The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-05-09
Story of an Engaged Young Person,
From Dickens Household Words.


1t seemed very long journey that we
poor parliamentary passengers were taking.
in this early November weather. all the way
from London to Liverpool. The stopparcs
were frequent enough. but of so short duration
that We had scarcely time to get ourselves
warmed at the crowded grate before the In
cNorahlc bell rung for us to start again. ard
off We went with shrek into the hlin,l;nc
fog. 1t was positively too dark to read with
any comfort. even if one was so Indifferent to
the biting air as to lend ore of his hands 70
hold the book up: We put both CT them il.
our pockets. instead. or more usually set up-
on them to keep them warm; it was oniy
when the guard came from time to time 10
look at our tickets. and trod upon our feet
that we began to feel We had them, SO dca!
they were with cold.
"Sir. observed comical-lookinc tailor to
this official. ''vOur seats are too narrow to b,
sat upon after my cross-leggcd fashion: SC
please be careful; for although my toes are
frozen they will 10, bear"
This produced u laugh. and then arose 4;
little talk. principally about how miserable W,
were. and then. rs poor people do. We began
to tell what cur business vas at I.iyerpoo!
whereupon it seemed that half the carr;ag,
full at least were migrants. Each had hi,
say: ard every tale. however roughly told
had more or less of interest, because If wa,
real and human. so that we quite forgot on,
WEAKNESS and cold FOR a little time Then
since this had answered so well. the spriyht!,
tailor proposed that one of the party should
tell us regular story of his own life if h,
chose, not only of his present circumstances
but of what had led to thcm-wb:ch was =,
idea we all received rapturously. expectirp
the tailor himself to begin. But he said no
we must draw lots for that So producing
some long slips Of measuring paper. he wro,,
word on one. and shook them all toye,he,
IN hat. and sent it around There was s
great deal of glggling among the ladies, and
a great deal of secret trepidation among the
men. but for long time no body pulled GU,
the fatal lot: at last a burst of laughter from,
those about the corner seats announced tba,
the victim had been selected, and that from,
among the ladies.
She was certainly the plainest of the female
passengers. Her nose turned up. and her
mouth had scarcely anv turn at all: her hair
was red, and so were the rims of h1r eyes,:
and her eyes themselves were far from bcinp
good ones: but there was a certain niouanc,
and spriShtliness about her. too. as tboupb
she had been French lady's maid rather than
an English one. She looked as though sbc
could put her hand and we'll rounded arm to
any thing, and had been very good tempered
and ohliging throughout the whole tourney
1T was understood-it had been EXPRESSED
indeed, already rather triumphantly by the
Young lady herself-that she was an cncaer,,
Young person, going out to Australia to he
married; that there was a sombody wa;t;nv
upon the other side of the hemisphere with
outstretched hands, yearning to receive her
as his bride. She would be capital wife
tor settler without doubt, although peybars
In England We should have called her ra,ber
settler for wife. She seemed 70 Inow
very we'll indeed. what We were all l;kelv ~
think about the matter; but she didn't care
"lf had been little better lookinprSsbc
began her story with this-"I might never
have got husband, or it least not the money
10 marry him upon, which is the same thing