The Shasta courier., 1868-02-01
NUMBER AZ.


!er-of fact way. There is one story remain-
ing 10 be told, which is of much more 70.
lianuc and sentimental character, so that :
muse readers who do not fancy romantic
'aies may as we'll, perhaps, pass over the re-
mainder of this article.
| a student who had completed bis studies
anu was commencing his professional life
| unoer very favorable auspices. was on his
way nome late in the Autumn to make a
iilsie ~ Visit to the parental roof 1t was in the
! olu ''mes, when the only mode of convey.
| ahce lor travelling was the stage coach.
Among his fellow passengers in the coach
was young lady of very agreeable nerson
and manners, who first attracted his notice
by her kind consideration for an aoed woman
| who was assisted into the coach at a vavside
Inn. In the course of the day the gentleman
| became pretty we'll acquainted with the
young lady, whose name he ascertained was
| Mary W. He began to feel a strong
interest IN her, and it would seem from the
result that the interest was in some degree
| reciprocal. In the course of the conyersa-
tions that they held together in the stage.
and also in walking up certain long hills.
where such of the passengers as were so dis.
| posed got out to relieve the horses. thew
learned mutually, many particularly of each
others parentage and history, SO that as the
day passed. on they began to feel somewhat
like old friends.
during the afternoon rain storm came
on. The roads became wet and heavy, and
the progress made was slow. The skv was
overcast and darkness supervened at a very
early hour, while the stage was vet several
miles from the village where it was to stop. 4
AS the wheels went on plowing through the
mud and ruts the passengers became uneasy.
for the driver had no lights. The Young
lady, however, evinced SO much calmness
and composure as greatly to increase the
interest which the student felt for her. The
danger was real, as the event proved, for
Just as the coach reached the TOP of hill.
the wheels on one side went off the edge of
the road into ditch, and the coach over.
turned. =
The student called out to the passengers to
lie as still as possible, SO as to get out quietly,
one by one, from the opening in the side of
the coach which was uppermost. He was
himself near the door on that side, and was
the first to escape. He then assisted the
others by feeling, for it was so utterly dark
that nothing could be seen. The young
lady came next but one. The road was SO
wet and muddy, he said, that She could not
step In it, and she must let him carry her to
the bank on the other side. She consented.
~ ~ eOVh HCl III HIS dTInS anu De0an TO
carry her across the muddy road, feeling his
way in the utter darkness, made more in
tense by the trees of forest that bordered
the road. She yielded herself so readily to
his grasp, and reclined her head SO confid.
ingly upon his shoulder, that he was encour-
aged to whisper in her ear, {" Mary, are YOU
engaged TO be married 2" She answered.
" No. " Are you willing to be my wife %
She answered Yes" He sealed the prom.
ise with the usual little ceremony, and then
placed his prize upon fat stone by the
road side, the white surface of which reflected
the sky sufficiently to make its form just Wis.
ible, after which he went back to assist the
other passengers.
| believe that this couple were not married
within the month. but they were duly united
at the proper time. The lady afterward
often told her friends that she always had the
most agreeable associations with the idea of
the upsetting of stage coach, though they
could not imagine why. -
We cannot absolutely guarantee the truth
of all these stories, but leave our readers to
exercise their own judgment and discretion
in regard to their credibility.