“Where is papa?” she would repeat every few minutes.  “I want to go to my papa.”

This was continued until it ended in fretfulness and complaints at the separation it was enduring.  Tears and sobs followed; and, finally, the child wept herself to sleep.

A new train of feelings was awakened by this incident.  In leaving her husband, Mrs. Lane had thought only of herself.  She had not once considered the effect of a separation from its father upon her child.  Little Mary’s heart was full of affection for the two beings whom nature prompted her to love.  Her father’s return from business had always been to her the happiest event of the day; and, when she sprang into his arms, her whole being would thrill with delight.  Days had passed since she had seen her father, and she was pining to meet him again to lay her head upon his bosom—­to feel his arms clasped tightly around her.

All this was realized by the mother, as the child lay sleeping on her arm, while the swift rolling cars bore them farther and farther away from the home she was leaving.  Is it just to the child?  Distinctly did this thought present itself in her mind.  For a long time she mused over it, her feelings all the while growing more and more tender, until something like repentance for the step she had taken found its way into her mind—­not for what she was herself suffering, but for the sake of her child.  She had not thought of the effect upon little Mary, until the pain of absence showed itself in complaint.

This idea arose clearly before her—­she could not push it aside; and, the more she pondered it, the more troubled did she become, from a new source.  Would not the separation so deeply afflict the child as to rob her of all happiness?

While these thoughts had full possession of the mother’s mind, Mary slept on and dreamed of her father, as was evident from the fact that, more than once, she murmured his name.

When night came down, its effect upon Mrs. Lane was more sadly depressing, for it brought her into a clearer realization of her unhappy condition.  Where was she going?  What was the uncertain future to bring forth?  All was as dark as the night that had closed around her.

At length the cars reached Bristol, and it became necessary to leave them, and pass into the boat.  In lifting Mary in her arms, to bear her from the cars, the child again murmured the name of her father, which so affected Mrs. Lane, that her tears gushed forth in spite of her efforts to restrain them.  Letting her veil fall over her face to conceal this evidence of affliction from her fellow-passengers, she proceeded with the rest; and, in a little while, was gliding swiftly down the river.  It was ten o’clock when they arrived in Philadelphia.  For an hour previous to this time, the mind of the fugitive had been busy in the effort to determine what course she should take on gaining the end of her journey.  But the nearer she came to its termination, the more confused did she become, and the less clearly did she see the way before her.  Where should she go on reaching the city?  There as no one to receive her; no one to whom she could go and claim protection, or even shelter.