The Shasta courier., 1866-07-07

be waiting rather long at a country station.
AT length two old gentlemen entered. and a.
the railway man opened the door for them.
said to him. Can you tell US why we are
detained here so long?"
Yes, ma'am." be replied, there's an
excursion train due directly, and we re shun.
ted OF the line to let it pass"
T" Horrid BORE" said one old gentleman.
Disgraeeful shame." said the other !;
but don't let that make you uneasy, young
lady," he added, politely, addressing me,
shunted' means nothing dangerous"
| was about to ask what it did mean, when,
with whiz, and great noise of cheering,
the excursion train shot past US, displaying
a long, long succession of second and third
class carriages, every window garnished with
| pale faces of men and women. besides num-
bers of delcat looking children.
| Disgraccful shame !' repeated the stout
est OF the old gentlemen, " here's our train
train twenty minutes late; twenty minutes,
sir, by the clock"
:" should think" said my brother, :" that
tnis Is not a grievance Of very frequent
occurrence-mal trains are not often oblig
ed to give way to the convenience of the
eAcursionlsts; but we were behind time
when we got up to this station, and as we
must stop quarter of an hour shortly, we
should very much have detained that train if
1t had been on the same line, behind u.s."
g. Well, can't make it out,'' was the re-
ply; =" and what does their being detained
matter to NE; paid for my ticket, and I've
right to be taken on'
! Certainly" said the other; no man
has right to interfere with my business for
the sake OF his pleasure-such new tangled
notions! What's the good of days pleas
ure to the working classes ?''
They have it so seldom nv brother
suggestef, " that they have plenty of time
to consider that question between one DAYS
pleasure and the next"
Horrid bore, those excursion trains 7"
repeated the first speaker. filling the coun
try with holiday folks what do they want
with holidays-much better to stop at home,
and work, and earn a little more What's
the good Of sending out swarm of pale
faced, knock kneed London artizans, and
gaping children. that don't know a kite from
ii jackdaw? Ifyou must give 'em "a treat
let it be good dinner. Country air. indeed !
dom find London unhealthy; and spend
three or four months in it every year."
To be sure" echoed his companion,
"these London clergy and ministers ought
to know better than to spread such sentimen-
tai nonsense among the people-duty comes
before pleasure, doesn't it? Why, man
| had the assurance to write to me-a perfect
stranger-to know whether I'd open nv
park for shoal of his cockney parishoners
to dine and drink tea in He knew it was
closed, forsooth but he hoped for once. and
In the canse of philanthropy. I'd open it.
should like to know, where my young covevs
would be when every inch in nv wood had
,een overrun, and all the bracken trod down
IN the cause of philantrophy? No, 1 wrote
him piece of nv mnd-I said, Rev sir.
do not fence and guard my grounds that
paupers may make play gronnd of them :;
and, though your request makes me ques-
ton your good taste little, / trust to vour
good sense not to render your people liable
to be taken up as tresspassers. l have a
right to prosecute all tresspassers in nv
grounds, and therefore | advise you to keep
your people clear of them"
And very proper, too" replied the other,
6 there are plenty of people that will receive
them; there's your neighbor. Sir Edward.
who's happy and proud to entertain as many
as they like to pour into. his domain.
Upon this they both laughed. ns it appear
cd. in pity of the said Sir Edward "Well,
well. every man has right to bis own opin.
ion." IN. B.. is that "A fact p 'Sir Ed
ward wanted me the other day to subscribe
to some new baths and wash houses NV
good fellow | said, when all the paupers
in London can earn their own living it will
be time enough to talk of washing their faces,
but for goodness. sake let 'em earn dinners
before you offer 'em Windsor soap, and hats
before you find 'em pomatum' +"
And may | know what Sir Edward said
in reply?" l inquired, addressing the old
gentlemen.
He seemed to consider. "Well," said he,
after a puzzled pause, it was something of
this sort-somefhing about the deceneies of
life being striven for with better heart. if a
few of its amenities were within reach.v
This reminded me of poor woman who
lived in particularly dirty cottage, near nv
fathers house. in the country. l one day
tapped at her door. and she opened it in n
gown spotted with white wash What !
Cleaning? N!rs. Matts." | exclaimed, sur.
prised. g Why, yes, Miss" she replied,
. for my husbands brother has just been up
from London, where he works, to see us. and
brought beautiful pictur of the Queen
all in guilt frame. Miss; and when he'd
hung it up. it made the walls look so shock
ing dirty couldn't abear the sight of 'en,,
so I'm cleaning you see.h
But enough has been said about the rights
of other people; let US now turn to Mr..
Bryce, the baker,
Bryce working for baker in the vii
lage near which my grandfather lived. His
master died suddenly, leaving a widow and
nine children. Bryce was an enterprisnc
young man, and had been thinking of set.
ting up for himself. My grandfather. how
ever. heard that after his masters death he
gave up this wish, and continued to work at
his former wages. trying to keep the business
together for the widow. Happening TO meet
him he asked him if this report we're true
Why, yes. sir" said Bryce; .syou see
nobody else would manage everything for
her withour share of the profits; and nine
children-what a tug they are ; so as have
nobody belonging to me-nobody that has
any claim on me'-
!" But thought you wanted to set up for
yourself?"
" And so l did. sir; and if I'd wife and
family I'd make a push to get on, for their
sakes; but I've none; and 80, as can live
on what get. and hurt nobody by it. II
haze a right to help her, poor soul, as I've a
| mind to''
| Soon after this the widow took to dress
making. and did SO well that she wanted no
help from Bryce, who now set up himself,
and borrowed sum of money from my grand
father to begin with. At first he was 90
poor, and the weekly profits were 90 small,