Amador weekly ledger., 1858-06-19
THE HIGHWAYMAN.

Ny father, who was a clergyman, resided
in the early part Of his life on the Isle of
Wight There he was intimately acquainted
with a gentleman whom | shall call Benson,
a man of large fortune and great benevolencc,
then far advanced in years, and Universally
respected, and from whose lips he heard the
tale | am now abont to write
In my youth, said he, had occasion togo
to London on business, but what part of Eng
land travelled through, or from what town
| started on my journey, is immaterial In
those days coach travelling was rather more
Of an adventure than it is now, and some
times dangerous, for the lonely and unfre-
qucnted roads and commons to be traversed
were often infested with highwaymen, and
lives as well as purses were sometimes lost.
However, | was younger man than | am
now / had no large sum about me to lose,
and felt no fears, so took place over night
in the Z" True Blue" which was to start for
London the following morning On taking
my seat in the coach, found it already con-
tanned two gentlemen and one lady, who with
myself made up the number of inside passen-
gers allowed | took sort of half-sulky,
halfsleepy survey of my fellow travellers,
and then ensconced myself silently in my cor
ner; aud presume they did the same by me,
but no conversation ensued between u.s. 1t
was very early on a summers morning when
we left the little town, where all seemed as
hushed and silent as if it had been uninhab-
ted, for not q window was open, not gazer
visible, not single pedestrian in the streets
and we drove out of it while the dew yet lay
heavy on the points Of the grass, and
weighed down the young boughs of the trees
and bushes in the hedgerows, before even the
birds were awake. Scarcely awake ourselves,
we jolted along, and at least was fast losing
myself in Greenland, when the coach stopped
with sudden jerk which reused us all. We
began TO rub our eyes and look about with a
puzzled, sleepy air.
Couch stops here for breakfast, gen'Pmen, "
said the guard, holding the door open.
We descended and entered the travellers
room. There the hot fragrant tea, with its
accompaniments Of cold beef, ham, eggs,
toast, mullins and other ingredients of a
hearty meal, and the courtesies and amenities
of the breakfast table, having disposed US
more socially towards one another, we re-
mounted the coach in a more harmonious
frame Of mind, and one which was more like
ly to ensure US pleasant journey. We were
first chatty, then friendly, aud then intimate,
eonfding to each other who we were, whence
we came, and whittier we were going, the
fact being we had, none Of US, anything to
conceal. The lady. pretty young woman,
about six and twenty, who spoke little, but
whose few remarks evnced much shrewdness
and observation, had been on visit to her
parents, and was now going back to her hus-
band, law-stationer in London one OF the
two gentlemen was merchant who had been
making business tour in the provinces ; the
other a young officer returning to his regl-
ment after leave of ABSENCE while !, myself,
was going up to town to consult lawyer
regarding a will of which was executor
My companions were all well-informed and
agreeable, and the officer especially, kept US
in continual laughter by his lively sallies
The time passed pleasantly along and it was