Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1869-12-25

rev. y. hyaJb SInlJn
1--WE stopped at Syracuse, NY,
for dinner. You remember the
railrOOd depot, centrally situated,
with It's eastern and western en-
frances exactly alike--as much so
as the two ends of a car. After
we had dined, the depot master
informed me that we had seventeen
minutes to spare before the de-
parture of the Eastern train. This,
Thought l, will give me an opport-
unity to see the city and q glorious
chance for a smoke, provided q
clergyman could be tempted into
such a piece Of wasteful and
worldly amusement. I sauntered
forth, and, after an absence Of
exactly thirteen minutes, having
enjoyed a delightful and soothing
stroll, / was leisurely returning,
watch in hand, when, to my sud
den astonishment ! beheld the
train slowly gliding out at the
other end Of the depot, and In
creasing its speed at every puff Of
its gigantic locomotive.
Here indeed was 'call'' that
admitted of neither correspond
ence nor delay: there was no time
for taking 1t into confederation
So, without comforting with flesh
and blood, / put of like Q sky
rocket with q double fuse.
For a moment / thought !
had it all my own way; I thought
/ was gaining ground, although !
knew I was losing wind. / was
encouraged In the race by sundky
helpful fellows who kept crying
out as Ipassed, "go 1t gaitsRs,S
"plucky boy" "he amt left, o,
no !" aud other well-meaning and
benignant exhortations. Though
they inteAded, perhaps, helping
me over the course, / found that
the more they shouted the less In
clined l was to run, and the more
decidedly did the locomotivemakC
terrible headway against me. To
give up the chaise I; to submit tC
the chagrin Of being left; to lost
my party and my passage; u
meet with disappointment and no
to meet with friends, all this wa
bad enough; but the thought o
encountering, all the way back :,
the depot, that line Of interestet
individuals who with their cheer
ing,exclamations had so feelingl,
encouraged me on my outwar,
journey, this was the bltterest pil
in this unexpected dose.
But 1t must be done so tapel
off gradually I gave up the cor
test and turned back to meet N
! fate, and-if / could find him
I the depot master whose blundel
ing statements we're the cause {
all my trouble. Without scare
that individual advanced TO gree
me with the bland recognition O
q fact that no one could well deny
"Well, you got left, did you p
replied only with the resentmer
! offs "silencing eye.,' II / locke
} as / tried to look, my photograp
J taken at that instant would hardl
be chosen to grace an album gal
lery of "eminent dlvines.-
Several by.standers seeking In
formation, asked, with a show Q
confidential interest in my case
on what wise the thing happened
( and others, wishing ITO point
; moral" advised me to be on han
! a little earlier next time. With n
turning breath, relief and word
came together, and I squarel
charged the railroad official wit
, all the blame. Ispoke OF his il
competency In no measured term
recalling how that after ! be
, placed my party In the car he be
assured me that there were fu
seventeen minutes to spare betoT
the train went out; "while here,
, said I, with a triumphant exhlb
} ton ofmy watch, "the seventes
: minutes are even now barely Vi
|, and yet the train is gone out
0 sight
: After no little hot shot cast BAG
/, and forth, with the usual variation
Q and final perorations of "yOu di
0 and you didn't "you're anotheI
a etc" !" asked him whether l woul
be risking another chance Of b
, /, ing leGtifI depended upon him
give me the exact hour of the d
0 parture Of the next Eastern trai
= "Eastern'w exclaimed he. aye
9 Eastern l replied, with a decit
: edly upward and sarcastic inhe
s ton. "Why," quoth he, "tl
4 train you've just been chasing wi
such good luck wasn't an Easte
train, but the Western Express
With much and interesting co
2 fusion and excitement, I IstammC
IS ed out, "then where in Joppa
d the Eastern train Z" "Why, the
it is" replied he, ';just getting u
der way at the other end Of t
n depot; leg it, or you'll lose that
If ever | made Dexter time,