was good to see.
If you want anything, let me
know he added; "fOr until we get
To Evergreen. this car belongs to
YOU"
And he was right about it. The
ear was crowded, uncOmfortably so.
But the child had a whole seat
room for himself and room for his
little belongings-the cheap black
yalise and the meager lunch basket.
Yes, he owned the car. But his
title 10 it was not 10 be found in
the conductors words. but in some
greater words spoken two thousand
years ago. I could hear them ring
ing all about me. The very air was
articulate with them. They wreath
ed themselves like music with the
GhrOb Of the racing wheels: Inas-
murh--as We did it-uDto one of
the least-of these-ye did it-unto
Mel"
The morning had worn away and
we were well into the drowsy after
noon, when the conductor coming
through stopped for a moment at
e-ne child's seat, and then turned to-
ward q lady seated just across the
car aisle. and whispered, Our lit
tie mans asleep"
Yes" said she, "he looked SO
drowsy that I made him little bed
III wraps and 4 rubber pillow. lie
thanked me so sweetly and went to
sleep at once. think he was sound
asleep by the time his head touched
the pinow!"
THANK you a thousand times, y
said the big man, and turned away
10 his ticket gathering.
When he reached the seat Just in
frontal ma. ahe man seated next to
Che aisle touched him on the arm
and said, How far to EvergreeH?"
About forty minutes" he an
swered.
AS he left the car the man who
had spoken TO him arose, aud MAX
ing his way to the front seat of the
Nar aisle, turned and faced us. |
,za.w- then that he was an old man;
,uite old. with white hair falling
almost 10 his shoulders. His face |
can never forget; for, in spite Of
eNe many burrows that time had
ploughed there. 1t made one think
of the Beatitudes.
There is something else | can
never forget-and that Is the little
zueech he made. Barring his head
No. stood there for a moment, his
soft black hat in one hand, and in
tine other something which | could
mt quite make out. And then he
began speaking:
'.My good friends, If I may cal
Won SO I hope you will pardon an
. old mans mistake, if 2 mistake Il
turns out to be. But we are not fal
from Evergreen, and there is some
thing want to say before our lit
Tie friend awakes. have been a
some psins this morning to learn al
could about him. ! find that hi
father and mother lost not onl,
SheSr lives, but all their savings, II
an explosion and fire in a mininI
village near Wheeling. Hence, tn
child is doubly orphaned he is no
only without kith or kin, but als'
without means ! happen to knoN
the superintendent OF the home 4
which he is going. He is not onl.
a thoroughly good man, but a capa
bic and judicious one. And an
means put into his hands in trus
Tor this child will not only be alb
aDiutely safe. but will be used in tn
hest and safest way for his benefit
Now am not rich man; but CA
spare this niuch-for hin."
And then saw what he had bee