Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-15
RICH SCENE ON STONES RIvEE.


night. No troupe Of the kind has ever
given more general satisfaction here.
RICH SCENE ON STONES RIVER.
Trials and TribuIaIIons Of "a BashGuI
Young MRu-His Adventures with
Refractory PeSRsuS-Au Awful Pre-
dieRment. and "a Lady in the Case.
A young gentleman of this city, whose
modesty and abilities are the subject of
universal comment among his many friends,
and who is esteemed by all who know him,
met with a series of mishaps a few days
since the like of which scarce happens in
the life time OF an ordinary mortal. Not
unlike most persons at his time of life, our
Young friend is In love, and a more devoted
knight than he never graced a degenerate
age, or set luminous example for his less
conscientious peers.
As much as a week ago, our hero made
an engagement with the fair one upon
whom he has 80 long lavished the wealth
of bis undivided affection. IL was 10 visit
the Insane Asylum, and the Hermitage, too,
for he was an ardent admirer of old Hicb-
orv, and had always lifted his hat in solemn
reverence at the tomb of Tennessee's de-
parted statesman. OF course, the finest
rig to be had must be secured for such an
occasion, and a magnificent new buggy,
shining in its first coat of glistening paint,
was soon engaged, along with a spanking
bay that could out-trot anything about here,
though its owner was no sporting man and
had never permitted the stately brute to
display its extraordinary powers before the
admiring crowds at the Nashville course.
Well, the appointed day rolled around
just as all days will, no matter what Is 90
| ing to happen, though its coming seeHsSd
to our hero like an ages lapse. Proudly
he held the reiBs as the splendid animal
dashed up TO the gate whereat he had SO
often hidden his sweetheart goodnight and
many moments had not down ere all was
ready, and soon a solitary handsome couple
"might have been seen" riding gaily up
the Murfreesboro pike, aud out toward the
great big mad-house, where some of the
| crazy folks Of this great Commonwealth are
spending the balance Of their broken lives
at the expense of a sympathizing public
A short visit to the asylum, stroll along
the graveled walks that wind amid the
verdant shrubbery of the magnificent
| grounds and they were again on their way,
taking the Lebanon pike for Stones river
and the Hermitage
By the time they reached the proud
| tributary of the Cumberland, which the
burning heat Of summer sun had
| dwiEdled to the dimensions OF preteutious
creek, the horse needed water. and before
undertaking to cross the bridge, our hero
released the animal from the buggy, Selling
! the reins and driving it toward the stream,
while his lady love retained her seat IN
| the buggy, gazing lovingly after the manly
| form Of her intended husband as he de-
scended the bank.
He would rather have forded the river
in the buggy, but the bank was steep and
the bed of tbestroam so uneven and rocky
| that such measure was utterly impracu
| cable. Ii did look awkward, that buggy
lsstanding away up there, and the lady ali
alone, and he, with flushed face and breeze
| lifted apparel, grasping the lines like grim
Death, and braCing and stumbling along
| the stouy way in eEdeavoring 10 hold back
the eager and thirsty horse, which bore
/ rapidly down the slope in spite Of the
| exertion5 and stiAed whoa whoa ~ ui It-
| excited driver. On reaching the edge Of
| the stream, the animal dashed in, dragging
| after il our hero, who, however, managed
to maintain his balance as he splashed
along ia the swift water, which poured in
| chilling torrent over his boot tops and
| down to his overheated feet, that had al.
| ready begun to feel sore from contact with
| the sharp rocks and he thanked hisslars a.
the stout brute stopped and bent neck and
| poked its hot nostrils beneath the surface.
| He dared not turn his head toward the
| buggy, but the long draughts ofthe thirsty
| beast gave him time 70 catch a little breath,
| and bv the time the animal had satisfied
1 its cravings, he had made mp his mind that
| there would be no difficulty in driving it
back 70 the buggy. Here however, he
missed his reckoning sadly. The horse
! after an omnous shake Of the head, and a
glance at either bank suddenly reversed
! itself bringing its face directly toward the
| Young man who, standing about five feet
| distant, still held to the lines, and the
| wicked brute actually winked at him 10
| triumph "a if it comprehended the ndicu-
! loua position in which it had placed the
! impoyised Jehu. They stood cycling each
| other a moment, our modest friend almost
| sinking into his boots as silvery laugh,
| half 5mothered, though, tlosted down to
| him from the vicinity Of the buggy. Re-
covering himself, he became desperate, and
| with Jerking the reins and smOthered
| curses strOve 60 conquer the obstinate AMI
| NAL, which at once commenced backing
| toward the opposite bank, hauling the
! luckless wight after it, who mantuliy tugged
aud pulled TO maintain his ground. 1t was
easy to be seen, however, that the horse bad
thehetter oft and the Young man was being
numerically dragged along. The worst,
though. was TO come Just as the middle
of the stream WAS reached, a treacherous
ledge of rocks abruptly terminated, aud IN
a second more a fearful splash was heard.
Our hero disappeared, somebody screamed,
and the horse bounded up the opposite
bank, stopping and looking complacently
back "a il reached shore.
The Young man vas not long IN coming
70 the surface, however, and quickly gained
the land, somewhat shrunken ia appearance
II is true, but still determined. As luck
would have it. the horse quietly Submitted
| and vas soon across the bridge, and IN ITS
| place again. Our hero quickly resumed
his seat without saying word, drove on,
| and conversation was resumed as soon as
the fair one could recover from a sup
pressed Et Of resisilsss laughter. Before
reaching home, everything was restored
and the voung man was himself laughing
c,-a- he In6;cror,s rnisbaps. and wondering