Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-12-29
MISCELLANEOUS. :
ATLANTIC MAn-FIRsT-CLAss.

ATLANTIC MAIL-FIRST-CLASS
As naturally as a steel needle flies to
magnet SO. have feltsalways- ready e
do not say it vauntnglyI Nor put it for.
ward as a. Virtue, for the act has generally
been involuntary; and so it was one day
last year. when. having seen my small
quantity of personal luggage on board the
great screw liner lying at the wharf get.
ting up her steam, ready for her race across
the Atlantic, was loafng about, watching
with considerable amusement the, arrival
OF passengers, for the most part excited,
worried, and the prey of porters and cab
?, H Who seem 70 be troubled with no
mon perfections III Iliverpool than in the
metropolis. A lighted cigar was between
nav lips and was trying to enjoy it-for,
Judging from old experience of my sensa.
LIONS in rough sea, l did not anticipate
DO much comfort for the next two or three
days at the least-when very ordinary
looking man, evidently a commercial
traveller for cutting house, walked up
l while dn Sd ofenaExe1 q manher that a.
handed my cigar, glanced down at his
-eit hand to see that it was not meddIing
with my watch chain. 80 9l90I0
Looks Ikea commercial, bst tmay bela
, HiGk pocket VI isaid-m mentally. aof cenrse
while he pulled at his cignr, putting
mine out in the process. 51S1i " =
Going acrossS" he said abruptly, and,
10 use what would probably have been his
expression, taking stock of me the while
"Going across the pond-RszUelzv,a p, he
ea1d again, coolly, and nodding his head
seward the great steaming and, snoring
My cigar-thanksr 1 said, in tone
meant to be perfectly Belgravian in its 1
hauteur, as I turned aside; for had met |
the appeal OF q pair Of dark eyes-a lady I
was In distress, and, between porters and |
Dag gage, apparently perfectly bewildered.
Are you going on board ?" asked , \,
- Yes. oh yes" said the owner Of the /
the steamer, SirP" EtuH I'D
"Er-no. not exact y" I said taken
somewhat aback; and felt disposed 10 7
! saF, - Do = hnok as if7I.was ?'2ssAlIow +
me though- meni' III, h.liD4l
Yes YES, z said thelady q they ask six
snnIIngs Tor bringing my luggage from the
station. Is it correct?"
"Absurdl No." / said; half a crown
Is ample" And, espousipg the lady's cause,
I dismissed the ravenous monsters who
: prey upon the unprotected, and then sent \
her luggage on board the HeloeE1yn, casting !
more than once glance aside to- see that
my new acquaintance was tall, with hand
some, wellmarked features, very iatiylike \
and dressed in the first fashion. r..;sgl
Seems odd, l thought, " travelling quite
alone. Strong minded woman, perhaps :"
But this latter thought was set aside the
u
Z -gapgway; for there- Wasa quiet earnest
trusting look In her dark eyes; and the an I
swers she gave to my entreaties5 that she
would not be alarmed at the rushing wafer
the uneasy motion of the steamer, and thet
pushing, excited crowd, were grateful in 4
the extreme felt dattered, andnot at all TX
Sorry that such companion was to share
my voyage.
IF you would lead me to the cabin !
where l could see the stewardess, she
said, and immediately handed her to the i
saloon door, where she turned frankly to
hold out q we'll l-gloved though rather large
hand. am indeed much obliged. 1 am {
Obliged to travel alone; but my husband 9
viii meet me on landing at New York, and re
he viii, know, be extremely grateful for !
your Kindness" s
= Thenext moment was standing alone, a
confounding her husband, aud appealing C
to fate to know why another should have /
1rst seen and secured about the, only wo- {
man who seeTneds likely to form an agree e
able sharer of my pilgrimage through life. q
Nice to be young, smart-lOokingl fell e
low, said voice; and, turning, there j
stood the bagman, putting away at his cigar, t
and staring at me with all his might, a
though, probably from business habit, he d
was referring from time to time to a pocket f.
book he held in his hands. NOW, you II
know, never make an impression like lis
that on a lady. never find the, sex ask 4
ing my protectionS and ealI that sort of b
thing. Very nice, though. should think,
isn't its"
He accompanied his last words with the 81
slightest approach to wink, and closing v
the bh0k he poked me with it in the side "
when felt so annoyed that angrily turn e
ed upon my heel and walked to the side, 81
watching the arrival of late passengers; 81
butsto my great disgust he followed me, +
and, heedfess of my frowning looks, con. IL
tinued his scrutiny. - s3oi3'0 Y o
tried very hard to get rid of him, but II
snubbing was thrown away. Apparently "
he could not understand that his Scbndueti n
was dftrasfVss and az Aas6 making a vir- a
tue OF necessity. suffered him, and he lit a.
orally hooked himself on to me. at'1u 81 ii
But all the same he seemed to have. a IL
ehreYd business eye and while carefully i'to
'AeeMng etoseto me he serltinized allWhobl al
came on board till the time for starting had
arrived The cables were cast loose. the Efr
screw revolved slowly, then stopped, tn n I'll
revolved again, aid the vessel heCan gl
grandlYste move forward, the passengers 81
waving their adieus they clustered Inv ;
the side Then once more the bao1nnlaIs 4 m a
stared me full in the face, looked undeci-1 oi
died. walked through the throng on deck. 7
4 got N the s7ii2Hfway, stared in face after Il
! AeskA 1 Jhi1l whossonght his mas,
tsr, and lAs1, in the same undecided man 1t