The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-08-27
Kissing Strange Girl in Stage Coach

i Kissing Strange Girl in Stage Coach.
Walter Marshall, when he reached the age
of fourteen, arrived in New ork from his native
village, in the destitute situation that is frequen
among New England boys; that is to say, he hac
only the usual Accomplishments ofthese unfedg
ed chips. who afterward make the merchants
and great men of this country, and not unfre
quentY of other lands. He had little wooder
trunk, pretty well stocked with 'hum -mades, ,
sixty eight cent bible, that his mother pack
ed in for him. fearful that he mig ght forget it, a
three dollar New Haven city bank bill, and any
quantity energy, patience, perseverance and
ambition. He entered the counting room of a
large mercantile house in South street His
honesty, activity and industry won him many
friends. Among them was an English mer-
chant, who had large commercial house in
Calcutta, and branch at Bombay. He was
in the country on business connected with his
commercial firm in Calcutta and had business
with the firm Walter clerked for; and here the
latter attracted his notice. Hewas sixteen years
of age only; vet the Bombay gentleman fancied
him, and made him liberal offer to 90 to In
dia with him; which, after very little palaver
among his friends Walter accepted. New Eng
land boys don't often start off on their unusual
ly long, wandering excursions, without first get
fting leave of absence for a few days prepara-
tory exercise, which they spend in going where
they originally came from; and then, having ia
ken a few good looks at the weather beaten
church, the high old steeple, which has won
derfulv reduced in size and elevation since they
first saw it, to notice it, in school days; then
| A,o tI,< H., 49,,
if they have to take spell at tie rope; then take
aturn among the white gravesones, see ifthere
are asy very green mounds, flesh made, and if
so, to ask who among old friends have gone to
their last resting place, then tokiss mother and
sisters, shake hands with fathe,--and the stage
is at the door of the tavern, andthey are ready
for a start to 60 "anywhere."
Walter went up to do, and id do, all this;
but he did net get into the stage at the tavern
He walked down the road ahead Of the coach,
toward the old bridge, and told tie stage driver
toSetop and let him get in at the minister's house,
at parson Fuller's. Mary Fuller lived there,
too, for she happened to be the parsons only
daughter. She was the merriest, loveest lit
tie witch that ever wore long, bose tresses OF
auburn hair, and had blue eyes She was on
ly twelve years old, and Walterwas nearly sew
enteen She did love him though He was al
most all in all to her; he had fought her battles
all through her childish campaign, and she had
no BROTHER. She was Walters cousin, too, a
sort of half first cousin, for her mother had been
the half sister of Walters mother. They were
not too near related for purposes hereinafter to
be named
Poor Molly! She would have cried her eyes
out on this occasion, had it not been that Wal
ter's solemn phiz set her ideas Of the ridiculous
in motion; and she made merry ten minutes
as windup Of their parting sctne.
| Three days afterwards Walter was in New
York, and just four months and twenty days
farther on in times almanac he was making out
invoices and acting corresponding clerk to
''the firm in Bombay.
| shall not stop long enough to relate how
many times he went to the exhibition of venom
Gus looking cobra de capelos, and biting Sc
poys, just for fun, and to show how innocent
the beauties were, and how easy their bite was
cured; how often he visited the r-famed Ele-
plants cave; how many times he dsned with the
good sir Robert Grant, the governor of Bombay,
and how he was with him, and what he said,
the very morning of the day the old scourge--
TIE CiotId--liiaue IHc t@ASlltllI Sll IlODtIt his
victim, all these things shall leave to another
time and a more appropriate heading. | skip
over all these, and six years of time beside, and
land Master Walter at Staten Island, bring him
up to the'city in a steamboat, and leave him at
a respectable hotel and there let him sleep all
night and take good "shore rest" after a te
dIous voyage of four months and more.
The next morning we awaken him; make him
get up, pay his bill, get a hack, and ride down
to the New Haven steamboat and 60 on board.
1t is seven O'Clock, A. NJ. At one, P. NJ, the
boat has reached the landing; his trunk and
| "traps' are on board the Ltchfeld stage; he
has taken seat inside; his destination is an in
termediate village. He is alone in the stage
no, no. alone--there is an old woman on the
middle seat The stage is up in the city, and
slowl y meanderng about New Haven town,
picking up passengers who have sent theirnames
to the stage Office, as is still customary in that
staid and sober city of mineraogy, Theology,
and 'ologies in general. The stage Jehu pulls
up at the door of a neat little cottage at Chap
els street, to take up passsnger-a young la
dy OF sweet seventeen, or thereabouts. Before
she has fairly got inside, Walter has noticed
her, and she has noticed him, too. He gazes
in astonishment at the perfect vision of lowell
ness before him; he hasn't seen anything of the
kind for some years. There is not particle Of
copper about. She, on her part, half laughing
has regarded him very attentivel y--pushes
back the golden ringlets that almost shut in her
face, and takes another look, as if to be certain
teat she has made no mistake.
''Here is a seat, Miss, beside me,'' said the
gospel preacher.
"Thank you, sir but prefer sitting on the
back seat with that gentleman if he will let me,
said the most electrical voice that Walter had
listened to in some time
Certainly, Miss" said the delighted Bonn
bayite; and when she seated hsrself by him,
she gazed into his face with kind Of mixed up
delight and astonishment, that Walter actually
took looA down upon himself to ascertain
what there was about his person that appeared
to be SO pleasing to the fair maiden, but he dis
covered nothing unusual. The stage rolled on
towards Derby at its usual rapid rate of five
miles an hour, and Walter and the merry maid
seemed as chatty and cosy together as though
they Ind known each other for years instead Of