The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-13
A Story Of the Moscow Railway


was ut Moscow in the winter of 1856.
and had exhausted the programme OF
sights which every true believer in the
British system Of travelling is bound to 90
through. had traversed the clittering
halls Of the Imperial Palace, and made
the circuit OF the red turret.crowded wall
which girdles.the Kremlin; l had looked
down upon the frozen Moskva from the
summit Of the Ivan Vcliki tower, and
msrveled al the fantastic coloring OF the
pineapple.shaped church of Vasili the
Blessed. | had stood within the voiceless
lips Of the mammoth Bell, and pe?red
into the mouth Of the Monster Cannon.
had bought photographs in the Konz.
netski Most, and slipped tea in the Troits.
Ii Traktecr, and was now awaiting the
arrival Of a friend from st. Petersburg, in
whose company proposed extending
my travels eastward as far as Mini.
An eminent authority has said, I'm
travelling through romantic country,
select practical companions; in fiat
country, selcctN romantic one" Strictly
speaking, the scenery of Central Russia
can hardly he called romantic, the best
way to form an idea of it being TO multi.
ply billiard board by five millions, and
abstract the cushions but my proposed
companion was one who would have
neutralized the effect oil n tropical sunset
or moonlight view from Mount Oliyet.
A more thoroughly practical man than
Fred Alllact never breathed; and |
would cOnildentially have prescribed him
asa corrective to IN Imagination as luxu.
RANT rs that Of Victor Hugo or the author
Of "Phantasies." No play Of fancy had a
moments chance with renorscless Man.
chester intellect, and VIC have had joke
with him on that score at Rugby which
is hardly forgotten yet. One Of tho in.
mates Of our d0rmitory was tellinga story
hOrTOScO rgterenS, of a phantom ship, the
crew whereof had persisted in mutual
conflict, and were thenceforth doomed to
remain lilGless on the deck during the
day, while at midnight they acted again
the butChery which had been the closing
scene of their mortal career. Just at this
moment, while the indrawn breath of the
audience justified their emotion, Fred's
slow, sGntentious tones were heard:
"WGll, ! really don't see why the poor
fellows mightn't have gone and amused
themselves during the day, and then come
back in time for the fight in the even.
Ing"
| had a good breakfast ready for Fred,
for the practical man has n practical ap.
petite, likely to be doubled after such
journey. To go from st. Petersburg to
Moscow in the winter is no light matter;
in the first class you are stewed alive; in
the second you are frozen to death, and
in both, you are smothered with smoke by
your fellow passengers; and although in
no point Of speed great advance has
been made (thc time Of transit being re-
duced from twenty hours to nineteen and
halo yet this, under such circumstances,
is quite long enough. Ten A. NJ. being
the uiual hour Of arrival, l had q plentiful
repast on the table by 1890, concluding
that, as the train stops only nine times
for refreshments, my friend would proba.
bly, stand in need Of it. The half hour
struck and he did not appear. went to
the window in hope Of speedily beholding
a slcdge coming jolting into the snow.
heaped courtyard, bearing Fred and all his
fortunes, but nothing was to be seen. The
three'quarters struck, then the hour, and
| was beginning TO feel surprised, for
these creeping trains are usually punctual,
when the long expected guest made his
appearance. But instead OF bursting into
the room with loud laugh and bolster.
Gus greeting, according to custom, he en-.
tered with the uncertain step OF sleep.
walker, and without uttcriDg sound. 1t
needed but glance at his face to tell that
something extraordinary must have be.
fallen him. The jovial rubicund visage
Wasnow deadly pale; the firm lip CULVER
ca convuslvely; the clear bright eye was
dlIsled with horror. Few men who had
seen Fred Alllact on the brink of an Al.
pine precipicc, or in the midst Of an At
ianlIc hurricane, would have recognized
him now.
What on earth's the matter with YOU,
man." | asked. "Why, you look rs II
you had seen ghost"
i've seen worse" replied he, in n
tremul0us voice. GOOD heavens! I've
once heard or such things but never be.
Iievel in them before, BY iovcl its too
hOrrihlel"
What is it? What's IL all about?'"
"Give me some breakfast and then TN
tell you Perhaps I'll be able to cat now:
haven't touched morsel all day"
What! not for twenty hours! You
ought to be hungry, then. Well, cat first
anu talk afterwards"
lie made the attempt, but il was 4 mis-.
cradle pretence. To me, who remember
cd his breakfast before ascending Mount
blanc, and his supper altel swimming
across the Vistula, there was something
pOrtentous in this sudden loss Of appetite:
and eagerly awaited the recital of his
adventures, which he commenced rs fol.
lows:
ave lett Petersburg at the usual time
yesterday, and |, wishing to make myself
comfortable Qor Il was desperate cold).
got into tirst'class compartment, where
found an officer, u lady, and a man who
might have been anything, for his fur col.
lar and cap hid his face completely, The
train was going to start, and that was per.
aaps the reason why no more people got
IN; though, indeed, there would not have
been much room for them anyhow, for
each ofus had good deal of baggage, OK.
cep', 10 be sure, the wrapped,Hp man,
VINO seemed TO have nothing with him but
large bundle. We'll, OIL went the train,
and Tor the first fifteen or twenty versts i
was as silent as poor Albert Smith used "a
say the English always arc in foreign so.
Gt ay oat oy and by I got to exchanging a