The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-07-28
Miscellaneous.
THE BOX TUNNEL.
ny CHARLES READE.

The TO- Is train glided from Padding
ton, May 7, 1917. In the left compart-
ment of q certain first.class carriage
were four passengers of these, two
were worth description. The lady had
a asmooth, white, delicate brow, strongly
marked eyebrows, long lashes, eyes
that seemed to change color, and good
sized delicious mouth, with teeth as
white as milk. A man could not see
her nose for her eyes and mouth, her
own sex could and would have told us
more nonsense about it. She wore an
unpretending gayish dress, buttoned to
the throat, with lozenge-shaped buttons,
and Scotch shawl that agreeably evad-
ed the responsibility of color. She was
like duck, so tight her plain feathers
fitted her and there she sat, smooth,
snug, and delicious, with book in her
hand and soupcOn of her snowy wrist
lust visible rs she held it. Her oppo-
site neighbor was what l call good
style of man,-the more to his credit,
since he belonged to n corporation that
frequently turns out the worst imagin-
able style of young man. He was a
cavalry officer aged twenty-five. lie
had mustache, but not a repulsive
one not one of those sub-nasal pig
tails, on which soup is suspended like
dew on shrub; it was short, thick
and black as coal. His teeth had moi
yet been turned by tobacco smoke tC
the color of tobacco juice, his clothes die
not stick to nor hang on him, they sal
on him; he had an engaging smile
and, what liked the dog for, his van
ity, which was inordinate, was in it
proper place his heart, not in his face
jostling mine and other peoples, whit
have none i'm a word, he was wha
one oftener hears of than meets, a young
gcatleman. He was conversing in an an
imated whisper with a companion,
fellow. officer, they were talking about
what it is far better not to do, women
Our friend clearly did not wish to be
overheard, for he cast, ever and anon, 6
furtive glance at his fair vis'd-UiS ant
lowered his voice. She seemed com
pletely absorbed in her book, and tina
reassured him. AT last the two soldier
came dcwn to a whisper, and in tina
whisper (the truth must be tOld) tn
one who got down mt Slough, and wa
lost to posterity, bet ten pounds t
three, that he who was going dowl
with US to Bath and Immortality
would not kiss either of the ladies op
pOsite upon the road. Done! Done!
Now l am sorry man / have hithert
praised should have lent himself, eve
in whisper, to such aspeculalion bu
nobody is wise at all hours" not eve
when the clock is striking iive-and
twenty; and you are to consider hi
profession, his good looks, and tn
temptation, Item to three.
After Slough the party was reduce
/! to three: at Twyford one lady droppe
her handkerchief; Captain Doligna
fell on it like tiger and returned
), like lamb; two or three words wei
$ interchanged on that occasion. A
r Reading the Marlborough of our ia
made one of the safe investments
that day he bought "Times al
n Il" Punch" "; the latter was full of stee
i pen thrusts and wood. cuts. Valor al
e beauty deigned to laugh at some inil
ted humbug or other punctured
Punch. Now laughing together thaN
our human ice; long before Swindon
was talking match,-at Swindon vi
so devoted as Captain Dolignan, -
= handed them out,-he souped them,
W he tough-chickened them m,-he brandt
q. and cochinealedt one, and he brandt
N and burt-sugared the other; on tht
ed return to the carriage, one lady pass
Is, into the inner compartment to inspec
,'ss certain gentleman's seat on that 81
y the line.
ID Reader, had it been you or 1, I
y beauty would have been the desert
#. the average one would have stay
with us till all was blue, ourselves
cluded; not more surely does our 81
RI of bread and butter, when 1t escal
nd from our hand, revolve it ever so oft
al alight face downwards on the carp
nd1 .rhis is supposed to alude to two decoctl
called port and sherry, and imagined by
% lxa nf IN rin ai,Ir.