The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-04-08
From London Society.

From London Society.
THE NAIL GUARDS STORY.
Reader, have you ever been obliged
to wait at small country railway
station for an early train? If you
have not, you have not experienced
the ne plus ultra of human misery.
But when, rs was my case last year,
you have left Jolly party, driven
five miles to catch the mail at 2 q. M,
and found on your arrival at the
station, not that the train had gone,
for that would be relief, but that
you had mistaken the time, and had
got three-quarters of an hour to wait,
your lot is notan enviable one. So
I thought, as I stamped up and down
the ill-lit platform, and gazed into
the darkness beyond, which was
only broken by the di1n and misty
light of the "distance" signal, some
hundred yards down the line. The
occasional barking of q house dog
alone broke the stiffness, except
when now and then the autumn
breeze played in a wailing tone on
the telegraphic wires over my head.
AS I paced up and down to warm my
feet, I felt regularly Savage" that
the well-meant solicitations of the
company assembled at the Beeches
had induced me to forego the last
waltz with Minnie Cameron and hur-
~ to the station.
I had been staying for the last
fortnight at the house of q relative,
and what with shooting, fishing and
Unjust I confess it?) occasionally firt-
ing with the blue-eyed Minnie, the
days had passed rapidly; and when
recalled to London by my fathers
business-ike letter, which limited at
some impending calamity connected
with our firm, I could hardly believe
that my leave had SO nearly expired.
There was no help for it, and go I
must. Myrelatives appeared as sorry
as I was when l announced lny in
tended departure, and 1 fancy L
could discern traces of tears in Min
nie's sunny eyes as I bade her fare
well in the hall that evening, bearing
with me q shining tress of her faxen
hair, and hasty kiss, as Souvenirs
of my visit. Oh, Minnie, Minnie
what would that excellent man, the
incumbent, think, could he have
seen the shining token Of what I
fancied was your affection for Inc,
lying on my table prior to its being
committed to the flames, with q
bundle of old letters, when last
month heard you were "engaged?"
Under such circumstances as have
described, the reader will easily ina
gine I was not in O particularly
cheerful frame of mind on the night
or rather morning, in question.
sauntered into the dreary waiting
room, and lighting q cigar, seated
myself in front of the expiring fire,
which L was even denied the amuso-
ment of stirring, the authorities hav-
ing carried away the fire-irons
Placing my feet upon the fender, I
lay back in my chair, and, as most
men would have done. 1 began to
ruminate upon the events of the last
fortnight. and-Minnie! After time
1 reused myself, and attempted the
repecusal of my fathers letter, and
then-I fell fast asleep. How long L
slept I cannot say, probably about
five minutes, but it seemed an age,
when [ was aroused by the creaking
OF the ''breaks" of train. started
up, and rushed blindly to the door,
fancying that the mail had come up,
when came in violent contact with
a guard, who was entering at the
same moment as was making hur-
ried exit.
''Beg your pardon, sir" said the
polite official; whats the matter2p