Columbia gazette., 1854-03-11
MISCELLANY.
4 RIDE WITH A MADMAN.-A
RAILWAY INCIDENT.

In the month of August, lS-, it was
incumbent upon me to take journey to
a town at some distance from my own
residence Time being no object with
me, and the country through which my
route lay very beautiful, l resolved to
take it in what was to me the most en-
ioyable way; but after diligcnt inquiry
Cor any thing in the shape of stage, l
found that the mail coach had ceased
running the week before: so that "the
rail'' was my only chance of getting to
the place Of my destination. Where
upon I made a virtue of necessity
submitting, though with the worst grace
in the world; for my habitual dislike to
this mode of travelling was increased by
one of those unaccountable fits of reluc-
'ance to taking journey. which some
times scizes one, and which is usually
set down to the score of nervousness.-
So ! tried to explain mine: which, as
the time drew near, rose to complete
dread of it, to my no small annoyance,
for | bad a contempt for omens and pre-
sentiments; and zcalously, but vainly,
tried ts pooh. pooh. myself out of it.
The morning broke, dull, wet, op-
prcssive, with apparently half a score of
!hunder-storms i'll reserve for my espec-
ial use, and at six o'clock jumped up
from an uneasy dream, in which I was
struggling with some nondescript wild
beast, to find [ had only half an hour
left to make my toilet and get to the
station. Of course every thing went
wrong: strings slipped into knots-but-
tons flew Never was there such con-
fusion. I could not be quick, was in
such hurry. Hastily swallowing cup
of tea, (part of which, to crown my mis-
haps, went the wrong way,) | ran to
the station. reached it; found the
the time had been altered; got my tick
ct; and sprang into carriage, which
tempted me as containing only one oc-
cupant; and the huge mass slowly took
its noisy way from under, acres surely,
Of glazed roof, and speedily left it be-
hind.
The rain ceased as we got into the
open country; fine breeze sprang up
which blew away my 6dgets, and | be-
gan internally to laugh at myself for
having been such fool-not forgetting
to congratulate my better self on its
having triumphed over the nervous fears
that had bcset me. 1t really became
alrost pleasant. 1t was mail-train,
50 that 1 was secure from the plague of
frequent stoppagcs, and their conse-
qucnt fresh starts. There was an exhil-
rating atmosphere the dark clouds
that had spoken of thunder when I rose,
now betraying no such obstreperous in
tentions, but quietly taking themselves
off as fast as they could. The weight
on my spirits was removed-yes, I be-
gan to be susceptible of the modified
sort of enjoyment, and in the gaiety of
my heart, l told my fellow traveller that
it was fine day-a remark to which he
| vouchsafed me no answer, save such
might be called the turning on me a
pair of eyes that looked vastly like Goals
They almost made me start; but con-
sidered it was no business Of mine. The
gentleman's eyes were his own, and I
doubted not that mine, owing to short,
sleeplcss night, were as much too dull
as his were too bright; so l whisked my
pockct-handkerchief across them, by
way of polishing them little, took out
a newspaper, sank into cosy corner,
and prepared to read, or sleep, as the
case may be. In the very drowsiest
part of a long speech, l was just going
off into the most luxurious slumber i'm
aginable, when l was reused by the
restlessness of my companion, who, as /
walked up thoroughly, seemed laboring
under some strong and inexplicable ex-
citement. He looked agitated, changed
his seat frequently, moved his limbs i'm
patiently, borrowed my paper, and in a
trice returned it with some unintelligi-
tle observation; then peered anxiously
out of the window, through which he
thurst himself so far as to induce me to
volunteer a caution, which he received
pleasantly, stared at the wheels, as
though he were calculating their revolu-
tions, and then resumed his seat.
His perturbation was manifest. /
could not imagine what possessed the
man; but at length, noticing the agita-
ted manner with which he often glanced
through the window, as though to see
whether we we're followed, I determin-
ed that he must be some gentlemanly
rogue, to whom speedy fight was indis-
pensable, and that his anxiety and ex-
cessive disturbance arose from fear OF