The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-12-07
Dickens's Christmas Story,
MUGBY JUNCTION.
BARBOX BROTHERS.

eyes, it generally does, sir"
as it rainy night still~
"Pours, sir"
"Open the door. I'll get out"
You'll have, sir" said the guard,
glistening with drops of wet, and look
ing at the fearful face of his watch by
the light of his lantern rs the traveller
descended, "three minutes here"
''Morc, think, for lam not going on"
Thought you had through ticket,
sirs'
$50 have, but I shall sacrifice the
rest of it. want my luggage"
please to come 60 the van and point
it out, sir. Be good enough to look
very sharp, sir. Not a moment to
spare"
The guard hurried to the luggage van,
and the traveller hurried after him.
The guard got into it. and the traveller
looked into it.
"Those two large black portmantcaus
in the corner where your light shines.
Those are mine"
Name upon 'em, sir!"
.BarboX Blothers.'
"Stand clear, sir, if you please. One.
Two. Right" ,
Lamp waved. Signal lights ahead
already changing. Shrek from en-
gine. Train gone.
"Murby Junction. said the traveller,
pulling up the WOODEN mufficr round
his throat with both hands. "At past
three o'clock of tempestuous morn
ing! So.'
He spoke to himself. There was no
one else to speak to. Perhaps, though
there had been any one else to speak
TO, he would have preferred to speak to
himself. Speaking to himself, he spoke
to Il man within five years of fifty
either way, who had turned gray too
soon, like a neglected fire; a man of
pondering habit, brooding carriage of
the head. and suppressed internal voice;
a man with many indications on him oi
having been much alone.
He stood unnoticed on the dreary plat
form, except by the rain and by the
wind. These two vigilant assailants
made a rush at him. Every well" said
he, Welding. 1T signifies nothing to
me to what quarter turn my face"
Thus, at Mugby Junction, at past
three o'clock of tempestuous morn
inc, the traveller went where the wealth.
or drove him.
Not but what he could make stand
when he was SO minded, for, coming to
the end OF the rooted shelter Git is of
considerable extent at Mugby Junction)
and looking out upon the dark night,
with a yet darker spirit-wing OF storm
beating its wild way through 1t, lie
faced about, and held his own rs rug
,gedly in the different directions, as he
had held it in the easier one. Thus,
with a steady step, the traveller went
up and down, up and down, up and
down, seeking nothing and finding it.
\ rlace rcpiete with shadowy shapes,
this Mughy Junction in the black hours
of the tOur-and-seventy. Mysterious
roods trains, covered with pals and
gliding on like vast weird funerals, CON
Veving themselves guiltily away from
the presence of a few lighted lamps, as
if their freight had come to secret ana
unlawful end. Half miles OF coal pur-
suing in Detective manner, following
when they lead, stopping when they
stop, backing when they back. Red hot
cmbcrs showering out upon the ground,
down this dark avenue and down the
the other, us if torturing fires were be-
ing raked clear; concurrently, shrcks
and groans and grinds invading the ear,
AS if the tortured were at the height OF
their suffering. Iron-barrcd cages full
of cattle iangling by midway, the droop-
inr beasts with horns entangled, eyes
frozen with terror, and mouths too; at
least they have long icicles (or what
seems SOY hanging from their lips. cn-
known languages III the ar, cohsplrlhS
in red, green and white characters. AN
earthquake accompanied with thunder
and lightning, going up express TO Lon,
don. Now, all quiet, all rusty, Wlnd
and rain in possession, lamps eXtin-
guished, Mugby Junction dead and in
distinct, with its robe drawn over It's
head, like Caesar.
Now, too, as the 5elated traveller
ploddcd up and down, shadowy train
went by him in the gloom which was
no other than the train of Il life. From
whatsoever intangible deep cutting or
dark tunnel it emerged, here 1T
came, unsummoned and unannounced,
stealing upon him and passing
away into obscurity. Here, mourntuily
went by, child who had never led y
childhood or known parent, insepara-
BILE from a youth with bitter sense OF
his namelessnesS, coupled to man the
enforced business of whose hest years
had been distasteful and oppressive,
linked to an ungrateful fiend, dragging
after him woman once beloved. At
tendant. with many aclank and wrench,
were numbering cares, dark meditatlons,
huge dim disappointments, monotonous
wears, long iarring line of the dlscords
of Il solitary and unhappy existence.
YOURS, sirW
The traveller recalled his eyes from
the waste into which they had been
staring, and fell back n step or SO un-
der the abruptness, and perhaps the
chance appropriateness, of the question
ooh, My thoughts were not here for
the moment. Yes. Yes. Those two port
manteaus are mine. Are you Por-
| ter p
son Porter's wages, sir. But ! am
Lamps" :,
The traveller looked little confused.
"Who did You say you are!'
clamps, sir" showing an oily cloth
in his hand, as further explanation.
"Surely, surely. Is there any hotel or
tavern hereW
Not exactly here, sir. There is Re-
freshment Room here, but" Lamps,
with a mighty serious look, gave his
head warning roll that plainly added,
"but it's blessed circumstance for you
that it's not open." :,
"You couldn't recommend it, see, If
it was availablei" =,
"Ask your pardon, sir. If it was
"Openi"
at amt my place, as paid servant
of the company, to give my opinion on
any of the company's toepics," he pro-
nouncedit more like toothpicks, "be-
yond lamp-ile and cottons," returned
Lamps, in a confidential tone; "but,
speaking as a man, / wouldn't recon-
mend my father (if he was to come
tn life again) TO 90 and try how he'd be