Litchfield enquirer., 1844-08-15

it were into my arms! l thought of the country where the pigs run about ready roasted, cEying,- | Who'll eat me? What pFize fo9 travelling l bachelor! A lady ready booked, and bundled up, with her trunk packed and her passage paid! Alas it is but foF aseasonaffer that some happier wight may take charge of the lady, and may jog on in single loneliness.
 These thoughts passed rapidly through my mind during pause in the QuakeEs speech, and before could frame reply he continued; My daughter has just heard of the illness of her hRsband. Captain Johnson of the Rifeman, and wishes to get to Bal. timoEe to day to iOR him. The ice has stopped the steambOats. and she is obliged to go by land,'
 l had the grace to recover from my fit of abstrac: tion, so far as to say in good time, that 1t would afford me pleasure to render any assistance to Mrs, Johnson; and did so with great snceritys for eve " chivalrous feeling of my bosom was enlisted m favor of lady, young, sensitive, and no doubt beautiful. who was flying on the wings of love t9 the chamber of an afflicted husband. felt proud of extending my protection to such pattern or connubial tenderness.
 As the carriage rattled oyer the pavement, my thoughts naturally reverted to my fair eharge An! thought I, what happy fellow is this Captain Johnson of the Rife! What prize has he drawn in the lottery of life How charming it must be to have such devoted wife? Here was l. a solitary bachelor, doomed perhaps to eternal celibacy.- Cheesless indeed was my fate compared with his. Should fall sick, there was no deicate female to fly to my bedside; no. might die before minis- teripg angel would come to me m such shaPe.- But, fortunate Captain Johnson! no sooner IS he placed the sick list, by the regimental surgeon, than his amiable partner quits her paterna! man. sion, accepts the protection of stranger risks ner neck in stage coach, and her health in the night air, and flies to the relief of the invalid.
 Sickness is generally an unwelcome visitor, But when it calls home an atfectioaate wife, when 1t proves heE love and hes courage. when ats bangs soothed by the tender and skillfnl assduty oi loving and beloved friend, even sickness under such circumstances must be welcome to that happy man, Captain Johnson of the Rifle.
 Strange that should never have heard of him before--I thought knew all the officers. What kind of a man can he be , The Rfe is fine regi- ment. They were dashing fellows in the last war; chiefly from the west-all marksmen, who could cue off squirrels head, oe pick out the pupil ot gre" nadieF's eye. He was backwoodsman, no doupta six feet six. with red whiskers and an eagle eye, His regimentals had caught the lady's fancyi tue sex loves any thing in uniform, perhaps because they are the reverse of every thing that is uniform themselves. The lady did well to get tato the Rr1 file Regiment; for she was evidently sharp shoot- CT, and could pick off officer when so disposed What an eye she must have! Aplague on CaPtan Johnson What evil genius sent him poaching hefes Why sport his gray and black among the pretty girls of Phiiadelphias Why could not tbs Rifle officers enlist their wives elsewhere! Or, 1t Philadelphia must be riaed ofits beauty-why had not been Captain Johnson! What an honest, confdng soul must worthy Oba- diah be, continued to myself, to place dapghteE estimable, perhaps his only child. under the pros tecton of an entire stranger. For al that he knew might be sharper or seHator, plenip0teatiary or pickpocket. might be pampyre or a yen- triloquist might be Cooper the novelist, for he is sometimes Travelling bachelor,' or might be the other Cooper, for he is regular occupant of the stage. might he Captain SymRnes going to the interiorof the world, os Ms. Owen going-ac- cording to circumstances might be Miss Wright ask Miss s9WRaR W4aR Se se hss ehas was believes that ladies can take charge of themselves
 It is not to be supposed that indulged in this soloQuy at the expense of poiiteness. Not at all; it was too to intr0de on the sacredness oi the ladys quiet. Besides. however voluminous these reflections may seem in the recital, but few mos ments were occupied in their production for Per, kins never made steam generator half so potent as the human brain. But day began to break, ana I thought proper to break silence.
 1t is raw morning, Madam, said l.
 sVery raw, said she, and the conversation maae a full stop
 sThe roads, appear to be rough,' said returning to the charge.
 Very rough.' replied the lady.
 Another full stop.
 Have you eyer travelled in a stage before? inquired.
 sYes, sir
 But never so great a distance, perhapsr No, never.'
 Another deaG halt
 I see how it is, thought. I. The lady is t'ae-x she cannot talk of these commonplace matters, and is laughing in her sleeve at my simplicity. must rise to higher theme; and then, as the stage rol- led off the Schuylkill bridge, said. We have pas- sed the Rubicon, and hO. e we shall not like the Roman conqpeEor, have cause to repent our temeri- ty. The day promises to be fair, and the omens are all auspicious'
 What did you say about Ms. Rubicam:' inquired Mrs. Johnson,
 | repeated; and the lady replied, Oh, yes. very likely, and then resumed hes foFpeF taciturnity.-- For the next hour not word was spoken: had now obtained glimpse of my far com- pauion's visage, and candor compels me to atmh that it was not quite so beautiful as had ant'ci- pate4. oDed If her tongue was out of commission before it had now received orders far active seryice She was convinced that nothing fit to cat could be had at inc sign of the Black Horse,' and was shocked to find that the landlord was 2 Dutchman. tWhat's your name ? said she to the landlady.
 sRedheiher, Ma'am.'
 .Oh, dreadful was it you that made the Perpet' ual plo!ionp
 No ma,am:
 Then she sat down to the Aabie, and turned up her pretty nose at every thing that came within Is cognizance. The butter was too strong. the tea was too weak the bread was stale, and the bacon fresh the rolswere heavy, and the ladys appetite light. .Whl you try an egg? said !. l IdoD't like eggs' ., sAllow me to help you to wing cf fnis iowl| l. 1 can't say that am partial to the wing A niece of tie breast, then, madam | 1t is very tough, isn't it? | sNO if seems 0uite tender