Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-01-26
4 MISTAKE and IT'S RESULTS.
IN THREE CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER

It seems long time ago since the jour
ney from Cork to Dublin took two days.
There are those living, I suppose who re-
member when it was matter Of three or
four, but l speak of more modern per-
iod, albeit the railway from Dublin to
Kingston was the only one in Ireland.
at this time Bianconi's s large, four horse
cars formed the grand trunk from the
south to the metropolis; while smaller
vehicles meeting the principal conveyance
at different points, acted as branch lines
to the main one. From one of these lat
ter I took the large car at bIitchelstown,
on an intensity cold day, the last, or last
but one, Of October, 18-. l was going
to Dublin for my Michaelmas Term ex-
animation in Trinity College; and having
idled the whole summer, l felt some ap-
prehension about the result Of the ordeal
through which l had to pass, and won
dered much whether / should come back
"pIucked." The dark leaden sky, and
the cutting northeast wind, were IN
dreary keeping with the sombre thoughts
that troubled me. occupied the box
seat, an honor that was dearly purchased
by facing the blast; and Stapleton the
driver predicted snow (early IN the season
as it was) before we reached Kilkenny,
our destination for that night. We de-
layed for half an hour, | remember at
Clonmel about two O'Clock there was
good deal of excitement in the town, from
the expectation Of a special commission
for the trial of prisoners connected with
two terrible agrarian murders of recent
occurrence in the South Riding of TIP
perary. As we journeyed on, the driver
entertained me with details of different
outrages that he knew of, pointing cut
now and again, the scenes where they
took place, and winding up with the
ominous announcement; Mark my words
for it but the Ribbon boys will give them
enough to do this winter they won't let
much grow under the peelers' feet any
ways"
[ forgot how many stages we had tEsY-
eled from Clonmel when we stopped to
change horses at a small public house OD
the roadside !; something was amiss with
the shoe of one of the horses, and sharp
alteration ensued between the driver and
the stable-boy on the subject, that ended
with an Injunction to hurry off like
blazes" to a neighboriug smith, to remedy
the defect As I foresaw that there
would be some delay, L proposed to one or
| two of my travelling companions to join
me in a run to warm our feet until the car
overlook US; as they declined, L set OF
alone, calling back to Stapleton, when [
was few PAGES on, to know II there
were any turns upon the road.
mo, Sir" he replied and then added,
keep to the left and you'll be all right. "
Laughing at his intentional pun, and
repeating the old eOuplet to myself
you go to the left you'H be sure to go right;
you e IA the right youn go wrong
| dashed on at full speed, and, very soon
noticing road that branched off at right
angles to the main one, l concluded that
this was the reason of his direction. l
nj gvvrTHN nVs
while the intense cold of the evening
braced my energies still more. by
JoYe I" I exclaimed, I'll astonish them
a bit old ehu will think I'm lost be-
fore he picks me up;" and the expecta-
ton of gaining credit by my proWess as
a walker, accelerated my speed to unusual
rapidity. The day I have already re-
marked was specially gloomy, and the
evening shadows were now darkening IN
to night with more than ordinary swift
ness. Once [ was for a moment at fault
about the road as l came upon a slight
| divergence from the direct line, but re-
calling Stapleton's words-"keep to the
| left II followed that direction, and
trudged on upon this unknown way into
| the thickly-gathering darkess. At last
| began to wonder why the car did not
come up, but concluded that the smith s
! operations caused the delay, | still went
| forward until the road became unusually
rough and broken and then as far as
the dim light allowed, I observed that the
vegetation at the sides encroached more
than I had ever known upon a mail-coach
road. "Oh, It's impossible [ have gone
estrayl" I exclaimed not allowing the
unpleasant thought to intrude; and |
still continued my pace at more doubtful
speed, until suddenly halted on perceiv-
| ing that the narrowing line Of roadway
| appeared to cease altogether. and l found
myself actually walking on moist ground.
| wv here on earth am I?' cried in ear
| nest CONSERVATION, peering through the
| darkness. As far as | could descry
| seemed to have wandered into some moor
| or commonage that stretched along the
| base of steep activity; not sound
| could l hear on any side, but the moan
/ ing sigh of the wind as it swept by, with
penetrating bitterness, and once the wild
| cry of some bird, startled from its rest by
my approach. | made two or three efforts,
| but they proved Intellectual, to retrace my
! steps, and each time | became more be-
/ wiidered, and stumbling over rocky pro-
| iections or roots of trees, occasionally
| sinking ankle-deep into wet, miry ground.
| God help mel" l exclaimed at last In
utter dispair, and almost bursting into
! tears of vexation. III have to wander
about here all night, and perish with cold
/ before morning" Another desperate
effort to reach some pathway met with a
like issue, save that by, [ suppose, some
consequent change of position, a bright
! light suddenly broke upon me, so bright
and so close that [ was considerably star
! tied at the unexpected appearance.
| I thought of the Will-o'- the Wisp, and
| fancied, from the evident nature Of the
| ground that it might be the meteor Of
the marsh but as 1 moved cautiously
forward, I saw that it came through the
open door of cabin, and a closer access
| showed me why [ had not sooner detected
it. The tenement before me was curl
ously constructed, the ground on three
sides rose at a considerable elevation, and
| seemed as if dark, cavernous recess had
been formed in the yielding soil, and in
I - = IL. !, o.ooL,I