Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1875 — Our Young Folks. [ARTICLE]

Our Young Folks.

AX unexpected hide.

BY SIDNEY DAYRE.

“,J'grak, l »pu may take Eddy into the yard ana play there, but be very careful of him, ter you know this is his chill day and lam hoping he may escape it. Play - gently and do not let him get over-heated. I’m going 10 bq very busy all the morning, so ymt eih be quite a nelp to me by taking good care of little brother. But foe sure you doifft go outside the gate." “ No, 'manun*. wc wi'hV’ answered Frank, with • a bridt|'fmile.' Orine, Eddy, we’lCpkfren ATlufgT It was such a pleasant yard that no little boys need have complained at being kept in it. There was & nice vegetable garden, wil& a 'hbrdcf ot flowers, and each, Httl* boy had a plat for his j own, with donning lifue tools to work it. ; Frank's flower-lied looked quite nicely, ! but Eddv had had ho many different j fancies that they greatly interfered with hiamusceas as a gardener. When early pens, WWgtci and peiatdc* were planted | ha decided to fill all his space with them, but betorc they came up changed his mind' to string-beans, oorn and melons- But when mamma began planting her flower-seeds and setting out verbenas, geraniums and other pretty things, he declared he would bave nothing but flowers. So, now, everything that had not been killed off, was growing up in the queerest hotchpotch you ever did sec, with a big morn-ing-glory vine snarled all through it, and Eddiy declared himself tired of garden- j ing. Frank's garden was about as large as a dining table, and lie had divided it j ofl into little beds about the size of a | *ptKp*lzed pocket handkerchief, with ; paths between. He kept it quite neatly, | and enjoyed working there very much. | There was a swing, too, and a rocking-i .horse; and they had croquet, tops, marbles and a great many other nice things. In short, it seemed as if their parents had spared no pains to make their home attractive to these little boys. But Frank, having reached the dignity of nine years, thought hi nisei f entirely too old le%e kept in the yard, or to ask leave to go out of it. lie was a good ' little bov in most respects, but in this ; matter Inclined to think mamma did j not know best. On this particular morn j ing they found pleasant work in the garden/ There were vipes to be trained, and some vegetables to be gathered for mamma. Then, too, they were greatly | excited over a brood of chickens just hatched. A coop must lie built for the young family, and they were very busy at tills until the voices of some of Frank's friends aroused him. “ Hullo, Frank! poking here at home all the time? Ain't you going down to the depot *'’ “What for/" “ Why, to see the fun. Don’t you know Gen. Sherman is going to pass through this morning? And there’ll be the biggest sort of a time. All the soldiers are going to be out and the fire companies, and the band, too. Hark, there goes arcannon! Come on, quick!" “ I don't believe my mother will let me go, Walt* t»he don’t like to let us go to the depot without some one to take care Of US.’’ . “Stuff! As if you were-not big enough to take care of yourself and Eddy! But as to that, you needn’t ask her." Frank was not at all inclined to listen to such bad advice as this, and ran into the house to beg his mother to let them go. “ She's gone to the market," said Biddy, in answer to his eager question. “ Oh, dear! Biddy, mayn’t we go to the depot?” Bat Biddy knew better than to give any such permission. “ Ye kuow what yer mother said,” was all she would say, and Frank returned to Walt with a very downcast face. “ I can't go; mamma is not at home." “ Pshaw! If she knew what was going on of course she'd let you go. Don’t be such a ruufl. There’s the band now! Well be too late.” A- - - -—- And forget)ing everything else in his excitement Fr«nk seized his brother’s hand and they all ran toward the depot at full speed. Flkfs were flying and companies parading. The bands were playing and the cannon roared so that little Eddy became frightened and dizzy. The morning was very hot, with thick clouds of dust living, and the two little boys soon became tangled in such a crowd that they really were in danger of injury. Poor little Eddy was almost fainting, and both would have given much to be in the quiet garden again. Then a railroad-whistle sounded long and loud close behind them. There was a little speaking done by men they couldn’t see, followed by deafening hurrahs and more cannon. Then another shriek from the locomotive and the fine fun was over. “ I’m tired and so hot," fretted Eddy, as the crowd scattered, and Frank tried to lead him home. “ Can’t we rest a little first?" Walt had disappeared in the crowd long ago, and now Frank looked around to see what he could do. A train of freight cars stood on a side track near by. Some of them stood open, and Frank said: ->• - ——— “ Here, Eddy, we’ll get into this car and let you rest a little; vou’ll feel better out of the hot sun." They climbed in and soon found themselves very comfortable. The car was loaded with furniture, not boxed but ■wrapped in sa- king and not very closely packed, so that there was some room to move around. It was a most attractive ! place for a couple of boys to clamber about in. “ We’ll play ct house-keeping." cried Frank. “ See, Eddy, I can lift these chairs off the sofa and move it around a little, and it will do for a bed for you; and this whatnot in the corner can be' | the pantry. I’ve got some crackers in j Sy pocket to put on the shelves. Wish ings were not quite so crowded here.” j For a half hour they found plenty to ' Interest them liu the car. They had ex- j amined everything in it and were just j proposing to go home when a sudden jerk startled them. “ What’s that?" and Frank sprang up to look out, but at this moment the door -of the car slid to with a sudden bang, rad with another jerk the car began moring, at first slowly, then faster and faster, till soon at a rapid rate of speed the two little truants were being carried, they knew not where. At t|ie first alarm Frank sprang to the do6r, rad by calling and pounding tried to attract the attention of some one oataide. Bat there was a confusion of n< depot; trains had been cqrainp and going all the time, gpd amid the puffing', hissing and whistling of lo©Othntives One feeble voice of the child WM 1 Off* So after a prolonged but useless

effort to make himself heard poor Frank sat down by his brother in ereut Iright and dismay The car had seemed verjdark after the sudden closing of the door, but some sunshiny came through the crackt ind they soon became accustomed to the dim light Frank saw that his little brother looked pale and ill. “You’d better lie down, Eddy,” lie said, “and let me fan you with my bat, it's so hot in this car.” “Not, it isn't hot,” moaned Eddy, “I’m so cold.” And Frank’s distress was complete when he saw the poor child was shivering in a severe ague chill. How bitterly he now repented ever having left home ! And his heart sank within him as lie wondered how long it might be before they could find their way out of this difficulty. But he was a brave little fellow, and determined to make the best of things. He had seen some door-mats in ■ a corner, some of which he now brought to cover Eddy, and spoke cheery words | to him. “Never mind, Eddy; this train will soon come to a stopping place, and then we can make some one hear us, and come and let us out.” * " How can we ever get back to mamma’s?” sobbed Eddy; “It will bo so far to walk.” “ Oh, w e won’t have to walk. There’ll be trains going back, arid I’ll ask some of the men to let us ride home, because ydu are sick. They’ll do it, I know.” But the train kept on for a long, long time, and Eddy’s sufferings were much increased as the cliill passed off and a violent fever set in -The j hot, close air of the . car was I almost stilling, and Frank saw with j much alarm that his brother was much | worse than he had ever seemed before. I This was owing to the heat, fatigue and | excitement of the morning. And poor I Frank suffered as keenly as so young a ; child could suffer, as he thought of his mother's airy room at home, in which everything would have been done to soothe and relieve Eddy. It was terrible to see him so ill without being aide to do a single thing to help him; to hear him beg for the cooling drink his mother would nave given him, and here w as not one drop of water to quench Ids thirst, or ‘to bathe his burning head. It was hours ; before the train stopped. Frank started I in eager hope as he felt the train slack- ! ening. Again he tried by every means in his power to make himself heard, but all in vain. A locomotive belonging to another train happened to stand very ! near their car, aha its constant hissing drowned hla For an hour they remained here, then an express train thundered by, and they moved slowly on again, Frank throwing himself down, worn out, and in despair as the weary rumbling began again. Night was drawing near, and he thought with horror of the prospect of their being obliged to pass the night in this dreary prison. Eddy tossed, half-delirious, upon his uncomfortable bed, tortured by the noise, constantly pleading for water. As it grew later, Frank himself began to feel sadly the need of both food and water, neither of them haying tasted anything since breakfast. “ I believe we shall both die here, and never get home to mamma again," he sobbed to himself. “God won’t take care of us because we are disobedient, knd it was all my fault! I’ll ask Him, though, and perhaps He’ll forgive us.” And the poor boy knelt down and prayed very earnestly. He then settled himself by the side of Eddy, who had fallen into an uneasy sleep. “ I’ll watch Eddy all night. I won’t go to sleep at all.” But Frank grew very tired and sleepy. “ it must be nearly morning, now,” he said, when nearly an hour had passed. “ I'll just lie down by Eddy’s feet for a few minutes. lean watch him so just as well.*’ He curled himself up, and in a few minutes had forgotten his anxiety, hunger and thirst in a sound sleep. A sudden shock awakened him; a jar so violent as to upset everything in the car which could be upset, and every car on the train seemed jammed together. Frank got up and raised Eddy to the sofa, from which he had been thrown The motion of the train had ceased, and they could hear the excited voices of men near by. They seemed greatly alarmed about something or other, but Frank was too unxious to make them hear him to wait long to listen. “ Help! help!" he cried. “Open the door, quick, and let me out!’ L “ Hark!” said one of the men, “ I thought I heard a child's voice!” * The voice continued, as, hammering on the door of the prison, Frank still clamored for relief. The door flew open and a man looked in. “ Who’s here? What’s the matter?” “ Why, it’s me and Eddy,” said poor Frank, in a voice breaking dawn between fear and gladness; “and Eddy’s sick, and we couldn’t make anyone hear us.” “ How came you in here?” “ We got in to play and some one shut the door.” The man lifted Eddy out carefully, and laid him on the grass. He was almost insensible, but the cool night air seemed to revive him; he opened his eyes and moaned: “Drink! drink!” and after taking eagerly of what was brought him, closed them again without attempting to look around. “ He’s sick, sure enough,” said the man, raising him gently in his arms. “Come, Jim,” some one called, “no time to be fooling there.” “ I’ll just take these young ones to the caboose,” he answered. Frank followed quietly as Eddy was laid in a more comfortable' place, and their rough friend wasjust hurrying away,when he stopped a moment and opened a little cupboard. “ Take some," he said, as he left them: some food was there and the half-starved boy ate heartily, having first wet his handkerchief and laid it upon ! Eddy’s head. He would not leave his | brother, though very anxious to know j what was goiDg on. The men seemed very busy in the darkness—on the track, j no: far from where they were, and had ! soon kindled a large'fire. Then all waited what seemed a long time, till a low. rumbling sound was heard and a light appeared in the far distance. At this moment some one dashed into the caboose, seized Eddy, and calling upon Frank to follow sprang to the ground and ran some distance away from the track. Then he stood, watching intently the locomotive which was fast coming nearer and nearer. The fire burned brighter and the sparks flew up into the darkness as men threw on brush, stirred it well tiqj and then also ran away to watch. “Thank God!” said Ahe man who still held Eddy in bis arms, as the whistle sounded and the locomotive moved more Blowly, stopping just before it reached the fire. He laid Eddy down. “Now I must go,

but I'Jl come ■ baqk and see ,to you." Many people got off the train to look about,, and in listening to theif excited talk Frank managed to get some idea of what had taken place. A wheel of one of the freight cars had broken just before tlie train reached the switch upon ’which it was to wait to allow 1 the passage of an express train, which was not far bqliind them. Messengers had been sent back upon the track but could not reach any station to stop the approaching train, and it had been feared that a terrible accident might occur, as the freight cars could not be removed in time. The passengers soon heard of the danger which had threatened them, and many thanksgivings were offered for their escape. Tlie person who had cared for the comfort and safety of our poor little waifs did not forget them. Busy though he was, lie found time to speak of them to some of the new comers, who soon came to look after the forlorn children. Eddy was taken to the sleeping-car, where lie was kindly cared for. All were astonished at finding them in such a strange situation and Frank was soon called upon to tell how he came there. He again related bow they had been shut up in the car. “ Where did this happen—where do you live?” * “ At Centerville.” “ What! two hundred miles back?” “ Oh,” sobbed Frank, “ are we all that w T ay from home? How 1 will we ever get bark there?" “Never mind,'my little man; you shall be sent home all right. But bowlong have you been in that car?” "Since jestesday morning.” “And nothing to eat?” “Only two or three crackers.” “ Well, you certainly have paid rather dearly for your frojjc, let alone coming very near having your poor little brains knocked out. But don’t fret now; your troubles are about over, I guess. Tell me what your father’s name is.” So in the early morning, when thctrain went on and reached a station, this telegram was thoughtfully sent to parents worn out with weary searching and keenest anxiety for the little ones they loved so well: “ Frank and Eddy are safe and in good bands. Will reach home on the five p. m. express.” Little Eddy was sick fpr days after, owing to tlie exposure and fatigue of his unexpected journey. And Frank never forgot the severe lesson his disobedience taught him. The fact of his own fault having brought himself and his little brother into such danger, and caused such suffering to his parents, made a deep impression upon him, and he became more willing to follow the advice of those older and wiser than himself.—Little Cwjwral.