The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-03

yEWspAPERS OF THE CITY.
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Ny Mnryland-A Cold Journey.
Communicated
Saturday, December oath, was a very,
very cold day. Friday night | innocently
and unsu>pectingly left Richmond and
There baggage and freight were placed on
the steamer. and the usual signals were
given for departing, but it was all in vain.
The winds which whistled keenly, and
PLAYED their shrill notes upon every post,
and spar, and rope of wharf and steamer,
had so swept out the tide that the boat
rested on the sand. and the engine groaned
and screamed in vain.
Seeking the gallant and obliging captain
(Hollingshead) made known my situation;
how was bound for " Maryland, My Mary
land,' and that the most ancient and rev.
cred part of 1.-THE venerable county of St.
Mary'S. His genial countenance was IL
lumincd with sympathy when l told him
all my story Of the loved ones whose faces
would the next day be turned upon the
road in the direction I was expected to
come, aud cf the tiny voices that would
mngle with others in anxious speculation
about my coming. imagined he had not
| felt so sadly before the he]plessness of his
fine steamer. Despairingly he said. We
are aground, and may not get OF till or 8
| o'clock tomorrow morning" Promising
to do all he could for me, we grasped hands
and resolutsly retired to await the fates OF
wind and tide. 1t was a sad night. The
terrific blows and walls sounded so like
| the voices Of disaster and desolation that
was almost persuaded that Boreas was a
reality. The ropes whlstled, loose parts Of
the vessel rang and creaked, and the cold
was so intense I could imagine the feelings
OF the Arctic navigator with his ship fast
locked in ice. But sleep, when it comes,
i none the worse in n comfortable berth for
these exterior discomforts.
Morning came, and with it the renewed
eXertion Of the engine and the final escape
OF the boat from the wharf. She pitched
into the channel Of the grand Potomac,
whose bosom was rent by the gale and
covered with floating ice. 1t was scene
10 make man hug his wrapping about
hiln, and to make Il mother draw closer to
her breast her infant; for there was on every
hand Inc peril Of life so 1rigid and so fcro-
cinus that it chilled the blood at the bare
sight.
inat morning I was to have taken pas
sage in = steamer at Washington for land
ing on the shore in the good old county OF
IT. Nury'S. As Gf she started ut alll she
should have lelt Washington about the time
| We cleared Aluia Creek, the kind captain,
whom | had constantly consulted, deter.
mined it best to land Inc at Glymount, in
Charles county, where the expected boat
would touch. TO touch there in such u
blow was serious work. The first effort
failed; the second succeeded, and hurried
rapidly to the wharf, my baggage following
close upon me. \ fcllow-tasscnger landed
with me to wait tor the down mail boat.
ND .t nf hp ,iI r,t
Captain Hoiing head shall never forget
Waving him my thanks and my adieu as he
stood upon the hurricane deck, | rushed to
The house near by TO shield myself from the
keen Wiuds.
Glymouut that day was the coolest place,
! l suppose, soGti Of -Aroostook. There il
WAS my lot to wait from I o'clock A. NJ to
II !. i. NJ. eagerly watching for the boat and
iobscrFinS the process of freezing and the
illustration III miniature Of the effect OF
the surf upon the sea-Shore. All along the
bank Of the Potomac the waves swept
Violently, hcaping up an embankment
Of ice, like Il fortl1ication. The waves fu.
riouSly dashing upon that formed miniature
caves and galleries, strictly initiating the
caves and colonaQ0S and ruins often dis
played by u prccipitous ocean shore which
has been worn by the impetuous and almost
reSiStics> Surf. The study was interesting,
hut | could only devote few moments at q
time to it. ] confess to have derived not Z
little consolation from this source, detained
Oh the bleak shore When there was SO much
reason to desire 20 be on my journey.
Consulting the very polite gentleman who
kept the bar at the wharf, about the ways
OF the country III case the boat came not,
he told me the stage for Port Tobacco ran
daily from Glymount, and would depart as
soon rs the mail boat arrived, or at l O'Clock
whether it arrived or not. Delightful
news. But in popped the driver OF that
stage. Save us and bless us. as the much
esteemed Lawrence Gushing would say
hay, ''angcls and ministers of grace de-
icnd u.s." is u w"llknoWn Danish Prince
cried out 10 al appallt.on somewhat differ
ent from this gay driver. Is lie the driver OF
the Port Tobacco stage? "That's him."
Well, what sort of stage can his be? /
soon found out. lie was an Irishman, and
it was Christmas Eve. He wore gray
sack orercoat, threadbare, and worn into
scolops about the tail. His hat was a COPY
OF small basin, ana fitted the head close.
His nose, pinched by cold. was as red us Il
turkeys snout, and lis eyes danced to the
tune of one stiff drink, which was soon
turned into very irregular motion by
another bumper. After which ne attempt.
cd to amuse his announced passenger by
Sundfy Joc0Se remarks upon the said pas
fectly reckless III his extremity, pitched in
by way OF retaliation, and raised such a
laugh ut the drivers expense amongst the
hall-dozen whites and as many blacks sitting
round the stove, that lie did not forget it,
but played it on me afterwards SIN 4 way
deSpise."
The next sensation was the appearance
Of the stage IAN open spring wagon with
two seats, drawn by stinted clay-bank
stallion with very narrow neither end, and
Il slnall bay horse, both appearing to be
better acquainted with whip than corn.
The driver, in guiding this gay establish
ment around the tence-he himself rocking
from side to side--came near carrying the
fence by the board but drunken men make
rare escapes, and SO he got off with Il sharp
ijur-how, it was hard 10 tell.
! Think Of a ride of twelve miles in this
vehicle driven by this driver! which /
, didu't take, US you will see. Ilali-past !
came, and at my earnest solicitation the Z.
NJ. told Pat to cut out. just then two col.
ulnns OF smoke rose beyond the point, and
| it was proclaimed that my boat was coming.
| | begged the lrishman 10 wait ten minutes
thit this matter might be settled. "Pll be
! damned if do" said he; "the postmaster
! has given me Inc orders, and I'll wait not q
minute" "But, my friend, l'll pay you
for waiting that long" ''ihe money to
brlbe me amt in the country" Impatient
at his obstinacy, l told him to 80 ahead,
ana he put out in very peculiar manner !;
and that's the way lie played it upon me.
Imagine my annoyance when the causes
of the smoke appeared: two little tug-boats
about the size of tnlerable canoes !
| hunted uDa private conveyance, hired it,