Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-07-14
A Railroad Car Scene.

| Capital thus writes OF an incident on the
Boston d Albany railroad, not many
weeks ago.
! / ran across what first struck me rs
very singular genius on my road from
| Springfield to Boston. This was stout,
! b ack-whiskered man who sat immediate
| ly in front of me, and who INDUCED, from
time to time, in the most strange and un-
accountable maneuvers. 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 he thought himself secure from
observation, would fall to laughing in
the most violent manner, and continue
the healthful exercise until he was red in
! the face as a lobster. As we neared
Boston these demonstrations increased in
violence, save that the stranger no long
er ran away to laugh, bat kept his seat
/ and chuckled to himself with his chin
deep down in his shirt collar. But the
changes that those portmanteaus under
went He moved them here. there, ev-
cry where; he put them behind him, in
front of him, on each side OK him. He
was evidently getting ready to leave, but
as we were vet twenty-five miles from
Boston, the idea of such early prepara-
tions was ridiculous. If we had entered
the city then, the mystery would have
remained unsolved, but the stranger at
last became so much excited that he
could keep his seat no longer. Some
one must help him, and as | was the
nearest he selected me. Suddenly turn
ing, 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 (" "Yes, been in Europe. Folks
didn't expect me for six months yet, but
/ got through and started. | telegraph
ed them at the last station they've got
it by this time" As he said this he rub
bed his hands and changed the portman-
teau on his left side to the right, and the
one on the right to the left again. "Got
wife?' said |. ayes, 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 | said watching his fidgety move
ments. "Well, ! should think so,' he
replied 81 hain't slept soundly for a
week. And do you know" he went on,
glancing around at the passengers and
speaking in lower tone, 81 am almost
certain this train will run off the track
and break my neck before get to Bos
ton. Well, the fact is, have had too
much good luck for one man lately. The
thing can't last 'tain't natural that it
should, you know. I've watched it
First it rains, then it shines, then it rains
again. 1t 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 settledin either
belief you are knocked over by change,
to show you that you know nothing
about il" Well, according to that phi
losophy," said |, you will continue to
have sunshine because you are expecting
storm" Its curious" he returned,
''but the only thing which makes me
, think will get through safe, is because
think | won't" "Well, that is Curl
GUS" said l. "Lord, yes" he replied,
IN a machinist- made discovery
nobody believed in it, spent all my mon
, ey in trying to bring it acknowledged
my home all went. Every laugh
ed at me--everybody but my wife
spunky little woman-sai6 she would
work her fingers off before | 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 !;
the | met the man | wanted. To
make long story short, I've brought
thirty thousand pounds home with me,
and here / am" "Good for you p |
exclaimed. Yes," said he, thirty
thousand pounds; and the best Of it is,
she don't know anything about it. I've
fooled her 81 often and disappointed her
so much that | just concluded would
, say nothing about this. When got my
money though, you better believe / struck
bee-line for home" And now you
will make her happy p | said. Hap
py" he replied, "why you don't know
anything about it. She's worked like a
dog while / have been gone, trying to
supporthefself and the children decently.
They paid her thirteen cents apiece for
making coarse shirts; and that's the way
she's lived half the time. She'll come
, down there to the depot to meet me in a
gingham dress, and a shawl hundred
years old, and she'll think she's dressed