Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-07-27
HOW HIS SHIP CAME IN.
An Affecting Story Of Struggle, Pa
thence ana Trf umpa.
From the Capital

very singular genius on my road from
| Springfield to Boston. This was a
| stout black-whiskered man who sat i'm
mediately in front of me, and who in
/ dulged. from time to time, in the most
/ strange and unaccountable manmuvres.
! Every now and then he would get up
and hurry away to the narrow passage
I which leads to the door IN these draw
/ ing-room cars, and when he thought
himself secure from observation, would
fall to laughing in the most violent
manner, and continue the healthful ex-
ercise until he was as red in the face as
| n 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
chuckled to himself, with his shirt col
lar But the changes that those port
manteaus underwent lie 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 were yet TWEEN
ty-hve miles from Boston, the idea of
such early preparations was ridiculous.
If we had entered the city then, the
mystery would have remained unsolved,
but the stranger AT last became SO ex-
cited that he could keep his seat no
longer. Some one must help him, and
as | was the nearest he selected me.
Suddenly turning, as If had asked a
question, he said, rocking himself to
and fro in his chair the meantime,
and slapplng his legs, and breathing
hard. . Been gone three years y
"Ah eyes, been in Europe. Folks
don't expect me for six months yet, but
| got through and started. | tele
graphed them at the last station;
they've got it by this time" As he
said this he changed the portmanteau
on his left to the right, and the one on
the right to the left again. "Got
wife2" said l. /" Yes, and three chill
dren, he returned, and he got up and
folded his overcoat anew, and hung 1t
over the back of the seat "You are
pretty nervous over the matter, amt
you2" | said watching his idgity
movements. "Well, | should think
so, he replied; ~ hain't slept sound
ly for week And do you know" he
went on, glancing around at the pas
sengers and speaking in low tone,
Il am almost certain this train will
run off the track, and break my neck
before | get to Boston. Well, the fact
is, have have had too much good luck
fer one man lately.
The thing can't last faint natural
that it should, You know. I've watch
ed 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're settled in either belief, You are
knocked over by change to show You
that you know nothing at all about IL. "
"Well, according to this philosophy,
said /, "you will continue to have sun
shine because you are expecting a
storm" "Its curious, he returned,
"But the only thing which makes me
think | will get through safe, is because
I think | won't" Well, that is curl
ous,n said I. eyes, he replied "Tm
machinist-made discovery-no.
body believed in 1T; spent all my mon
ey trying to bring it out-mortgage my
home-all went. Everybody laughed
at me--evcrybody but my wlte-spunky
little woman-said she would work her
fingers off before | should give il up.
Went to EnglaId-no better there;
came within an ace of jumping off
London bridge. Went into shop to
earn money enough to come home with
there met the man | wanted. To
make a long story short, I've brought
$50, 600 home with me and here | am.
Good for you / exclaimed. eyes, "
said he, " $40, 600; and the best of it
is, she don't know anything about
it. I've fooled her so of
ten, and disappointed her so
much, that just con Guided | would
say nothing about this. When | got
my money through you better believe
/ struck a Decline for home. And
now you will make her happy" said |.
"Happy he replied, "why, you don't
know anything about 1t. She's work
ed like dog while | have been gone,
trying to support herself and the chill
dren decently. They paid her thirteen
cents piece for making coarse shirts
and that's the way she'd live half the
time She'll come down there to the
depot to meet me in a bingham dress,
and a shawl a hundred years old, and
she'll think she's dressed up. Oh, she
won't have clothes after this-oh, no, /
guess notl " And with these words,
which implied that his wife's wardrobe
would soon rival Queen Victoria's, the
stranger tore down the passage way
again, and getting in his old corner,
where he thought himself certainly
ont of sight, went through the
strangest pantomime, laughing, putting
his his mouth into the drolist shapes,
and then swinging himself back and
forth in the limited space, as if he We're