Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-01-25
From London Society.
Mischief and What came Of it.

DO you object to smoking, sir %
This [ asked in my blandest manner
of an old gentleman who sat, with his
face hidden by a newspaper, opposite
to me In a railway carriage.
All the seats In the carriage were
filled I and four others were on our
way from Cambridge to enjoy the
Christmas vacation. Our spirits were
high, for there is a delight IN banish-
ing for a time all thoughts of comic
sections, NeWton's 'principia, and
the ittle-go, and entertaining, in ex-
change, visions Of ''hops, " skating par
ties, and all the orgies which every
right-minded family held at this season
in honor of King Christmas.
But / must introduce you to my
chums, for ohums we were, although
our tastes did not all lie in the same
direction. Jack StiTrup is Cor rather
was at that period) riding and hunt
/ ing man, and was not unfrequently tC
be seen in Newmarket Stretcber, OF
the other hand, loved boating, and
preferred the sight of well-develOpeC
/ biceps to that of the best bred hunter
and would often remark to Jack, How
on earth you can say that you WOUlC
rather see the Two Thousand thar
/ the 'Time-race' In the 'ColquhouI
Seulls,' I cannot for the life of mt
make out" Edwards was a poor anC
reading man, but whose wit and tai
ents rendered him a universal favor
lite; whilst Davis was a rich, open
handed, good-hearUed fellow as eve
| lived. For my own part [ do not thinl
l had any Well-defned peculiarity, bu
did little of everything. l read
little, rOwed a little, hunted a little
had a fair incOme-in short, if I hat
any characteristic at all, it was a low
of laziness and practical Jokes.
We congratulated ourselves in get
ting a carriage to ourselves with tn
exception of the old gentleman I hav
named), for We intended to keep ou
the cold, and beguile our journey wit
sundry pipes and cigars. We had ou
> cases out, and were preparing to ligh
up, as matter of course, when "
, were astonished by my Vis-0-Uis dash
! ing away the newspaper which ha
] hidden his face.
! DO l object to smoking ? Yes, sil
, 1 do object ! I object very strongll
sir and beg that you will Instant
place your cigars In your pockets.
insist on having no smoking in til
carriage p
We looked aghast at this sudde
burst of old-gentlemanly wrath.
r Might I ask if you intend trave
> ling far on this line, sir 2" inquire
Edwards, in his comically- polite ton
+ What is that to you, sir VIII
business is it Of yours where l am g
ing to?"
Il merely wished to suggest, in ca
!. of your travelling far, that, pleasil
s and delightful as it would be for US
!, enjoy your agreeable society, yet, ne
h ertheless, we would try to bear Il
le loss, should you prefer to change ca
le riages at the next station"
Z No doubt you would wish to g
to rid of me but no, sir do not mo
le my seat, and the irst one that smokes
,s report to the guard.
rs In that case fear we shall be obi
~ ed, painful though it be, to tear on
selves away" [ said, as we drew up
a small station.
Fortunately we found the next col
o. partment empty, and as we start
again we pulled out our cigar -cas
IT this time 60 light their contents.
IS The old boy has certainly got {