The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-06-06

FROM "RurLEDeE.n

By and by the cars came tearing through the
town with whoop and a shrek that seemed to
excite everybody wonderfully, considering the
frequency of the occurrence. Passengers por-
ters, newsboys. ia one mad crowd, rushed to-
ward the depot each emulating in his own
proper person, the noble rage of the snorting.
impatient monster upon whose energy we were
all depending. The only individual entirely un-
excited was my escort, who never for moment
lost the appearance of sang froid and indifference
that an earthquake would not have startled him
out of was convinced. Though we did not
hurry, we were. before many Of our fellnw-voy-
ayers, in possession of the best seats, and most
commodiously, because most deliberately, settled
for the journey. Mr.. Rutledgc vas emphatically
a good traveller, carrying the clear-sighted pre-
cision and deberation of his mind into all the
details of travel and thereby securing himself
from the petty annoyances that people often
think unworthy of attention, but which do more
than they suspect toward marring pleasure and
destroying comfort | aptly followed his man
ner, and marvel of unconcerned delberation in
the matter of securing my seat and arranging
my shawls, books and bags; which drew from
him the remark. with an approviog glance, that
he perceived was used to travelling. That OBJ
servation either from the fact of its being so
absurdly incorrect in its premises, or from the
stronger fact of its being the only one addressed
to me until P NJ, when we stopped at p
for the purpose of refreshment, impressed itself
much upon my mind.
After the wrctched meal, called by compliment
tea which we were allowed twenty minutes to
partake of had been dispatched, and we were
again settled in the cars in which we were to travel
all night commenced the trials of the journey
to me, at least, for was an entire novice, not
having been twenty miles away from st. Catha-
rine's since | first went there, and having but
dim recollection Of that, my first and last journey
till the present time. Being also subject to the
most unbearably severe headaches upon any un-
usual excitement il is not very wonderful that
on this occasion was attacked with one, and
before night had actually set in was as completely
miserable as in the morning | had been COM
pletcly happy. Excitement and WEAKNESS began
to tell most painfully upon me. Not bone but
achcd, not nerve in my whole body but throbbed
and quivcred. 1t was as impossible TO think
quietly as to sit quietly. Homesickness for the
home had been longing to get away from for
years-all the miserable things had ever suffered
or dreaded-all the lancicd and real trials of my
life then and there beset my aching head and
made sleep or composure an impossibility,
If there had been a soul to speak to, a human
voice to say single word of sympathy, however
commonplace, thought il would have made the
night endurable. But among the sleepy sense
less crowd around, the only one had right to
expect sympathy from, or to whom was entitled
to address word, was as regardless of my exis-
tence as any of the rest. Mr. Rutledge occupied
the seat before me, and the imperfect light of the
lamp that ratified and hickered above us showed
me more plainly than any other object his fixed,
unsympathizing face, as he leaned against the
window of the car, his lips compressed and his
brow knit He did not sleep any more than
did, nor do think he was a whit more comfort
Portable; but he had his impatiencc under better
control and never moved muscle or uttered "a
sound for hours together.
1t was the most torturing thing to watch him,
so entirely unmoyed by the discomforts which
were, | was firmly convinced, driving me mad;
and in my jaundiced eyes, his profile took
thousand wizard shapes. II would have been
relief ifhc had moved in ever so slight degree to
one side or the other; but a painted face upon
painted window could not have been more rigid
than the one before me. I was dying of thirst,
was smothering for want of air, achcd in every
limb and there were hours yet to morningl The
monotonous motion Of the cars, and their accom-.
panying noises, harsh and shrill, made to my
perfectly unaccustomed car frghtful combina-
ton of discord; and this all coming upon my ex-
cited and sensitive nerves, worked me up into
state Of wretchedness that naturally resulted in
that climax of woes feminine, fit Of crying
! could no more have helped it than the wind
could have helped blowing, and never having
learned to control myself could not suppress the
indulgence of an emotion which, an hour after
ward I remembered with acute modification I
tried to smother my sobs, but they reached at
last the car of my silent companion, who started,
and turning toward me, asked with a shade Of
impaticnce in his tone, what was the matters
Was i'll?
That question so put, in the indescribabie tone
that shows to a sensitive ear want of sympathy
the most CALLING, was the best cure that could
have been devised formy tears. They were done,
altogether; but in their place, the angry blood
flew to my face, and inly vowed in accordance
with schoolgirl notions of right never to forget
or forgive the insult Angrily avcrting my head
declined any assistance or attention whatever,
and pride having thus stepped in to the rescue,
was able to maintain as rigid demeanor as Mr..
Rutlcdgc himself For moment he looked at
me with an expression that | could not quite
make out, then with the slightest possible shrug
Of the shoulders, turned away, and seating him.
self again in the corner, resumed his former atti-
tude. That was enough; all my spirit was
reused; | had always been good at hating. but
the present crisis brought out powers l had
never been aware Of before; and there was
great deal in the fact Of my having made f'Ol Of
myself in the presence Of Mr.. Ruledge to help
me along in detesting him; and not being in
particularly reasonable or well-governed frame