The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1913-01-03
A FRIEND IN NEED
Just a Bit Of Life as II Cropped
Out on a Railway Train.
A TOUCH OF REAL HUMANITY.

Inc nou9n LooktH9 Man VINO froveo
That His Heart Was Big and In the
Right Place and the Shabby but
Grateful Foreigner He 6efriended.
Whenever | hear anything nova
days about mans inhumanity to
man," said a Providence citizen the
other day, Il am reminded OF a little
incident. was coming back from
Boston with friend on the midnight
train, and, getting on board at the
Back Bay station, we found a seai
near the rear end OF the car.
"Soon after the train pulled out )
happened to look around and saw the
conductor apparently expostulatins
with a rather shabby looking specimen
OF humanity who was sitting in the
last seat At first thought the map
was drunk, but as watched saw
that he was foreigner who couldn't
understand English. He was holding
out a crumpled one dollar bill to the
conductor and saying New York over
and over again.
Finally the conductor shook his
head. said something | couldn't catch
and went on. The foreigner, a rather
decent looking young fellow, gazed a
him despairingly, then buried his face
In his hands and began to cry. With
the usual callous indifference Of the
travelling public to the troubles of any
one else, paid no more attention tc
the man and prepared to take a nap.
Il was just beginning to doze when !
became aware that man was stand
ing beside me In the aisle, speaking t.
me. sat up and looked at him. he
was a rough appearing man, far from
prepossessing, clean shayen. with q
sort of bulldog face.
"'Say, gents he began, / want to
know If you wouldn't like to help a fel.
Ter out
Il stiffened instinctively, determined,
to refuse to let him make touch
!" There's poor young foreigner
back there he went on with a Jerk OF
his thumb toward the allen. still sit
ting with bowed head. and he's up
against it for fair He can't speak a
word of English, and be wants to go
to New York, where be has friends.
He got the idea somehow he could
do 1t for a dollar, all he's got: but. Of
course. he can't. and they're going to
put him off the train when we get to
Providence. It's mighty hard on a fel-
Ter like him, and there ain't any tell
Ing what'il happen toshim getting put
Off 10 strange city at o'clock in the
morning. thought maybe you'd be
willing to give little to help him
along.
He stopped, looked us straight In
the eye and smiled sheepishIy as If be
were ashamed OF what be was doing.
We gave him dollar. and be went on
through the car, and there were few of
the passengers who didn't respond to
the appeal. He came back counting
the money, and as he got to our seat ]
heard him say:
'.arhere's d dollar more needed-I'll
make it up myselfr and he pulled out
a couple of fifty cent pieces and added
them TO the amount.
''fhe conductor and the brakeman
were standing at the door of the car
near the foreigners seat.
Here said the man who had col
lected the money to the alien: give me
yoar dollar.
"Dumbly, but trustingly, the young
fellow banded it over, and. giving 1t
to the conductor with the rest, the bull
dog man said gruffly:
There's his fare
''lt slowly dawned on the alien what
had been done for him, and as the con-
ductor punched the rebate check and
handed 1t to him the gratitude In his
face was indescribable. He couldn't
speak. but be took his cap of and
bowed again and again to the official,
but the latter pointed to the passenger
who was sitting In bis seat across the
aisle and told the youth that he was
the one, to thank.
'-The foreigner crossed the aisle till
he stood squarely in froi1t OF his bene-
factor, took or his cap and, with tears
OF gratitude In bis eyes, bowed again
and again. 1t was evident enough that
The benefactor was embarrassed BY
this unexpected outburst. At first he
waved his hand around the car to indi-
cate that everybody had had hand In
i. But he couldn't make the foreigner
understand The latter kept on bow
Ing. wherenpon the uncomfortable in.
diyidual In the seat grunted and turn
ed to look out OF the window
= have never seem" concluded the
man who was telling the story, "a
kindlIer-if were a girl should say q
sweeier-ac Of charity inrny life. sit
ting across the aisle. this hard faced
man had heard th, "a the for.
signer. helpless
and out OF
without an
lad taken
ask 0f
q