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A Late Supper
by
She would have felt much more miserable if she had not had to hurry; and after a few minutes, when the first shock of her bad news had been dulled a little, she was herself again; and tea was nearly ready, the biscuits baking in the oven, and some molasses gingerbread beside, when she happened to remember that there was not a drop of cream in the cream-pitcher, she had given it all to poor little Katy. Joseph was very particular about having cream in his tea; so she called her niece Martha to the kitchen, and asked her to watch the oven while she went down the road to a neighbor’s. She did not stop even to take her sun-bonnet: it was not a great way, and shady under the elms; so away she went with the pitcher. Mrs. Hilton, the neighbor, was a generous soul, and when she heard of the unexpected company, with ready sympathy and interest she said; “Now, what did you bring such a mite of a pitcher for? Do take this one of mine. I’d just as soon you’d have the cream as not. I don’t calculate to make any butter this week, and it’ll be well to have it to eat with your preserves. It’s nice and sweet as ever you saw.”
“I’m sure you are kind,” said Miss Spring; and with a word or two more she went hurrying home. As I have said, it was not far; but the railroad came between, and our friend had to cross the track. It seemed very provoking that a long train should be standing across the road. It seemed to be waiting for something; an accident might have happened, for the station was a little distance back.
Miss Catherine waited in great anxiety; she could not afford to waste a minute. She would have to cross an impossible culvert in going around the train either way. She saw some passengers or brakemen walking about on the other side, and with great heroism mounted the high step of the platform with the full intention of going down the other side, when, to her horror, the train suddenly moved. She screamed, “Stop! stop!” but nobody saw her, and nobody heard her; and off she went, cream-pitcher and all, without a bit of a bonnet. It was simply awful.
The car behind her was the smoking-car, and the one on which she stood happened to be the Pullman. She was dizzy, and did not dare to stay where she was; so she opened the door and went in. There was a young lady standing in the passage-way, getting a drink of water for some one in a dainty little tumbler; and she looked over her shoulder, thinking Miss Spring was the conductor, to whom she wished to speak; and she smiled, for who could help it?
“I’m carried off,” said poor Aunt Catherine hysterically. “I had company come to tea unexpectedly, and I was all out of cream, and I went out to Mrs. Hilton’s, and I was in a great hurry to get back, and there seemed no sign in the world of the cars starting. I wish we never had sold our land for the track! Oh! what shall I do? I’m a mile from home already; they’ll be frightened to death, and I wanted to have supper early for them, so they could start for home; it’s a long ride. And the biscuit ought to be eaten hot. Dear me! they’ll be so worried!”
“I’m very sorry, indeed,” said the young lady, who was quivering with laughter in spite of her heartfelt sympathy for such a calamity as this. “I suppose you will have to go on to the next station; is it very far?”
“Half an hour,” said Miss Spring despairingly; “and the down train doesn’t get into Brookton until seven; and I haven’t a cent of money with me, either. I shall be crazy! I don’t see why I didn’t get off; but it took all my wits away the minute I found I was going.”