, 1864-01-02
A Travelling Acquaintance.

a 1tdVeA4uS SAS9u1AAgduce.
1t is highly important to those who travel
from London to Edinburghin day, and
who cannot read or sleep in q railway car
rage, to secure for themselves an agreea-
BILE railway companion.
Having to take this journey very often,
and laboring under the above disadvantages
as l do, the practice Of looking out for elig-
ible fellow passengers, at Kings Cross or
Euston Square, has made lne pretty perfect
in my judgments. The most cursory Of
glances suilices TO convince We Of Who's
Who, in the nine q. M, in She case Of four
fifths Of its live stock, whose rank and sit
uation can approximate 70, with the fidel-
ity Of collector Of incometax, and whose
very opinions can often predicate without
giving them the trouble Of opening their
lips.
Four-ffths Of the human race-or, at
events, of so much Of il as travels in the
first class by railway-can be assorted in
about half-a-dozen pigeOn-hOles, and when
you have seen specimen Of each descrip-
tion, you have seen all, the rest being but
duplicates.
Club fogy, army swell, man Of business,
country gentleman, parson, and individual
with a grievance very nice people all,
without doubt, and may they live thou
sand years at the very least but just con-
ceive an eleven hours journey in the same
carriage with any one of them Of the
gentler sex I say nothing, save Bless their
hearts, and may they never grow a day
older For as to being shut up for eleven
hours with the same female ! am very
sure that the honor would bealtogether too
much for nc.
Ny sphere Of choice, then, being thus
narrowed to one-ffth Of the human race,
(male) who travel in first Glass carriages,
and my eye being, as I have said, unerring,
/ generally choose the carriage which is
occupied by the most intelligent man of the
train. l never indeed, made mistake,
that l can remember, but once, when, at
the same instant in which deposited my
self and my carpct-bag in q carriage the
individual whose appearance had captivated
me, walked straight out Of it with his
hands in his pockets.
On Tuesday, the twentieth Of July last
l hadoccasion to set out northward, as usual,
from Euston Square. was . little late
and hurried, and there was very varied
collection to choose from. AZ I walked
'Aast;ly BY the sidS Uf tlea aalrsaly OecuplUli
carriages, the unthinking guard would, in
his impatience have twice consigned me to
auFance Sils--once in Company with q
whole Juvenile family, who had already
commenced eating aud smelling Of ham
sandwiches, and once with no less than Eve
Caledonians, only waiting for an English
man that they might begin to dilate upon
the perfections Of their native land. I cast
myself into the last through carriage in
despair, and without so much rs looking
before me. It was probable that my luck
would be better; it could hardly, as may
be imagined, at all events, be- so vCry much
worse.
Beside myself, the carriage had but one
other occupant; young man Of an alto
gether gentlemanly appearance, except,
perhaps, that his clothes looked suspiciously
new, and his hat somewhat too glossy. He
was not reading the Times so intently but
that he could spare a scrutinixing glance
at the new arrival, as l rammed my carpet
bag under the seat with my hands, and
kept pretty sharp lookout, under my
right arm, on him. When / rose, he was
again buried in-yes Lin the advertise
ment sheet. The gentleman, then had
probably some good reason for coneealing
his talent for observation. Nobody whOis
not in want Of o situation gets wrapped mp
in an advertisements sheet; and my COM
paniOn, l felt suro, was in want Of no such
thing. Hisprofession, whatever that might
be, had been settled long ago, and the fish,
ing-rOd and. guide book which reposcd over
his head disclosed young gentleman with
money to spare, who was about 10 take
summer holiday among the trout streams Of
the North. One circumstance which oc-
CURED just after we started, persuaded me
must he needs be a lawyer, (and, indeed, as
afterwards turned out, his pursuits did
somewhat partako Of the nature Of that call
ing so much did il smack Of ready rea-
soning and practieed acuteness. Leaning
out Of the window as the train began 10
move, the wind carried away his glossy hat,
whereupon, instead Of sitting down for
lornly, and muttoring Good gracious! or
Confound ii, the young man seized upon
his hat-box, and launched that at the miss
ing property.
Ny hat-box," he explained, in answer
to my stare Of amazement," has got my
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