The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-06-15


th,,s. writes of an incident or the
Rostou and Albany railroad NOT many
weeks ago ~ =
ran across what first struck me asa very |
singular genius on my road from Sl!lus
field to Boston. ibis WAS q stou'. . J, IN
,rh;,kercd man who sat Immediately III
front Of me, and who mdulgcd, IRON .,.ne
70 time, in the most strange ana "n.
.,untahle maHGuvres. Every now -".u I
then he would get up and hurry awaI w
the narrow passage which lcadS W She ~
in these drawinS-room cars, anu Mnon
he thought himself secure rom oose, 49,.
,,onner. and continue the healthtuf eXcr-
c;Sc until he was as red in the face as lob
ster, As we nearcd Boston these demon
strat;ons increased in yioicuae,o save that
shn stranger no longer ran away to- laugh,
hut kept his seas and chncklcd to himself,
with his chin deep down in his shirt-coliar'
But the changes that those portmanteausI
underwent! He moved them here, there,
everywhere; he put them behind him, IN |
froni of him. on each side Of him. lie was |
evidently getting ready to leave. but us we |
were yet Is miles from Boston, the idea OF
such early preparations was ridiculous. Ill
we had entered the city then the mystery |
would have remained unSolrcd. but the
stranger at last become so excited that nc
could keep his seat no longer. Some one
must help him, and as was the nearest he
selected me. Suddenly turning. rs il had
asked a question. he said, rocking himself
to and fro in his chair the meantime, and
slappling his legs and breathing hard,
"Been gone three years |" "Ah!" Yes,
been in Europe. Folks don't expect me for
six months vet, but / got through and
started. telegraphed them ut the last sta
ton they've got it. by thiStimc." As he said
this he rubbed his hands and changed
the portmanteau on his left TO tue
right, and the one on the right to the
left again. -"Got wife," said 1. " Yes,
and three children" he returned, aud he
got up and folded his overcoat anew, ana
hung it over the back Of the seat. - GU
are pretty nervous over the matter, amt
you:' said, watching his fidgety move
incnts. "Well, should think so," he re-
plied. 81 hain't slept soundly for week.
And do YOU know" he went on, glancing
around ut the passengers and speaking III
a lower tone,t"I am almost certain this
train will run of the track and break my
neck before get TO Boston. Wen, the
facts. have had too much good luck for one
man lately. The thing can't last; faint
natural that it should, you know. Eve
watched it: First it rains, then it shines,
then it rains again. 1t rains so h;Td you
think it's never going to stop; then 1t
shines so bright you thin K its always going
to sbine; and just as you're settled i'll
either belief, you are Knocked over by, n
change, to show you that you know moth
philosophy" said |, "you will continue to
have sunshine, because you are expect
ing a Storm" '.it's curious" he re-
turned, "but the only thing which
makes me think / will get through safe,
is because l think I won't" "Well,
that is curious" said /. ''Lord, yes" he
replied. "Fm machinist-made dis
covery-nobody believed in it; spent all
my money trying to bring it out-mortSaSed
my homc-ill went. Everybody laughed
at me-eyerybody but my wiie-spunky
little woman-said she would work her
fingers off before l should give it up.
Went to Engand-no better there; came
within an ace Of jumping of London
bridge. Went into shop to earn money
enough to come home with; there l met the
man i wanted. To make long story short,
and here l am "Good for you! /
exclaimed. Eyes" said he, " ESQ, 900 !;
and the best of it is she don't know any
thing about it. Eve fooled her so often and
disappointed her SO much that | just con-
cludcd | would say nothing about this.
When got nv money through you better
believe I struck Decline for homc."
said T. now r4 E29 will make her happy,"
you don't know anything about it..
She's worked like 4 dog while | have been
gone, trying to support herself ana the
children deeentlv. They paid her thirteen
cents apiece for making coarse shirts; and
that's the way she'd live half the time.
She'll come do wn there TO the depotto meet
me in 4 Bingham dress, and shawl hun
dred wears old, and Shc'l think she's dressed
up. Oh, she wont have no clothes after
this-ob, no, guess not p And with these
words, which implied that his wfe's ward
robe would soon rival Queen Fictoria's, the
stranger tore down the passage-way!a again,
and getting in his old corner where he
thought himself out of sight, went through
the strangest pantommc, laughing, put
ting his mouth into the dIolest shapes,
and then swinging himself back and forth
in the limited space, us if he were "Walk-
ing down Broadway" 4 lull-ligSed Metro
politan belle. And so on till we rolled
into the depot, and placed myself on the
other car, opposite the stranger, who, with
a portmanteau in each hand, had descended
and was standing on the lowest step, ready
tojump to the platform. | looked from his
face to the faces of the people before us, but
. saw no sign of recognition. Suddenly he
cried, There they are," and laughed out
right, but in hysterical sort OF way, as he
looked over the crowd. followed his eyes.
and saw, some distance back, as II crowded
out and shouldcTed away by the well-dress-
ed and elbowing throng, q little woman LII
Il faded dress and well-worn bat, with a
face almost painful i'll its intense but hope
full expressions, glancing rapidly from WIN
dow to window as the coaches gllded In.
She had not yet seen the stranger, but mo-
ment after she caught hiseye, and III another
instant he had jumped to the platform
with his two portmantcaus, and making a
hole in the crowd, pushing one here and
there. and running one of his bundles
plump into the weli-developed stomach Of
q notwithstanding old gentleman in spec
tacles. he rushed toward the place where
shs was standing. / think | never saw 4
face assume so many different expressions
in 40 short a time as did that Of the little
woman while her husband was OH his way
to her. She didn't look pretty. On tue con-
trary, she looked very plain, but so1neWay
/ felt big lump rise in my throat as |
watched her. She was trying to laugh; but,
God bless her, how completely she failed
in the attempt! Her mouth got into the
position, but it never moved after that,
g. save to draw down ut the corners and
culver, while she blinked her eyes so fast
that suspect she only caught occasional
glimpses of the broad-shouldered fellow
who elbowed his way 80 rapidly toward her.
And then, as he drew close and dropped
those everlasting portmanteaus, she just
turned completely round, 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 baby, |
Ill n l. L L L. - L