FICTION
WHISTLE STOP
by Meg MacDonald
An orphan girl recounts her journey aboard the Orphan Train and an encounter with the mysterious stranger know as the Doctor...

Did you know that between 1854 and 1929, over 200,000 orphaned, homeless, and destitute children in the United States were placed out across the country, many to farming families in the mid-west? Some were adopted. Some were indentured. Some were separated from their brothers and sisters and never saw them again. Yes, that does sound harsh, but it was the beginning of the foster care system and while it wasn’t perfect, it was usually better than starving to death on the streets. Believe me, young man, starving to death is no picnic. But you know all about that, don’t you? Being hungry, being lonely, and abandoned. I thought as much. How can I tell? Your eyes, dear, I can see it in your eyes. You remind of someone I met a long time ago...
ISSUE NINETEEN