Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-07-05

- From the San Francisco Chronicle
The Peril of Chang ing Linen i'm tiae
y Ours Embarrassing Prediea-
,,.e,.t.. VA 43I0l ~ III Eei.t'7
.oA good story came inwith the overland
train on Monday night. Among the pas
sengers was young man possessed OF
judicious spirit of economy and pardon
able share of vanity. The j1dicious econo-
my was made manifest to the other oceu-s
spants Of the car by elSe fHeB THAT the young
man wore plain clothing and single Che
viot shirt all the way from Chicagos and
for theapadmiatile yaIify-wen, eliow&that
became apparent is where the joke comes
in. He had only been to the East on a
visit, and the girl be left behind, him had
been notified III advance OF his approach,
and, in company with a few other friends,
was to meet him at Niles station. Visions
of rapture 1oated through his brain, and,
seating himself in secluded corner of the
car, he poured forth his spirits gladness in
a gllsh of meledy, somewhat asa4lns:az
"Home again. home again, a....-.sgf
From q foh-hoh-reign shore;
/ And, Oh it fills my So O-ouf With joy .
s.=- To me -he-eat m friends once more
Suddenly he hushed his notes Of 10y and
reached for his carpet-bag.
The appalling idea flashed across his
mind that the shirt which had done him
such good service-which had chung to
him during the toilsOme Journey across
1000 miles of mountain, plain and desert
was not exactly the thing to appear in
when one wished to intensity an already
good impression. 1t certainly wouldn't
be the clean thing, he said to himself
it wouldn't be Justice to the shirt. SO
he resolved to change it. But how :?
The car contained several lady passen-
| gers, and they watched everything that
was going OH around them with an as
siduity that did honor to the sex. ''Ah,
ha, str-r-rategy, my boy :" said this resO-
Lutte young man unto himself. "The tun-
nel-we are approaching the tunnel.
| can do the deed in the long tunnel Just be-
yond Sunol ;; " and with heavy smile on
| his manly features, he gracefully lifted his
| carpet-bag from the floor, unlocked it, and
| drew forth a snowy shirt with nice frilled
| bosom. Then from another recess drew
he little pacbc containing pair of hand
some sleeve-bdttOns and a set of studs,
which were quickly adjusted in their prop
er places. Casting a careful glance from
the window, he saw the train was not far
| from the tunnel where the metamorphoSis
was to take place, and so he turnedhS back
upon the other passengers and began to
| loosen sundry buttOnS-in hort, pref ar cd
to shuck himself. Presently the eventful
moment came. The iron horse plunged
| into the Ozark Tecesses Of the tunnel, and
the car was shrouded i'll impenetrablc
darkness. Presently a ray of light gleam-
ed i'll fantastic shapes along the rugged
wall of the tunnel, and by its faint glim
mcr a struggling figure was djscernible il
the direction Of the young mans seat. As
the light became stronger its syrations
grew more frantic. Its great long arms
encased i'll W tie, thrashed wildly about Us
though III the agony of despair, and finally
when with a shrek of joy the engine dasl
ed into the dazzling sunlight, it shranl
into its seat apparently crushed with NOR
LITIGATION and chagrin.
The ladies screamed with terror, ant
hid their bushes at the unusual appari
ton. Strong men crushed their tandkcr
chiefs into their mouths aud nearly chOket
with emotion. The figure Tcclined motion
| less on the soft cushion, until some one
with more courage than the rest, advanced
to ascertain who and What it was. Final
the terrible truth was revealed. The whit
covering was lifted, and from beneath aI
peared the features of olU young friend
clothed with carnations richest hue. I'll
mystery was soon explained. He ha
gotten the Cheviet OFF, but alas, in III
hurry and excitement he had forgotten I
undo the collar fastening Of the clegai
white frilled front. Horror 1t WOui
not go oyer his. head