The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-07-12
Ohio, Wednesday Morning,

months yet, but got through and
started. telegraphed them at the
last station; they've got it by this
time" As he said this he rubbed his
hands and changed the portmanteau
on his left to the right, and the one on
| the right to the left again. "Got a
wife ?" said l. eyes and three chill
dren,' he returned, and he got up and
folded his overcoat anew. and hung it
over the back OF the seat. "You are
pretty nervous over the matter, amt
your 1 said, Watching his fidgety
movements. "Well 1 should think
so ! amt slept soundly for a week.
And do you know" he continued,
glancing around at the passengers and
speaking in lower tone, 81 am most
certain this train will run off the
track and break my neck before 1 get
tc Boston. Well, to tell the truth, 1
have had too much good luck lately.
The thing can't last; 'tain't natural it
should, you know. I've watched it.
First it rains, then it shines, then it
rains again. 1t rains so hard you are
certain its never going to stop; then
it shines so bright that you think its
always going to shine; and just as
you are settled in either belief, you
are knocked over by change; to show
you that you know nothing about it: "
"Well, according to the philosophy, :"
said I, '>you will continue to have SUM-
shine because you are expecting a
storm"
"It's curious" he returned, "but the
only thing which makes me think l
will get through safe, is because I
think I won't" "Well that is Gu
rious," said 1. 'tLord, yes" he re-
piled. "pm a machinist-made a
discovery-nobody believed in it;
spent all my money trying to bring it
out-mortgaged my home-all went.
Everybody laughed at me-everybody
! but wife-spunky little woman-said
she would work her fingers off before
1 should give it up. Went to England
no better there came within an ace
of jumping off London bridge. Went
into shop to earn money enough to
come home with there [ met the man
1 wanted. To make long story short,
I've brought $50 900 home with me,
and here | am" Good for you !" L
exclaimed. Eyes, said he, thirty
thousand pounds and the best of it
is, she don't know anything about it.
I've fooled her so often, and disap-
pointed her so much, that L just con-
cluded L would say nothing about
this. When I got my money though,
you better believe struck a bee line
for home" "And now you viii make
her happy" said I. Happy, ".Ee re-
piled, why you don't know anything
about it. She's worked like dog
) while have been gone. trying to sup
port herself and the children decently.
They paid her thirteen cents apiece
for making coarse shirts and that s
the way she'd live half the time. She'll
} come down there to the depot to meet
me in q Bingham dress, and shawl a
hundred years old, and she'll think
she's dressed up. Oh, sha won t have
no clothes after this-oh, no, l guess
/ notw And with these words, which
implied that his wife's wardrobe would
soon rival Queen Victoria's, the stran-
ger tore down the passage way again,
/ and getting into his old corner. where
be thought himself out of sight, went
, through the strangest pantomlne'
laughing, putting his mouth into the
drollest shapes, and then swinging
6 himself back and forth in the limited
space, as if he were walking down
Broadway" a full rugged metropolitan
belle And SO OH till we rolled into
the depot, and I placed myself on the
other car, opposite the stranger. who.
with g portmanteau in each hand, had
descended and was standing on the
lower step, ready to jump to the plat
4 form. | looked from his face to the
faces of the people before us, bat saw
no sign of recognition. Suddenly he
cried, "There they are, and laughed
outright, but in hysterical sort OF a
> way, rs he looked over the crowd.
followed his eyes and saw some dis:
tance back, as if crowded out and
shouldered away by the well dressed
and elbowing crowd, a little woman In
a faded dress, and well worn hat,
with a face almost painful in its in
tense but hopeful expression, glancing
rapidly from window to window as the
coaches glided in. She had not yet
seen the stranger, but a moment after
n she caught his eye, and in another in
n slant he had jumped to the platform
It with his two portmanteaus; and max
ing hole in the crowd, pushing here
and thee and running one of his bun
3 dies into the well developed stomach
u of venerable looking old gentleman
> > in spectacles, and rushed toward the
- place where she was standing. think
y / never saw a face assume so many
different expressions in so short lime
: as did that little woman while hel
{ husband was on his way to her. She
: : didn't look pretty. On the contrary,
= she looked very PLAN, but someway !
felt big lump rise in my throat as l
j watched her She was trying to laugh,
: hut, God bless her, how completely
; she failed in the attempt! Her mouth
got into the position; but it never
; moved after that, save to draw down
) the corners and quiver while she blink
. ed so fast that l suspect she occasion
ally caught glimpses at the broad
shouldered fellow who eibowed his
; way so rapidly toward her. And then,
! as he drew close he dropped those
! everlasting portmantenus, she just
! turned completely around, with her
back toward him, and covered her
face with her hands. And thus she
, was when the strong man gathered
! her up in his arms as if she had been
! a baby, and held her sobbing to his
,, breast. There we're enough gaping
: at them, beaven knows, then l saw
@L,oolLo,,a rOonia hOUts