The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-07-20
A{noersol1 JnteQige1rter,
{. Home Again. "a Beautiful Sketch.

rOnuent OF the CltONGt, Is SSlla W law ocC,,ii
upon recent trip over the Boston ana Albany
Railroad. Its simplicity and natural expres-
sion makes one think Of Dickens style Of tell
ing these everyday incidents so charmingly:
ran across what first struck mo as very
singular genius on my road from Springfield to
BOSTON. This was stout, black whisEered man,
who indulged, from time to time, in the most
strange and unaccountable man@uyres Every
now and then he would get up and hurry away
to the narrow passage which leads to the door
in these drawing-room cars, and when ne
thought himself secure from observation, would
fall to laughing in the most violent manner MAJ
and continue the healthful exercise until ne
was as red in the face as q lobster: AS we
neared Boston these demonstrations increased
in violence. save that the stranger no longer
ran away to laugh, but kept his seat and chuck
led to himself. with his chin deep down In his
shirt collar. But the changes that those port
1nanteans underwent. He moved them here,
there everywhere; he put them behind him,
in front of him, on each side of him; He was
evidently getting ready to leave, but as we we
were vet twenty-five miles from Boston, tne
idea of such early preparations was ridiculous
If we had entered the city then the mystery
would have remained unsolved, Dut tne strah-
ger at last became so much eSclteo tna1 he
eonld keep his seat no longer. Some one must
me. Suddenly turning, as if had asked
question. he said rocking himself to and fro in
his chair the meantime, and slapping his legs
and breathing hard "Been gone three years ["
"Ah r' eyes, been in Europe. Folks don't eT-
meet me for six months yet, but got through
and started. / telegraphed them at the last
station: they've got it by this time" AS ne
said this ne rubbed his hands and changed the
portmanteau on his left to the right, and the ne
one on the right to the LETT again. "Got vile!
said l. eyes, and three children" he returned,
and he got up and folded his overcoat anew, anew,
and hung it over the back OF the seat: 0u o
are pretty nervous over the matter, am .Wan You
I said, watching his fidgety movements; wen,
7 should think l was,'' he replied; "I hain,t
slept soundly for week And do you know"
he went on, glancing around at the passengers
and speaking in lower tone, u am almosI
certain this train will run off the track and
break nv neck before get to Boston: Well,
the fact is. have had too much good luck Tor
one man lately. The thing can't last; ,talnt
natural that it should, you know; Eve watched
it. First it rains, then it shines, then 1t rains
again; it rains so hard you think IT'S never
going to stop; then it shines so bright you
think it's always going to shine; and JUST as
you are settled in either belief, you are knocked
over by a change, to show you that you know
nothing about IL. wen, acG0luins W WV
philosophy" says I, "you will continue to
have sunshine because you are expecting a
storm"
"It's curious" he returned, after pause
ssbut tile only thing which makes me think
pl pet through safe, is because | think
won't" 'eWell, that is curious" said l.
sTord. YES" he replied. "I'm a machinist-
made discovery-nobody believed it, spent
oil NV money irving to bring it out-mortgaged
INV home-sll went. Everybody but my wife
-spunkv little woman-said she would work
her fingers off before should giveit up. Went
to- England--no better there; came within an
ace of jumping off London Bridge. Went into
a shop to earn money enough to come home
with there met the man [ wanted. 10 make
long story short, Pye brought thirty Thousand
mounds home with me-" "Good Tor you, !!
exclaimed. eyes," said he, "thirty thousand
pounds; and the best of it is she doesn't know
ANYTHING aboutits-I've~focled- so 'often'
and disappointed her so much. that / just con
cluded would say nothing about this. When
I got my money, though, you better believe l
struck a bee line for home" "And now you
will make her happy" said l. "Happy!,' he
replied, "Why you don't know anything about
it. She's worked like dog while have been
gone. trying to support herself and the children
decently. They paid her thirteen cents apiece
for making. coarse shirts and that's the way
she lived half the. time; She'll come, down
there to the depot to meet me in ginghan1
dress and shawl hundred years Old, and
she'll think she's dressed up. oh, she won't
have no clothes after this-oh, no, guess not
and with these words, which implied that his
wife's wardrobe would soon rival that OF Queen
Victoria's, the stranger tore down the passage
wav again. and getting in his old corner, where
he thought himself out Of sight, went through
the straneest pantomimc, laughing, putting his
. mouth into the drollest shapes, and then SWING
;np himself backward and forward in the linn
tied space as if it were walking down Brood
way full rugged metropolitan swell. And SO
on until We rolled into the depot and Placed
nsyself on the other car, opposite the stranger,
who. with a portmanteau in each hand, had
descended, and was standing On the lower step,
ready to lump to the platform. looked from
his face to the faces of the people before us,
but saw no sign of recognition. Suddenly ne
cried: eThere they are" /" and laughed out right,
but in hysterical sort of a way, as he looked
ever the crowd. followed his eyes, end some
distance back, as if crowded out and shoulder
ed away by the we'll dressed and elbowng
throng. a little woman in faded dress and a
well-worn hat, with face almost painful in its
intense, but hopeful expression, glancing rapid
Nv from window to window as the coaches
glided in. She had not yet seen the stranger,
but moment after she caught his eye, and in
another instant he had jumped to the platform
with his two portmanteaus, and making hole
in the crowd, pushing one here and there, and
running one of his bundles plump into the
well-developed stomach of venerable-looking
old gentleman in spectacles, he rushed toward
the place where she was standing.
I think never saw face assume so many
different expressions in so short time as did
that of the little woman while her husband
was on his way to her. She didn't look pretty.
On the contrary, she looked very plain, but
someway felt a big lump rise In my throat as
Z watched her She was trying to laugh God
bless her, how completely she failed in the at
4anartl LIZ mouth rnt into TINT DOSiliOu. but