Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-19
THE BOX TUNNEL.

first class carriage were four passengers; of
those, singularly enough, two were worth de-
scriptiOn. The lady had smooth, white deli
cate brow, strongly marked eyebrows, long
lashes, eyes that seemed to change color, and a
good sized delicious mouth, with teeth as white
rs milk. man could not see her nose from
her eyes and mouth, her own sex could and
would have told Us some nonsense about it.
She wore an unpretending grsyish dress, but
toned to the throat with lOzenge-shape buttons,
Scotch shawl that agreesbly evaded the re-
sponsibility Of color She was like q duck, 80
tight her plain feathers fitted her; and there
she sat, smooth, snug and delicious, with a
book In her hand and sonpcoH of her snowy
wrist just visible as she held it. .r..
Her opposite neighbOr was what call good
style man-the more 10 his credit since he be-
Ionged to corporation that frequently turns
out the worst imaginable young men He wa.
cavalry officer aged twenty-five. lie had n
moustache. but not q very repulsive one; 1T was
far from being one of those .subnasal pig-tails.
on which soup Is suspended like dew on a shrub;
1t was short, thick, and black as a coal His
teeth had not yet been turned by tobacco smoke
to the color Of tobacco juice, his cloths did not
stick to or hang on him, they sat on him; he had
an engaging smile, and, what liked the dog
for, his vanity. which was inordinate, was in its
proper place, his heart, not in his face, josting
mine, and other peoples, who have none;-in
word, he was what one oftener hears Of than
sing IN an animated whisper with companion,
fellow othcer-they talked about what il is far
better not to do, women. Our friend clearly
did not wish to be overheard, for he cast, ever
and anon, furtiye glance at his fair riS-a- rvs
and lowered his voice. She seemed compile teIy
absorbed in her book, and that reassured him
AT last the two soldiers came down TO a whisper
and IN that whisper (the truth must be told) the
one who got down ut Slough, and was lost to
Posterity, bet ten pounds TO three, that he who
was going down with US to Bath and immortali-
~, would not kiss either of the ladies opposite
upon the road. Done - Done - Now
am sorry man l have hitherto praised, should
have lent himself, even in a whisper, to such
speculation, but nobody is wise at all hours, 4"
not even when the clock is striking fye-and
twenty; and you are to consider his profession,
bis good looks, and, the temptation-ten to
three. ....
After Slough the party was reduced to three;
at TwyfOrd one lady dropped her handkerchief
Capt. Dolignan fell on it like a tiger and re-
turned il ike lamb; two or three words were
lnterchanged ON that occasion. At Reading the
Marlborough of our tale made one Of the safe
investments of the day, he bought 50 Times
and - Punch" the latter was full of steeI-pen
thrUsts and wood-cHtS. YalOr and beauty
deigned to laugh at some inflated humbug or
other punctured by Punch Now laughing to-
gether thaws our human ice; long before Swim
don it was talking match-at SwindOn, who
them out-he souped them-he tough-chicken-
ed them-he branded and cOchinesled$ one,
and he branded and burnt-sugared the other;
on their return to the carriage, one lady passed
into the inner compartment to inspect q certain
gentleman's seat on that side the line.
Reader, had il been you or /, the beauty
would have been the deserter, the average. one
would have stayed with US till all was blue,
ourselves included; not more surely does our
slice of bread and butter, when 1T escapes from
our hand, revOlye IL ever so often, ahght face
dawnwardS on the carpet. But this q bit
Of fop, AdOnis, dragOOn-sO Venus remained
r. in tets-a-tete with him. You have seen dog
meet an unknown female of his Species how
handsome, how sHpreSSe, how expressive he
becomes;-such was Dolignan after Swindon,
and to do the dog justice, he got handsOmer and
handsomer; and you have seen q cat conscious
Of approaching cream,-such was Miss Hay
thorn she became demurrer and demurrer;
presently our Captain looked out of n window.
= We are only a mile from the Box Tunnel
do you always laugh nile from the Box
Tunnel?' said the lady.
Invariably"
What for!''
why hem it is q gentleman's joke
- Oh. don't mind it's being silly If it makes
nae laugh"
Captain Dolignan thus encouraged, recount
ed TO Miss Haythorn the following 50 A
lady and her husband sat together going
through the Box Tunnel-there was one gen.
teman opposite, II was pitch dark; after the
tunnel. the lady said, George how absurd Of
you To salute me going through the tunnel: -
Il did no such thing You didn t."
Me. why1'' Why, because somehow 1
thought you did 80 Here Captain Dolignsn
laughed and endeavored to lead his companion
to laugh, but it was not to be done. The train
entered the tunnel.
Miss HaythOrn-" Ah!'
Dolignan-.. W hat j, the matter,'
Miss H. am frightened"
Dolig. (mOving 10 her side) :. Pray do not be
alarmed. am quite near you"
Miss H" You are near me, very near me
indeed, Captain Dolignan." .-..
p Dolig-.' You know my name :" r-
Miss H. heard your friend mention it.
wish we were out of this dark place. y.
Dolig-'' could be content to spend hours
hers, resssuring you, sweet lady"
Miss H. Nonsense :" ,l.-.,.., ,...-..- -
Dolig.-Preep, Grave reader do not put
your lips to the cheek Of the next pretty crea-
this means.) .-
Miss H. Eei"
Friend-' What Is the matter?''
Miss Hope the door open the door"
There was q sound of hurried whispers, the
door was shut and the blind pulled down with
hostile sharpness. .
II any critic falls on me for putting inarticu-
late sounds in dialogue as above, l answer,
with all the insOlenee 1 can command at pres
ent. Hit boys big as YOURSELF, bigger
perhaps, such SophOcles, Euripides, and
Aristophanes; they began it, and L learned 1t
Of them. sore against my Will.
Miss Haythorn's scream lost part Of its effect
because the engine whistled forty thousand
murders at the same moment; and fictitious
grisf makes itself heard when real cannot
Between the tunnel and Bath our young
friend had time TO ask himself whether his con-
duet had been marked by that delicate reserve
which is supposed to distinguish the perfect
gentleman.
With long face, reT or feigned, he held open
the deOr,-his late friends attempted TO escape
on the other side, impossible they must pass
him. She whom he had insulted La tin for kiss
ed) deposited somewhere at his foot q look Of
gentle blushing reproach !; the other, yhOm he
had not insulted, darted red hot daggers at him
from her eyes, and 80 they parted.
Ii was perhaps, fortunate for DOlignsn that
he had the grace to be friends with Major Hos
kyns Of his regiment veteran laughed at by