midnight
After a while , when she grew strong enough to talk more , and cough less , she told them of her life , while they had been separated , and the girls never forgot the day on which they listened to it . She was partly sitting up in bed , as colorless as the snowy ruffled linen about her , with her beautiful golden hair in the old-time waves , and curly ends ; her lovely eyes , with their liquid brown lights and heavy lashes , and the dainty ruffles to her snowy night-dress , fastened at the throat with a fragile bit of coral , that seemed to throw a shade of its exquisite coloring into her stainless face . It was a lovely home-scene , for the girls were sewing in their low rocking-chairs , Olive was sketching at the window , Mrs. Dering sat at the bedside holding Ernestine 's hand , and over them all the autumn sunshine fell , warm and sweet , as with a touch of loving benediction ; and the trill of Jeanie 's canary down stairs , was the only sound , save Ernestine 's low voice , sad and sweet , in its feebleness . `` I went on the midnight train , you know , '' she was saying . `` It seemed terrible , and with all the people around , I felt as if I was the only person out in the night . Oh , it is too horrible to feel so alone and as though no one knew , or cared where you were going , or what terrible trouble you might be in . Nearly everybody in the car was asleep , and there was only one lady ; so I sat down behind her , and for a long time I was so miserable myself that I did n't notice her ; then her baby woke up , and began to cry , so did her little girl , and I saw that she was sick or something ; so in a little bit , I spoke to her , and asked if I could do anything .