Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-07-17
STAGE COACH ADVENTURE.

NeTD, lldI Il man y " NUlu NHo 40 5NNH rs
Colonel Holiness"
STAGE COACH ADVENTURE.
A few years since, being on urgent bust
ness east, and the river in rather an uncertain
state, | entered myself a passenger In one OF
Neil, Moore q Co.'S stages to Columbus and
Wheeling. A party Of young kentuckians,
apparently fresh from College, made the prin-
cipal part of my fellow-travellers. As soon
as the next watering place afforded the oppor-
tunity for the purpose, two or three OF the
party referred to, Jumped out, bought cigars,
and having lighted them, resumed their seats,
Cling the stage with cigar smoke, and my
self with %ill-humor, for | had little doubt, be-
sides the annoyance Of the thing itself. that
itwould cost me a sick headache, as it is apt
TO do in such cases. The weather was ex-
cessively cold, and the curtains had been care
fully buttoned down to exclude the fresh air.
Two or three Of these buttons | contriveG to
dislodge of their trust, and by keeping the
opening as wide as possible and my head out
of the window, | succeeded in getting on TO
the next stage, where | arranged the curtain
so that | could lean out at little other disad-
vantage than the cramped and constrained
limbs to which an unchanged position for ten
miles, doomed me. As soon as | reached
Lebanon, | improved the brief stay we made,
by running over to an apothecary'S shop,
where | selected an unctuous piece of asafH-
tida of the size of a walnut, and hastily pay
ing for it, regained my seat just in Time. 1t
was now getting dark-the days being short
the curtains had been again fastened down
during my absence, So securely that it was
difficult to dislodge them while the stage was
on the route. For this, however, | did not
,,ro Iii ar cnpGlcut that tho plpr of tho fra
grant rum, would overpower the cigar fumes.
So soon as | was well seated and under
way, and the stage filled with smoke, the
lump was rubbed freely in the palms of my
hands, and soon the perfume began to assume
its claim to recognition, if not respect. A
snorting and shutting gradually began to per-
wade the passengers, and various s%atirlcal re-
marks and conjectures were freely made. At
last, one or two, who could stand it no longer,
after some time, made an effort, and unbut-
toning the curtains, let in the keen frosty air,
which soon banished the odors, alike of the
tobacco and the drug, and for some time the
whole party enjoyed the luxury of a pure at
mosphere. Alter riding half an hour in the
cold air the curtains were put down again,
and again the perfume filled the stage. Two
of the passengers now made for the roof, and
the curtains being once more raised, were
kept up all the way to Xenla. Here a fresh
supply Of cigars was procured, and the smok-
ing, us soon as we started, was reSumed.-
All-alas for them-to no purpose. My prin-
cipal difficulty during the last route had beer
to preserve my gravity for my past lndigna'
ton had now become swallowed up in Other
feelings, and | asked one Of nv neighDors il
anything was disturbing him, as | observed
he could not sleep. "les," replied he,
| A tl,r, - li=t,,rlaaaA n1tuI ~, r,.tI,I
sleep nor breathe. There seems to be a par
eel of rotten eggs or onions in the stage
Don't you smell anything 7" "Nothing,"
coolly replied, unless it is this lump of asa
fetida, which | always carry in travelling, a:
the only remedy for sick stomach which thu
smoke of cigars is always sure TO give me-
The murder was out. | spoke with 81
much simplicity and naturalness that the par
ty did not know what to say for a minute o.
so, by way Of reply. At last one who haC
been my chief tormentor with cigars, began
TO blow off steam, and said it was Id ex
traordinary that any gentleman would us,
what he must know would make every bcdy
sick who was present, and annoy the Who'll,
stage IN this way. If the cigar smoke wa.
unpleasant, why didn't you say so? Thi
provoked me, and | replied that it ill-becam,
those to talk of incommoding others, who hat
violated all the rules of travelling by filling
close coach with tobacco smoke, without car
ing, apparently, whether it agreed with tn,
rest of the passengers or not. lie made som
inarticulate reply, but as | judged, felt tina
he was not likely to gain much in a persona
quarrel with a mao SO much older than him
self. Perhaps, also, he felt that he was il
the wrong. So after a brief pause-"W Well,
says he "if my cigar annoys you so, l shall
throw IT away" This he did-his compar
ions doing the. same. "Then," said | g
hlSe no farther occasion for the asafrtida :;
{ and threw 1t away by way Of peace Offering
! we all rode a few miles farther in silence
sullen enough, | supposed, on their part. A
r last was startled with "A succession of heart
but involuntary peaIs of laughter from my lat
f antagonist, 10 whose mind The whole din
Il Guilty now seemed excessively diyerting.