Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-05-24
Pencilings by the Way.

How varied are the countenances, person.
lges and characters with which we meet in
he crowded t~horough-fares of travel, in these
lays of lightning speed, when the "iron
horse" draws in his train hundreds ofhuman
beings at a load In the days of Hacks and
very soon the six or nine passengers.
domesticated and j@ovial, like all of
a family" and many's the laughing yarntold,
and pleasant acquaintance formed under such
circumstances. But to tie ushered into the
elegant cars of our Railroads, where a hum
dred strange eyes and faces meet yours with
an inquiring glance, makes one feel some
times like he had stepped unlimited into the
gay festive parlor of a private entertainment.
But soon with a don'tccare nonchalance you
are buried in one of the luxurious cushioned
seats, and you gaze with as much prying Gu
riosity upon the next hurried intruder, as
you were pried upon.
But oh! what a place to study human
character and read a page in natures ample
volume. Let us look about upon our COM
~panions: There is a round, beautiful face,
and she is young too but the liquid eye,
the melancholy face, her weeds of mourning,
all betoken she has sorrow at heart. Alas!
but a brief year or two ago she left her pater-
nal home, and for a stranger, tore herself
from kindred and friends, to visit the stran-
gers home. But he has gone, and she too
must go but not yet; she seeks her W
old home, with nought to cheer but the cher
ub she nestles SO fondly in her bosom. Cruel
despoiler, thou hast robbed her of the staff
upon which she leaned. God pity the or
phan and the widow!
On the opposite seat are two entirely alb
sorbed in one another. The happy smile,
the stolen kiss at twilight, or passing through
a dark bridge, tell US who they are. Happy
pair! May the bow of promise in ife's
cloudless sky, ever remain hopeful as at
f present.
! On the seat before US is a lady with bright
!, sparkling eyes, a countenance bcaming with
! intellectually, and Of mild, gentle demeanor.
I You long for an opportunity to say a word
or two to her. But you are strangers. MOI
silly and angrily the iron horse snorts on
dIiu-1OI lid I'll IN ohN
: vavrp- y~vrp-lady companion a luscious slice
of pine apple, with a timid inquiry-"won't
the gentleman have a piece?" OF course he
will he'd eat it if 'twere a t~asteless pine
burr. Soon they get into a social tete-a-tete,
+" when you are appealed to by your female
friend upon some point. At once the door
l is thrown open-the conversation is charm
IL ing about travels, places and persons, and
d 10 her dearest friends are those you love
&c best on earth. Hours fly by and still you
G. talk on, and almost weep when part you
IN must. MEM Always take lady along when
VI you travel. 1t opens a thousand avenues
is to pleasure and affords privileges not to b.
hoped for when travelling solus.
If, In one end of the Coach is a cluster Of "Di
no vines" discussing some knotty points il
er theology. One more knowing than the rest
to (though he's the y~oungest) because he's beer
es to college, is just delivering himself as fol
nd lows That word morals is the most am
biguous in the English language. Do yo
or know what it means ?" says he, addressing
ne a Minister much his senior, but who seem
ote to regard the younger Apostle as Sir Oracle
1t The Elder meekly ventures to give the con
red mon rendering of the term but he is told
ity " Morals is derived from a Latin word, b
nd did not say which one which means the hal
Ike its or customs of the people" The Eide
to does not venture to gainsay the larned disc
pie. Soon the younger branches out in
nv TRADE against the three Gods in one," an
to wishes it was not in his church creed.
en-. solitary and unknown gentleman in blac
cir takes hold of the young Divine, and such
We Kidding as he gets no doubt causes him
i'm wish himself back in Coweta or t%ravellin
len over Hurlgate. The Baby, or Beebe, is mu
for as a mouse thereafter.
Hey! here is a large accession to our ira
cling company. But what are those braze
impudent mulatto fellows rushing in amor
hat the laules anu Seh'ielleh lor' "oconpani'
by a half-dozen pumpkin colored women 2
All! ercuse moi we don't understand Spa
ish1 they are Cubanos-Senors and Senorit'
from the gem Of the Antilles, come over
be annexed, we suppose-for a while. N
eyes! but don't the rubies and diamond
glitter! Fine feathers DOM make fine Dir,
this time. We could endure them better b
2 for the rude impudence of some of the h
ones-they ought to be kicked neck and hee
,o;r out of the cars. If they are specimens
the Tue Se"' ooh ""h' "hneA""ion " piooe
f. any further.
low Halo in rolls a whiskey barrel-the fiji
,te we've seen on the trip. The stopple h
the few out and the stencil is pouring forth-b
,ere all turn away in disgust. More drugs tn
liquor, and the hole is soon INSTRUCTED,
the great relief of every one. Fluid corn
lred snoring most melodiously.
ngs, There is one who, 10! these many yea
over has been far away from kith and kin. S
: to has been to the home of her childhood and
now returning to the halls Of her liege lo
..or How many vacant chairs she found arou
bon the old hearth-stone-how many loved fa
tho were absent! The venerable patriarch
her native homestead has been gathered |
do. a ripe shock of corn into the great earn
vor , house above-and his aged spouse ling
vet behind, with scarcely a green spot
memoryS waste On winch 70 inser' .
con- time and years have played sad havoc the
She knows not her to whom she gave biz
tide except now and then, ike a fitting mete
.;rost some relic of the past dashes across her M