The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-09-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
IERA IGLggRu
BY DIR. BIRD.

BY DIR. BIRD.
1t was once my fate TO pass a night in n
certain wayside carayansary AMONG The
mountains OF Virginia-a lowly and IopIv
| habitatIon, from whose appearance no one
would have inferred the majestic spirit OF
the ruler within. Up-or rather down-(or
II stood al the bottom off hill-one fine
| evening in September, rolled mail coach.
| well crammed with passengers, of whom |.
for my SINS was one. We numbered twelve
souls IN all-nine inside and three outside;
OF which latter group |, being somewhat OF
valetudlnarian, was honored by seat be-
SIDE his hIghness ofthe whip; while my two
companions, the one a Mississippian, the
other 'varmint' as he called himself of
Tennessee: sat gallantly upon the top, where
they rolled and pitched about as we ihun-
dered down the rocky road, in Il manner ad-
mlrable TO behold-or as the Mssissippan
expressed II, like two short-tailed dogs in a
boiling pot-a resemblance that was some
what the stronger for the tremendous bow.
vows, and yelpin9s with which he, some
times assisted by The Tennessean, begul,
the WEAKNESS OF the day.
Certainly there never was such a set Of
ranilpole personages got together in a mad
Stage before. Besides the Mississippian
yeiplng on top, there was another OF the
same sort inside, who could initiate the bray
ing OF an ass 10 perfection-a melody which
lie Hept upin rivalry with his friend and
partner alot. Add 10 this an Alabamian
VINO sang negro songs; Rock river Illinois.
VINO whooped like an Indian Texan that
piayed The mesiang. or wild horse of the
palrles, and besides nearly kicking the bot
Tom from the cfa 4
I'LL the very team horses on the road respon
ded 10 the note, and five others, who did
nothing but scream and laugh TO fill I'D the
concer', and you have before YOU set OF
the happiest mad Drained roislerers thai
ever aslonished the monarch of a stage
house.
At This place we were destined 10 SUP and
lodge. and accordingly, in due course of time.
we were all seated at The board, where we
had the satisfaction Of being tyranized over
by both mine host and mine hostess--ihe one
glum, yet faceiious--ihe other as ugly, ILL.,
tempered and naughty as princess. There
was nothing at all remarkable in the supper.
which was no better nor worse than usual.
with The exception ofthe total absence OF that
SINE qua non OF Virginia table, fried chick
ens-or, indeed, OF chickens in any shape,
there being not SO much as a wing or a claw
on The table. This omission producing a
gentle lnterrogatory, somewhat in tone of
eX2ostulatIon. from one of the Mississppians
who. as well as all the other travellers, tits
proper 10 remark, was no! playing the part
Of very modest, well behaved Young gentle
men, mine host very Willingly gave us 10
understand II was our own fault, seeing that
the dlabGlIcal noise we had made while ap
preaching The house had scared all the fowls
into the mountains This the MississIppian
declared reminded him of Capt Dobbin's
chikeDs in Kentucky. which he had the cap
taln's own word for il, no sooner caught sigh
OF traveller approaching. than they inme-
dIate!y took 10 their heels-being well aware
from long experience, as Capt Dobbns said.
that The visit ola stranger was certain death |
10 them
Before we had finished supper athirteenth |
guest made his appearance-a tall, raw boned |
ankee pedlar, 1t seemed, who drove nm his |
wagon through shower that had benin TO |
TALL, and presently entered the supper-room. |
pearlng pair of saddle bags which he laid |
beside him with great care, as if afraid the |
contents would be injured if placed out Of |
ms protection. He had a very meek. solemn |
unpresumlng, solitary look, and rather sneak
ed IMAM look chair at The foot of the table, |
where he waited very submissvely for the |
cup Of cohee, which my landlady deigned,
amer sundry contemptuous looks and five |
minutes delay, 20 send him.
upon the whole, he did not seem 10 pro-
auce any more favorable impression upon
ms ieiow travellers, who lefihim TO consume /
MS chieken-less supper by himself, while they
proceeded TO the BARRON, 10 resolve a donb, |
which had entertained the Mississippian.
Capt. Dobbins' friend 10 wit, whether ,he
thunder OF our approach had not killed all the
mint plants and so deprived them of their
uleps. This was fortunately proved not TO
be the case, The young gentlemen concoc
led their sleeping draughis. smoked their
cigars, settled the affairs Of the nation, and
hen, having received hint that such was
me Will and pleasure Of the landlord. ascen-
ieu 10 The travellers room to seek their
beds,
Inns travellers room was the garrett, or
ne hall thereof, the other moiety being par
ltloned oil and applied to some other pur.
bose, AMI as it was neither ceiled nor pIas.
cred, 1t presented no very stricking look of
luxury or comfort. but exhibiting the rare
nd captivating spectacle of a dozen different
eds. in which each man was TO possess the
appiness of sleeping without bedfellow.
The eds were, moreover, all single ones.
My one excepted, which was neIiher single {
or double, and indeed was a mere plank I
tretched between two stools, with feather
ed hung over il, pannier wise and so far it I
ppeared 10 us that our landlord, in this oui n
the way nook, must have been visited 5
nth some inklings of civilization; but upon a
lrther consideration II was agreed we owed
lie size as well as The number OF couches to
lie necessity ofthe case, the garnet being Of k
lch figure as 10 stow dozen uucklc beds {.