Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-10-11
Miserllaneous.
Rafaelle Smiths Adventure,


entered the Great Cokehamptou station /;
the hour was $50 \. NJ, the time love-
ly June morning, couple of years since.
At Cokchampton the railway traveller is
SLOWED to leave his carriage for few
minutes, in order to snatch hasty cup of
coffee or a basin of soup; but it being as
every one knows, the custom at Coke
hampton, to keep both these stimulants at
boiiiag point, the. repast is usually per-
termed under considerable difficulties -
Among the rest of those whose steps were
directed by appetite towards the refresh
ment saloon was straight, long-llmbed,
handsome young fellow, with brown
shooting jacket, brown moustache, and a
wide awake that had seen service. This
was my friend, Raffaelle Smith, of Clip
stone street, London, landscape painter,
journeying in the search of {" bits Of na-
turea he termed them, for his next year 5
pictures. AS this may be = little too
technical for the general readers, We may
more clearly express what We mean by
statiug that, according to annual custom,
the yoang artist was going to the West
country to 5 setch from nature.
Now, it happened on this particular
occasion, that although Ratfacile Smith
had been out of his bed since dawn, he
had spent so much time in packing his
easel, canvasses, colors, and other bag
gage of his artistic campal that it came
to be a question whether he should b cak-
fast and lose the train, or catch the train
and lose his breakfast. breakfast, rs the
least important, was sacrificed. Accor-
dingy my frienl found himself i'll Coke
hampton, some sixty miles from London,
with Il most acute sense OF emptiness Of
stomach, just as the railway guard was
calling out, " Train starts Ia ten minutes
gents.
To man in my friends unbrcakfasted
condition such an intimation could not
have the effect OF checking the ardor with
which traveller usually seeks the Coke
hampton rcircshuent saloon. y vafy
sharp appetite, and the exi-cncies OF the
railway time table. gave ir1mptness To
Rafaele Smith's movements, and caused
that young uminary of art to b. among
the FIRST OF them vino sought rejection at
Cokchampton's rei'reshment counters
According y the pressing injunction Of tn
guard had scarcely been uttered when my
friend found himself at the most picntI-
fully garnshcd portion of the table. The
Colchampton mattresses are no less neat
handed than natty, and RafacIle Smith :
appetite would, doubtless, have been quick
ly appeased had not the following ques-
tion interrupted his prefactory cali for
" Soup
is there a gen'i'man here named
Smith ?"
The artist scrutinized the face Of his
fellow travellers, in order to ascertain
whether the question was addressed to any
of them and as no one replied, he him
self went up to the servant.
- 1t appears that am the only Mr..
Smith here, do you want me ~
Il want Mr.. Smith who has arrived
by the train from London"
Him, but am unknown to single
iuhabitant in this town
al know that sir answered the groom
readily That Is the reason | am seut
to you sir"
The reason why you are sent to me -
! repeated Smith in great astonishmcnt.-
=" BY whom 30
Perhaps you will be kind enough to
follow me- continued the groom. &" | am
ordered to speak to Mr.. Smith in private. =
4 sudden misgiying took possession of
Raffaelle Smith. Come, gentlemen h
said, addressing his fellow travellers, "is it
practical joke? Ifany gentleman pres
ent is the author Of this piece Of mystii.
cation, charge him, in the name OF the
stomach, the most worthy object of COM
passion in the world, to avow it at once,
and allow me to utiiitze, without inter-
ruption, the few minutes that yet remain.
| La answer to this novel summons, every
one protested complete gnorance of what
was passing Smith was resolved to pluck
out the heart of the mystery. Curiosity
imposed delay of several minutes, and the
artist followed the groom out Of the re-
freshment room He, however, informed
his travelling companions that he would
return in the course of few seconds with
the solution Of this enigma. The groom
who had heard the latter remark, put on
broad grin, and when they were in the
street. said:
q Beg pardon, sir, but wasn't you hav-
ing laugh at them gents? They'll be
precious mistaken if they think you are
going back to lunch there !"
:" | tell you what, young man." replied
Smith, irrtated by the manner Of the
groom, mark me. if you don't explain
everything at once-if you have had the
misfortune to be charged will. practical
joke at my expense-I shall not leave you
without sound thrashing" (the groom
bowed respectfully "tor causing me to
lose my lunch and miss my train"
"Ah, sir, see you're gent as wishes
to have his joke" replied the importura.
BILE groom. "Now, sir, don't you know
very we'll that you will not leave Coke.
hampton to-day2 As for the lunch, l
don't think you will mind that, when you
see the magnificent spread getting ready
for you up at the villa"
The last phrase, though not more COM
prehensible than the other portion of the