Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-03-04
4 Select Tale.
From Bentev's Miscellany.
A VERY IMPROBABLE STORY.
KISSING IN THE DARK.

j. Inc lU.l0 'raln gllueu from Tduu'hS'o"'
Nav 7, lS47. In the left compartment OF
o Of certain 6rst-class carriage were four
3 passengers; OF these, singulary enough,
0 two were worth description. The lady
. had smooth, white, delicate brow, strong
" marked eyebrows, long lashes, eyes that
o seemed to change color, and good sized
delicious mouth, with teeth as white as
milk. A man could not see her nose Tor
her eyes and mouth, her own sex could
and would have told us some nonsense
about it. She wore an unpretendlng grey
sh dress, buttoned to the throat, with loz-
ence-shaped buttons, Scotch shawl that
agreeaby evaded the responsibility OF col
or. She was like duck, so tight her
plain feathers fitted her; and there she sat,
: smooth, snug and delicious, with book IN
her hand, and Soupc6n OF her snowy
wrist lust visible as she held it. Her OPP
posle neighbor was what call good style
of man-!he more to his credit, since he
belonged TO a corporation, that frequently
turns out the worst imaginable style OF
Young men. He was a cavalry ottlcer,
aged twenty-five. He had moustache,
but not very repuISive one; it was TAR
from being one of those subnasal pg-'ails,
on which soup is suspended like dew on
shrub: it was short, thick, black as a coal.
His teeth had not yet been turned by TO-
bacco smoke to the color Of tobacco juice,
his clothes did not stick to nor hang on
him, they sat on him; he had an engaging
smile, and, what liked the dog for, his
vanity. which was inordinate, was in its
IN
iosting mine and other peoples, who have
none: in word, lie was what one otlener
hears of than meets-a young gentleman.
He was conversing in an animated whisper
with q companion, fellow oflicer-they
were talking about, what it is far better not
TO do, women. Our friend clearly did not
wish 10 be overheard, for he cast ever and
anon. a furtive glance at his fair OiS.d-U'S,
and lowered his voice. She seemed com
pletelv abso. ord in her book, and that re-
assured him. At last the two soldiers Game
down TO a whisper, and in that whisper
uhe truth must be told) the one who got
down at Slough, and was lost TO posterity,
; bet ten pounds TO three, that he who was
going down with US to Bath and immortal
itv, would not kiss either Of the ladies OPP
posite upon the road. "Done !" "Done !"
Now / am sorry a man have hithe.to
praised. should have lent himself, even in
whisper, 10 such speculation, but emo
body is wise at all hours" moi even when
the clock is striking five-and-twenty; and
you are 10 consider his psolession, his good
looks, and the empation-ten TO three.
,, After Slough the party was reduced to
three; at Twyford one lady cropped her
handkerchief, Captain Doligan fel! on it
like tiger and returned 1t like lamb ;
two or three words were interchanged on
that occasion. At Reading, the Marl5o-
rough of our tale made one OF the safe in
vesments Of that day, he bought 'Times'
and Punch , the latter was full OF steel
pen thrusts and wood-cufs. VaIor and
beauty deigned to laugh at some inflated
humbug or other punctured by Punch
Now laughing together thaws our human
ice long before Swindon il was talking
f match-at Swindon, who so devoted as
Captain Doigan-he handed them out
I he souped them - he tough chickened them
, he branded and cochinealed* one, and
he branded and burnt-sugared the other
on their return to the carriage, one lady
, passed into the inner compartment to in
spect certain gentleman's seat on that side
the line.
Reader, had it been you or /, the beauty
; would have been the deserter, the average
one would have stayed with us, till all wa:
blue. ourselves included not more surely
' does our slice of bread and butter, when IT
escapes from our hand, reVolve it ever SC
: often, alight face downwards on the carpet
But this was BIT Of fop, Adons, dragon
I so Venus remained in tete-a-tete with
: him. You have seen dog meet an un-
known female Of his species; how hard
some, how empreSSe, how expressive he
becomes such was Doligan after Swim
don, and to do the dog justice, he got
d handsomer and handsomer; and you have
ii seen cat conscious of approaching cream
u such was Miss Haythorn, she became
demurrer and demurrer; presently our Cap
tain looked out OF the window and laughed
this ELECTED an enquiring look from Mis-
- Hayihorn. ave are only mile iron
the Box Tunnel" "Do you always laugh
a mile from the Box TunneF' said tht
lady.
"Invarably."
"What for %
s. "Why hem! II a gentleman's joke.
"Oh don't mind its being silly, if i
makes me laugh" Captain Doligan, thu
encouraged, recounted to Miss HaythorI
p the following "a lady and her HUSBAND
/ sat together going through the Box Tunne
s. there was one gentleman opposite, it wa
: - pitch dark after the tunnel, the lady said
George, how absurd of you TO salute mi
going though the tunnel.'-I did no sucl
y thing, You didn't ?'--'No, why P--
'Whv, because some how thought yo,
= did -" Here Captain Doligan laughed, AM
L. endeavored TO lead his companion to laugh
but it was not 10 be done. The train en-
tered the tunel.
D. Miss Haythorn-"Ah." !"
Doligan-"What is the matter :"
Miss H.-"I am frightened"
noIuoa fnonu;np IN har sidA--Gprav Il