Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-04-30
5tlrttc6 Altscellanp.
FORTY sHILLNGs AND COSTS.

EOhhl ShAbhlNuo AMI COSASs
IHAp been all day trying TO get from
Aveminster to Chichester by a country
line, London line, and a branch line of
railway. In the first place, as the country
line only ran three trains a day, passenger
and goods together, necessitating weary
shuntings at every station, we could hardly
be said to have made a good start. In
the next place, the strategic arrangement
whereby the London line managed invari-
ably to start its trains five minutes before
the arrival of the cup country train,
making us wait for two hours at MARI
bury junction, to spite the country com.
pany, scarcely tended to rapid progress
In the third place as it always happens to
be the aim of a traffic-manager to endeavor
to drive passengers on to the main line,
and to visit with all possible retributive de.
lays the hostile British public when it soiI
travel on branch, we could not be CON
sidered to have made up for the lost time
on the branch. In the fourth place, it
didn't help us forward to be compelled to
travel one hundred and twenty.seven
miles round about in parabola, in order
to reach Chichester, which, at starting,
was only fifty y-eightmies from Aveminster
In the fifth and last place, we were not
got to Chichester yet and it would have
been money in my pocket if / never had.
"Swinbro'-Swinbro'. Change here
for Marchmont and Nutchley. Change
here"
Almost time for a change, reflected.
considering had been nine hours out on
journey of fifty-eight miles, and was
still far off from my destination. Look
ing out from my window of first class
compartment, saw it was cherries,
drizzling night, and the railway porters
were streaming in the misty air as they
hurried to and fro past the CLEAN of. the
lamps. demonstrating with the guard re-
specting our train being an hour late, and
the time past eleven at night, he soothed
my irritation by telling me gruffly I had
no business on branch line if l wanted
to go anywhere; and if 1 would go to out
of-the-way places like Chichester, I must
be very thankful if the company put
themselves to the expense of taking me
there at all, considering branches didn't
pay to work as rule.
A solitary passenger then entered my
carriage, or rather was banged into it by
the guard. Another minute, and tho
guard had banged himself into his van,
emitting the growl; "Change here p
Our fiery and restive iron stead, no doubt
weary with its headlong career of full
twelve miles an hour, gave heroic neigh
OF triumph, resembling feeble crow, in
emulation of past exploits, in days long
before it was condemned to transporta-
ton on branch. and dragged us of into
the bleak night.
My companion was a tall, thin, middle
aged man, with face lean and withered
like shriVelled apple, concluded below
the chin by stiff satin eravat. In dress,
tight-ftting, and of ancient and faded
black, be looked altogether like man
who had run very much to seed, which
perhaps accounted for the luxuriant
growth of his arms and legs. Observing
his clothes steaming with the damp air,
began to realize it was very chilly. 1t
certainly was. g.as..l.1 1..H9 t.,,I
"Quite change in the weather." I
remarked, every cold tonight, is it not ?"
"Don't feel the cold myself. Perhaps
you would like to change places scith me.
There is no draught here"
replied should be very pleased to do
80, II not to his Inconvenience; and ac-
cordingly we changed seats.
1t aoaS cold, and no mistake. / must
have taken a chill, fer felt the cold creep
ing over me in most unaccountable man.
ner. H.a ~
Looking at my companion on the op.
posite seat, on whom the lamp. light now
shone full, saw that his face was not so
thin, nor his features 80 withered, as had
at first supposed and must have made a
mistake as to his age, for he was by no
means so old as / had previously judged.
How cold it was to be sure As con-
tinued too look at him, noticed his aspect
changed momently-that he was growing
younger that the wrinkles in his face
were filling out and smoothing down and
that he was gradually becoming like some
one / had seen before. AS his cheeks
grew round and ruddy, and his hair
changed from gray to brown, before my
very eyes, I became in such a state oi
nervous agitation, endesVored to cry
ont, but could not. was paralyzed with
the cold, d,-cold that seemed to make my
limbs rigid, and numb my vitals; for
saw the man sitting before me was nc
longer a stTanger-no more friend OF
acquaintance he had become MEl
Iheld up my hands to try and shut out
the sight, and as did so, saw that they
wei withered, and thin, and old. pressed
them on my brow, to see if were dream
ing but l found it shrivelled, and scanned
and puckered. And knew that this man
this fiend, had stolen my body, and giYeI
me his. Maddened with the discovery,
rose to my feet, Ibis feet which sWayeC
beneath me, and struck wildly at th'
vision of myself on the other seat. But
found my, arms light as vapor, for thel
passed over his body, which went through
them, giving me the impression of pain
1t was body of shade that had beel
given me for my own body Of flesh ant
blood, which this wretch had stolen. y,
some sorcerY or other, We had indeel
changed places. I'd ~ ,-rs
Sorcerer -demonlp / cried out, only 4
hear myself speaking with his sharE
cracked voice. When saw myself sittin
opposite 10 me coolly addressing me i
my own voice, could no longer credit M
senses, if indeed had any of them at a
left of my own.
"Dare say you think you are speakin
loud now" he said.
! answered by calling the guard as lout
ly as could halloo.
"Ah, you might call good deal loade
than that, Il the carriage were full of pa
sengers, and they could no more hear 20
than they could see yOu,s he continued
chuckling, and screwihg up my feature
into hideously knowing grin, such as
could never have made them assume (" 70
sec, my friend, yours is a body Of air, {
shadow, insensible, impalpable 70 all bu
myself, Just rs il WAS 10 all but you Whe
l entered the carriage. You wish, pc
hAps, TO know who ami Well, tw
years ago tonight, was passenger b
this very upimail There was eollisio
with stupid doWn-goods, you see, an
the result was that several passengers wal
injured One OF them waa--well, its b