Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-04-11

W HtTed are you gong 10, slf !--hHefe
are you going?"
"To Bristol" / replied, quietly.
Bristol said he, "was burned to the
ground last night-the whole of it burned
to ashes!'
"What, sir-nonsense-impossible /
have considerable property theref'
I am glad of il" answered the stran-
ger, Kissing between his clenched teeth !;
sits all burnedl"
Then; of course, I knew that he was a
mailman. He kept watching me eagerly,
like an animal in act to spring, but [ tried
not to look afraid, and made conversa-
ton as carelessly as could, but dare
say it was not very brilliant. In passing
Hanwell, for instance, remarked (for-
getting altogether the purpose to which
it is deroted), ''How well Hanwell looks
from the railroad, sir"
AT this he placed his hands upon his
knees, stared me straight in the face, and
replied very deliberately:
All, you should see how the railways
looks from Hanwell!
A cold perspiration broke out all over
me as replied, ''Ah, indeed r' and made
an abortive attempt to yawn. l confess
I never felt sleepy, no more interested in
any conversation in nay life. He kept
quite quiet for a mile or two, only re-
/ garding me with a wistful and curious
countenance, which gradually changed
to an expression of disgust and annoy
ance. -...
Sir" said he, at last, emphatically,
like man who has made up his mind
upon the subject, " don't ike your nose !
But have. got something here (tapping
his breast), the eighth wonder of the
world, and well cut your nose off and
substitute thatr'
I said, in order to gain time, that I
should like to see this wonder before the
operation took place
l would not show it to everybody,
mind you, but will to you," he said
and, unbuttoning his coat, he took from
an inner pocket small white pig, quite
4 dead, which had been born with five legs.
He held it by one of the legs between his
finger and thumb, and regarded it with
much complaceney. You see its just
the same color as your nose, and ever sc
much better looking; besides which, the
singularity of the thing will be so remar.
kable; why, sir, you will be followed
about the streets by hundreds, and per
haps attract the notice of royalty ITSELF
| He stopped a little, as if in admiration O
the picture he had thus conjured up
then, with an expression of diabolica
malice, he returned the precious treasure
to his casket; and, with tone of bite
sarcasm, concluded his remarks with
. And now you shall not have it, afte
aur
We had just rushed past Reading hk'
cannon-ball, but to me the train seeme'
moving ike snail; there was no stop
, ping, no chance of a rescue, until W
reached Didcot; and l could scarcel,
hope the madman would abstain from Vi
olence for another twenty minutes. 1
+ hopes to preclude further talk, I got ou
f a book and pretended to be deeply en-
gagged with; but, as it turned out, this wa
: a most unfortunate experiment.
"Sir," observed my terrible companion
r, I perceive you are addicted to study
n it is one of the worst vices I am acquair
ted with-bad in itself and ensnaring t
y others;' then, with ferocity, he addet
II =" How dare you read in my presenc
p sir?"
o l apologized, and put the volume b,
!" as he continued, "When the Genius
IF the Arabian Nights, whom the fsherma
? rescued from the vessel sealed with So
o omon's seal, was shut in If, he promise
riches to whomsoever should release hir
l. but afterwards he promised death. S
,e sir, was 1 used to benefit him whom
d. found ignorant, but now I tear him lin
at from limb; beware, then, how you answ
" my questions. Are you acquainted wi
in Shakespeare"
l. Yes, sir" said !, confidently, "I am
n @Do you know Milton thoroughly"
of ''Yes, sir, think l do"
r. "But are you well up in Boswelps Co
IN sica, sir? tell me that! / don't belle
h. you if you say you are and if you s.
mt you are not, will break you to fra
ut ments p
si- Now, thanks to a disposition that b
/ led me intoou out-of-the-way paths of liter
an ture, | did happen to have perused th
d. dreary work, and 50 / had the great pie
". sure to tell nay t1rnentor. In se-ds-