Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-06-18
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MIGGLES.a

Mehad not spoken during heiphssage Of
the last six miles, since the jolting of
the heavy vehicle over the r0ukhening
road had spoiled the Judges last poeticSl
quotation. The tall man beside the Judge
was asleep, his arm passed through the
swaying strap and his head resting upon
it-altOgether limp, helpless.lookink OBJ.
ject, as If he had hanged himself and been
cut downtoo late. The French lady on
the back seat was asleep, too, yet in
halfoonscious proprietY of attitude. shown
even in the disposition of the handker.
chief-which she held to her forehead and
which partially yelled her face. The lady
from Virginia City, travelling with her
husband, had long since lost all individu-
atty in wild confusion of ribbons, wells,
fnrs and shswls. There was no sound
but the rattling of wheels and the dash Of
rain upon the roof. Suddenly the stage
stopped and we became dimly aware of
voices. The driver was evidently in the
midst of an exciting colloquy with some
one in the road-a colloquy of which
such fragments as "bridge gone" Given.
ty feet of water" "can't pass" were ooca-
sionally distinguishable above the storm.
Then came a lull, and the mysterious
voice from the road shouted the parting
adjuration: row
"Try Miggles'."
We caught a glimpse of our leaders as
the vehicle 'slowly turned, of q horseman
vanishing through the rain, and we were
evidently on our way to Miggles'.
Who and where was Migglesf The
Judge, our authority, did not remember
the name, and he knew the country thor.
oughly. The Washoe traveller thought
Miggles must keep ahotel We only knew
that we were stopped by high water In
front and rear, and that Miggles was our
rock of refuge. A ten minutes splashiDe
through q tangled by-road, scarcely wide
enough for the stage, and we dreWlup be.
fore a barred and boarded gate in wide
stone wall or fence about eight feet high.
Evidently .Miggles', and evidently Miggles
did not keep hotel. '"'7' '
The driver got down and tried the gate.
1t was securely locked.
rMigglesl OrMiggles l"alI-Ga
No answer.
"Migg.ellsl You Miggles |" continued
the driver with rising wrath.
Migglesy" Joined in the expressman,
persuasively., 20 Miggy Migl'
But no reply came from the apparently
insensate Miggles. The Judge, who had
head out and propounded series of ques-
tons, which If answered categorically
would have undoubtedly elucdated the
whole mystery, but which the driver
evaded by replying that eff we didn't
want to sit in the coach all night we had
better rise up and sing out for Miggles."
SO rose up and called on Miggles in
chorus. Then separately. And when we
had finished, a Hibernian fellow passenger
from the roof called for "MaygellBl" I"
whereat we all laughed. While we were
laughing the driver cried "ShooI'
We listened. To our infinite amaze
ment the chorus of -" Miggles" was re.
peated from. the other side of the wall
even to the final and supplemental
Maygells"
"Extraordinary echo" said the Judge.
Extraordinary id skunk |" roared
the driver, contemptuously. "Come out
Of that. Miggles, and show yourselfi Be a
man, Migglesl Don't hide in the dark /; L
wouldn't If wore you, Miggles," con-
hnued Yuba Blu, now dancing about in
an'excess of fury. - ~
Miggles" continued the voice, 40
my good man Mr.. Myghail I" said
the Judge, softening the asperities of the
name as much as possible "Consider the
inhospitality of refusing shelter from
the inclemency of the weather to helpless
females. Really, mydear sir" but q
succession of :" Miggles," ending in .
burst of laughter, drowned his voice.
Huba Bill hesitated no longer Taking
a heavy stone from the road, he battered
down the gate, and, with the expressman,
entered the enclosure We followed.
Nobody was to be seen. In the gathering
darkness all that we could distinguish was
that we were in garden--from the rose
bushes that scattered over US a minute
spray from their dripping leaves-and
before long, rambling wooden building.
ado you know this MigglesP" asked
the Judge of Yuba Bill.
"No, nor don't want to-" said Bill,
shortly, who felt the Pioneer Stage Com
gpany insulted in his person by the contu-
macious Miggles.
But, my dear sir" expostulated the
Judge, as he thought of the barred gate.
% Lookee here" said Yuba Bill, with fine
irony, hadn't you better go back and sit
In the coach till yer intToducedi I'm
the building.
A long room only lighted by the embers
of fire that was dying on large hearth
at its further extremity. The walls curl
ously papered, and the Pickering freight
bringing out its grotesque pattern. Some
body sitting in a large armchair by the
fire eplaee. All this we saw as we crowded
together into the room, after the driver
and expressman.
nog Hello, be you Miggles ?" said Yuba
Bill to the solitary occupant.
The figure neither spoke nor stirred
Yuba Bill walked wrathfully toward it.
and turned the eye of his coach lantern
upon its face. 1t was mans face, premA.
turely old and wrinkled, with very large
eyes, in which there was that expression
of perfectly gratuitous solemnity which
had sometimes seen in an owPs. The
large eyes wandered from Bills face to
the lantern, and finally fixed their gaze on
that luminous object, without further
recognition.
Bill restrained himself with an effort
l =" Miggles be you deafP You AIM
dumb, anyhow, you know; and Yubl
Bill shook the ihsensate figure by the
shoulder. To our great dismay, as Bill
= removed his hand, the venerable stranger
apparently collapsed sinking into hal
his size and an undistinguishable heap o
clothing.
Wen, dern my akin" raid Bill, looking
'hppeAllngly at us, and hopelessly retiring
from the contest - Hrilrn
The Judge now stepped forward, ant
we Hfted the mysterious vertebrate bacl
into his original position Bill was dis
missed with the lantern toreconnoitre out
side, for II was evident that from the help
lsssness OF this solitary man there must b,
ATTENDANTS near at hand, and we all drew
around the IRE. The Judge. who had re
gained his authority, and had never los
his conversational miabiity-stsndinl
before Us with his back TO the hearth
4 charged IA, as an Imaginary jury, As fol
llOWgt - = ~. t5,a ss'4i - Gss''
g at IS evident that either ouS distin
&. guisbed Eiepa hsIe has Fesohed that con
a!isoe sescyIbss l:S b y ss,h.PsAss y = y