Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-09-20
FIREWORKS.
BY ANNIE r. HOWELLS.

rrOm the september GaaXv.
There was absolutely not an in
teresting person in the car. dom
even except myself, as persons giver
to sweeping assertions generally
do; for, I might know what intel
lcctual and moral powers of mine
ought to excite interest in my fellow
travellers, the little broad mirror al
the end Of the car told me they did
not publish themselves in my face,
On the contrary, it showed me a
pair of tired gray eyes-gleamlng,
not sparkling eyes-with a red spot
below each, which at that distance
reminded me painfully of war paint.
q crushed hat, a dusty tace, and ill
arranged hair, each and all loudly
| proclaining the fact that had
passed the night in a sleeping car.
was the only person in the car
| fortunate enough to have whole
scat 20 myself, and it was only by
dint Of much spreading out OF
shawls, and a useless book or two
thai ! had been enabled to keep it.
But now had been looking about
in search of an interesting person
who might share it with me, for I
was dreadfully tired of keeping
quIet-of not talking. During the
last fifteen hours | had not uttered
n word, except to ask the conductor
4 few questions, which | knew how
10 answer as well as he did, though,
perhaps, not as briefly. The only
recreation or diversion that l had
had during all that time was in
buying and eating crystalized pop
corn, shaking my head decisively
at the train-boy when he laid 4
package Of prize-candy down beside
me, and in watching little girl cry
herself to sleep, in the agonies
which follow the even distribution
Of peachtuzz over the neck and
checks.
My solitude would soon end, l
FELT sure, for if but one passenger
cline on at the next station, would
have to resign one-half of my seat
to him or her. AT the last station a
timidlooking man had been turned
into our car by the brakeman, who
said. GAIL full in there" referring
to the car just in front of us. He
had looked at my halfcmpty seat,
andfmct with no encouragement in
the limp, uncomprehending look l
returned him, and passed on. AT
the other end of the car he had sue
ceeded-by the help Of brisk
shake and shove administered by
the conductor in awakening and
bringing to terms of decency man
who was pretending to sleep all
over his seat. Of course watched
with interest the subduing of the
faithless wretch, and had felt half
ashamed of myself ever since, and
resolved at the next station, no mat
ter who appeared, l would promptly
and Hospitality gather up my be
longings and offer that person a
place.
When VIC reached the station, we
stopped but a moment, not long
enough, | thought, to allow any one
to come on, and as | leaned back in
| my place with the easy conscious.
ness Of having intended to do Il
civil thing, the door opened, and a
| gentleman came in.
My courage fled at sight Of him.
How could ever offer Gin a disin-
torcsted way) that man Il seat be-
side me? The conductor would
think more mcanly Of me than he
| probably did when | tacitly refused
the tinid mans appeal, and the
timid man himself would feel an
additional slight heaped upon him
if offered this embodiment of man.
ly beauty the place l had refused
him.
While my mind was still in a
state Of indccision, he answered the
question by stopping unhesitatingly
beside me, and saying he supposed.
as all the other seats were occupied,
he would have to ask for one with
me. Thus relieved from humilia-
ting myself, graciously swept my
books and wraps into my lap and
made room for him But he took
them from me and slowed them
away in the rack above my head
all but book which he kept to look
over, and which easily opened d
conversation, that while we were
together never ceased. We crossed
| the wide ocean common Of every
day literature, returned, talked
about the heat, dust, the condition
of the road-even about ourselves
i do not remember what he could
have learned of me, but l found out
that he was business man Il knew
that before he told me, by his prac'
teal, systematic way of dealing
with every topic he took up), had
travelled everywhere, and had seer
the world in a wide-awake fashion
He lived in Albany and was on his
way home. He was not married
and he and his mother kept house
together.
1 could not, if I were to try, des
cribc him personally, for he wa.
one Of those rare persons who carry
with them an indescribable charm
a grace of their own, which itsel
cannot be conveyed in words, ant
without which a description i.
nothing.
After he came, the remaining two
hours of my journey flew faster thar
we did, and felt that l must b.
dreaming when l looked out ant
saw that we were actually slacken
ing speed at my station.
"Why, here we are at home,"
exclaimed, in a voice full Of disma,
and objectingly. at cannot b'
possible"
He looked rs though he though
it impossible too, but began prompt
ly to get my packages together
when the unrelenting brakeman
shouted, "Dryden!' in at the door
"l'll carry these into the depo
for you. | wish l could tell yo,
how I've enjoyed meeting you; ou
acouaiutance is lust begun, not end