The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1867-02-07
For the +" New Era"
Curiosity Hunting Madame lie Baron

noon! All day had lain in neglige in
darkened room, working p'im-leaf
fan energetically with one hand, and
making frantic dives every now ana
then with the other after a pitcher OF
iced-lemonade, standing at my elbow.
Indeed it was a fearful ay!-and there
Law victim to the flies and heat. envy
ing everything that looked cool, and
thinking of the blessed state Of the
Giving skeleton" l had seen at g Bar
num'su not long before, and wondering
if he over got warm-the skeleton, not
Barnuia SO the day and | went SIM
meriYs on until the sun reached its
zenith, and fell into gasping state.
In the early morning-hours ! had left
the other inmates OF the house, all
specimens Of the geaats homo, by the
way, SO deeply immersed in perspi
ration and cobblers that | retired to my
own apartment, with every favorable
prospect of being "let aIoneo for the
best, Or rather worst part of that July
day Alas! for human foresight
Alas for the strength OF woman, rersus
cobblers-or, rice Uersa. just as / had
gaspinglN dropped the palm-leaf as an
able abettor to the overwhelming at
mosphere, and turned my parched lips
from the rapidly heating lemonade, the
door opened admitting Il thriee-heated
current Of air, and one Of the very
specimens | had left in Il eobbler-state
in the morning.
Precipitation beaded his forehead,
strung a necklace around his very
much exp )sed neck, and fringed his
highly colored moustache and Whiskers.
4 linen suit chung tenaciously to his
tall, spare person, an immensely wide
brimmed hat ornamented the back Of
his Well-developed head, while to the
great aggravation Of my woman's Curl
osity, a small lantern was suspended
from the belt at his side.
"The combined effects of heat and
cobblers have certainly turned the mans
brain' mentally exclaimed, and
then aloud: What are you up to,
Colonel ?" Iudeed | quite forgot
flies, sleep, and even my aeglige style
of dress, in my mouthed amaze
ment at the sudden and unique APP
partition. The only answer to my
thrice repeated question as to the "speci-
men'sa purpose, was an expressive ges-
ture toward the door, which he swung
y 10 oh for
saddled. at the gate, and standing with
dropping heads and fly-disturbing tails,
in the most patient manner. Like a
fash came across my mind rash
promise, made one delightfully."- cool
morning, to visit a natural curiosity"
in the shape of a Cave, some two miles
distant, and this intolerable day turned
out to be the very one set for the eXcur
sion. 1t was quite useless for me to
plead for mercy and delay, and wish the
cobbler's had been stronger, for there
stood the horses waiting, and the Colonel
enthusiastic on the subject of Caves, so
donned my short calico walking dress
and started, hoopless and sun-bonnetted,
to follow in the footsteps of this most
merciless specimen.
AS I was swung on to the patient
horse, and gathered up the red-hot
reins, / saw the rest of the proposed
party taking q parting cobbler and
spring from the dining-room window.
In appearance, as far as linens, clothes
and perspiration went, they far out
rivaled the Colonel-but in activity,
being much stouter, was glad to see
they were far behind him-vivacity GER
tainly loses charms on such a day!
The last view I had, as the Colonel
and ! galloped off, of the two inactive
specimens" one was languidly at
tempting to assist the other on his
quadruped, but said quadruped not
fully approaching languor and cobblers,
the specimens found considerable diff
Guilty, and time wasted in mounting.
Such a day as that was it on which we
rode along the shadeless road, cleaning
with heated sand for mile ahead of
US! We could see a promise Of green