Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-07-15


some hours before the time appointed, and am
totally unable to think of anyt thing, or do any,
thing until 1t is over. L have a marvellous
faculty Of believing that my watch must have
stopped, or that the clocks in the house are not
strictly regulated by the most approved stand
ara Oh tlme- arrive at theatres, and places
oi puDilc entertainment about half. a day be-
lore the doors are ever opened / am always
the hrst stranger at ball or a dinner party
aithOugh know I'm the one case shall have
10 dance IN the first quadTile, and in the other
snail have to bear the awful weight of the
early attempts at conversation. If, in the per-
ioffnance oil my social duties go to n funeral, ,
my painfully punctual habit carries me there
long before the necessary gloomy officials have
taken possession OF the house. and sometimes
before the chief performers in the melancholy
pay have made up their faces and put on the
regulation curb of woe. If am STAYING at a
Nouptry Inn, and have given orders to the
boots TO be called at an early hour to meet
n coach, or n railway train, | get feverish
onatcnes 0f sleep during the short restless
nlSot, and am up and dressed long before the
required knocking takes place at my chamber
uo"r LIZ L am waiting in the cofee-room for
the one omnibus in the town appointed to con-
Sey passengers to and from the railway, L have
paid my bill hours before il was necessary and
am standing nervOusly at the window with nv
watch In one hand, and my Bradshaw in the
other, wondering at the reckless stupidity Of
the men Ia charge Of the vehicle, who allow, as
IL seems To me, about two minutes to run dis
tance Of nearly two miles from the hotel to the
station
My mOrbidly punctual temperament leads
me to seek my principal mental amusement in
leedlnS In imagination upon pictures Of being
700 iate under tbs most trying circumstances
love to suppose myself in all possible painful
positions arising from delay, carelessncss, and
procrsstInation. L fancy myself in a cab. mis-
mn in lon l;po
wagons In the midst Of the great struggling
ciy. ages seem to pass away, and yet the
Hedged vehicles and bowling drivers move not
al inch; and hear an hour tOling from the
tower of neighbOriDg church, every stroke of
which goes like nail into my brain At that
Instant See sn anxious, weeping face whirled
away from distant railway over the sea. to A
remote fand never, perhaps, to greet me again
IN this world On 20 when it is too late. 10
mud a dreadful stiffness, where all was noise
and excitement short half hour before to find
clear platform, closed gates, careless porters,
ana no one 10 whom to unburden heavy, self
reproaching heart.
Sometimes 1 fancy myself arriving at mic
tureSque spot In country celebrated for it's
beauty oil over the world. l am not seeking
Tor mountains, cascades, rocks, forests, nor
ruined castles, but for one whom | have been
Srdgghng TO reach for many weary days. How
marsh and cold sounds the precise voice of the
hotel bOok-keeper, when he tells me that the
person am in search of started that merning
ioI Engiand, and left no word or sign! wan
uer about the town from that moment like a
drunken man, listless, aimless and with ewes
closed to all the natural attractions of the
place. The Consciousness of a few ill-spent
hours In another spot, blackens the blue sky.
and makes diScordant the music of the water
falls
imagine myself far from the busy cIatter
u railways IN some small country town in the
very heart of England, the requirements of
whose humble traffic are fully satisfied by a
coacn running twice a week to the borders of
civlllzauon. L retire TO rest early in order
that may rise In time to catch this bi-yeekIy
Fehlcie that passes through the town or village
at the eccentric hour Of four in the mOrnino
have taken the precautiOn to lay a whole
tram OF instructions at the feet of the boots
chambcrmald, and waiter, about calling me at
three clock precisely. The waiter is consid-
cred to be very safe and the chambermaid i.
looked upon as person in whom dependence
may be placed, and il is arranged that each of
these persons, or both, as the ease NAV he
shali' Immediately upon waking at any hour,
arouse the boots from his lair over the stables
thal ne may In his turn awaken me, and bring
me the necessary hot water, &c. So far the
inachlnery seems perfect, and sink to sleep.
"hen awake, the sun j. shining full into NV
room, and there is, for the village. n strangc
oustle In the principal street | endeavor for
moment, to collect my faculties and nv first
Impulse Is 10 rush for my watch. That faith
Lui comp MON tells me that it is twenty min
utes to twelve IN broad day, and the whole
truth dawns upon my mind that have over
eiePt myself and missed the coach Six fran
uc pulls at the bell-rope. a nd the - boots'' an
pears 10 defend himself by stating that he
called Inc at the hour appointed, and that r
answered, and he substantiates his statement
oy pointing TO Il mug Of cold wafer that was
m hoH
plant Is useless, and have no alternative left
out TO spend the half-week in and about the
village Posting Is out Of the question. as the
village docs not boast a single chaise. and
'nere Is no chance Of mail-cart or any
.iher Conveyance Of an irregular kind pa,sinc
through the place. There is nothing left hut
to settle down for three days and three night.
ana endeavor to take an interes. i'm things that
are no" hateful to my eyes because forced
oPon me against my will. The trout-stream
Snat pleased me So much four and twenty hours
osiore' Is now, IN imagination, as black ms a
Aanchester canal; and the trout that I caught
Win such industry, and deyoured with so.h
avldlty, then, are now more repulsiye than the
oily fried fish of Whitechapei The apc;ent
marAet-Piace tune Of the Saxons that made
such minute inquiries about the day besors
yesterday, Is now greater bore than Hicks's
nan, or the origin of the three balls of the
LomoaTds. Inc old church with the Pbaros
tower, most ysoorable Of all those venerable
sructures that are wonderfully picturesaue
and totally uninhabitabls crumbling old tenn
Ile, mixture VI the cOw-shed and the early
Norman styles Of architecture, whose snufy
orickWork Is only kept together by the ivy,
and high hill, which shelters il from the
'na7p winds; l was mad the other day to take
photographs OF 1t from every conceivable point
OF view, but now feel disposed t. tilt against
IL on horseback in the night, and knock it
down Tor the purpose of creating sensation.
me stable boys, who idle about sucking straws
me whole day through, know that | have missed
the COACH and they impart their knowledge to
any one wiling t. receive it, until become a
oy-"'ri and a joke In the village. After the
s-cpnd day, get weak and imbecile; excited
even by such an event as the changing of
n'.se' ioI the coach that passes through once
week IN the opposite direction to that in
which wish to 80. At last my deliyerance
comes, and L stay up all night this time 10 re-
relye 1t. l think, if all the places are taken
Iti1ts '1 "a
To! late for a coach under such circu instance.