Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-06-02
THE QUAKER.

oiu tihco VI SteiSc COtCucS, Nndl L udu
occasion to travel in one of those ve-
hicles somewhere in the north of Eng
land. There were no outside passen-
gers, but we were FIVE ;nside-namely,
two ladies, middle-aged gentleman, a
Quaker, and myself.
The two ladies might have been
mother and daughter, aunt and niece,
governess and charge, or might have
sustained any other relationship which
makes it proper for two ladies to travel
together unattended.
The middle-aged gentleman was
sprightly and talkative. He soon
struck up an acquaintance with the
ladies, toward whom, in his zeal TO do,
he rather orerdid, the agreeable-bow-
ing and smiling and chattering over
his shoulder in way painfully sugges-
tive of crick in the neck. He was ev-
identity gay Lothario.
The Quaker wore the uniform of his
sect, and confined his speech, as many
parliamentarian would save his credit
by doing, to simple ''yeas" and mays"
AS for myself, I made it an invariable
rule of the road to be merely locker
on and listener.
Toward evening, / was aroused from
one of those reveries into which
young man ,cithom being either poet
or lover, a0W sometimes fall, by the
abrupt query from the talkative gentle
man, care you armed, sir?''
al am not" | answered, astonished,
no doubt yisibly, at the question.
81 am sorry to hear it," he replied;
"for before reaching our next stopping
place it will be several hours in the
night, and we must pass over a portion
of the road on which more than one
robbery is reported TO have been COM
mitted"
The ladies turned pale, but the
stranger did his best to re-assure them.
"Not that think there is the slight
est danger at present." he resumed;
"only when one is responsible for the
safety of ladies, you know, such a thing
as pistol in reach materially adds to
ones confidence. Your principles, my
friend,' addressing the Quaker, 81
presume are as much opposed to carry
ing as to using carnal weapons?"
''Yea," was the response.
"Have the villains murdered any of
their victims?' the elderly lady ner-
vously inquired
"Or have they contented themselves
-with-plundering them?" added
the other, in timorous voice.
Decidedly the latter" the amiable
gentleman hastened to give assurance;
"and as We are none of us prepared to
offer any resistance in case of attack,
nothing worse than robbery can posi-
bly, befall u.s."
Then after blaming his thoughtless-
ness in having unnecessarily intro
duced a disagreeable subject the gen
tleman quite excelled himself in efforts
to raise the spirits of the company, and
had succeeded SO well by the time
night set in, that all had quite forgot
ten, or only remembered their fears,
to laugh at them. Our genial compan-
ion fairly talked himself hoarse. Per-
ceiving which he took from his pocket
a packet of newly-invented cough
candy" and, after passing it first TO
the ladies, he helped himself to the
rest, and tossed the paper out of the
window.
He was in the midst of high en-
comium on the new nostrum, when a
shrill whistle was heard, and almost
Immediately the coach stopped, while
two faces, hideously blacked, presented
one at each window.
"Sorry to trouble you," said the
man on the right, acknowledging with
a bow two lady-like screams from the
back seat; "but business is business
and ours will soon be over if things
go smoothly"
"Of course, gentlemen, you will
spare, as far as may be consistent with
your disagreeable duty, the feelings of
these ladies?" appealed the polite pas
senger, in his blandest manner.
"Oh, certainly; they shall De nrst
to, and shall not be required
to leave their places or submit to a
search, unless their conduct renders {
it necessary. And now, ladies'" con-
tinued the robber, the barrel of his
pistol glitteriDg in the light of the
coach lamp, "be so good as to pass
out your purses, watches, and such
other trinkets as may be accessible, {
without too much trouble"
The ladies came down handsomely,
and were no further molested.
One by one, the rest of US were com
PEELED to get out, the middle aged gen. (
tleman's turn coming first. He sub