American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-10-05
ONE SUMMER NIGHT.

October Atlantic
ONE SUMNER NIGHT.
CHAPTER I.
If l commence my story according +
the way which was once Fashionable
among the imitatOrs of Sir Walter Scott.
should have to describe the interior of al
old-fashioned hostel where the gossip
of the neighborhOod were ENJOYING pip
and glass, and mine well-paunched hos
did justice to his own cheer. There wer,
no fiagOns of Rhenish. or sack, however
glazed framed notices proclaimed the al,
of Burton, and ardent spirits did tina
moderate or lmmOderate work which some
constitutional authorities declare to b.
absolutely necessary in the rigors of om
northern climate. Moreover, it must bt
admitted that our tavern had the title O.
the Railway Arms, which suppose is as
unromantic as may be; although 1 con
TESS that, to my mind, railway, road, canal
and modern mansion, as indicating the adj.
vance and happiness of man, really help
fine scenery; which is. 1 think. the idea
of Turner'S noble picture of Peace.
Still, the Railway Arms was not the pre-
tentious, fiaring red brick building so of
ten run up near railway-station; but by
happy chance this station was term
mus the railway had run its course, and
sank down as If exhausted, by the side OF
an Old-fashiOned roadside inn, with gables,
ivied porch, and aforementioned windows,
which no painter would despise, and often
presented scenes ,.on which the exacter's
eye for The picturesque would.not refuse to
dwell. The landlord, to mark his affinity
with the spirit of the times, had adopted
the name of the Railway Arms instead of
the Canynge Arms, for of the Canynges
nothing was left save some broken nose
tnaIaSS OH in fhf, u nj n ,I,,
and some stray defendants in far off
places. There had been a great deal of
cosy talk superadded to warm liquors this
night, for mine hostel being on the out
skirts of an old-fashioned market-town.
and near a railwly-station, was in great
request But the midnight hour was we'll
nigh reached, the up express had gone
and graZiers were adjusting their final
views on the state of the nation. and were
taking their ultimate sips; and then,
when
Mary, my dear.' shouted an old ru-
bicund farmer, "yOu may bring me an
other glass of hot gin and water; and that
makes the twentieth; and here's the half
sovereign
The door opened, and there strobe into
the apartment gentleman with furred
travelling cloak and short valise, such as
in the old days would have proclaimed
the Cavalier, or, at least, Mysterious
Stranger, in which the old rOmancists de-
light, but which in these practical days
the bona fde traveller. i'm whose
favor Acts of Parliament relax their strin-
gency and exhibit positive tenderness.
The farmers and graziers touched their
hats, and made CHEEKY salutatiOns, for
with the instinct of their class thew at
once recognized that the new conner be-
1onged to the order of the squires, the es-
tated gentry to whom they paid rent and
Obeisance, whom they met at hunts and
whom, accurately speaking, we should
call elderly; the kind of man whom peo-
pie call 6 still quite young" which really
means beginning to get old. He had an
abundance of soft, white beard, tender
and rather restless eyes, and counten-
ance of great mobility and refinement.
He returned the greeting with much kind
illness. and. calling for something, he sat
before his untasted beverage, appeared
wrapt upin his own reflections, which ap-
parently were hardly of very cheerful
But the last customer had departed, and
the bona tfde traveller still fingered on.
As they went off steaming from their
drinks, my landlord showed signs and an
pearances of shutting up for the night.
Are you wanting bed here tonight,
Ashenford!'' exclaimed the landlord,
with metallic lustre coming to his eye;
8. why. that is nine miles across the wofds.
You will want conveyance"
mo, thank you," said the stranger.
:. think l shall walk. 1t is fine moon
light evening""
"A queer time for walking" quoth my
landlord. People ally finish their
this hours
So have been in Countries, said the
stranger, '.where people do as much of
stead of day. as being more cool and COM
Portable. And so goodnight to you, land
lord.'
And without waiting for anv
as to his route. he marched into
the air. and the landlord saw him get over
the stile beyond which ran the path
through the water-meadows that led to the
road.
81 do not know who that gentleman can
be-" unused the landlord land I can't
call to mind his face; but he mast know
this part of the country pretty well to
make out that path by the water-meadOw,
into the road. 1 thought of telling him
Of it, but then any stranger would go
CHAPTER II.
In the meanwhile our traveler.had safely
threaded the complexities of the entangled
path by the alder trees that led towards
he high road. Bare and white for miles
and miles onward pleamed the high road
in the distance. The road was originally
made by the old Romans. who did such
work bravely, shrinking from no difficult
ties, surmounting every hill and sounding
every valley, and disdaining the arts by
which modern engineers evade natural
difficulties. For time the traveller fol-
lowed the road, but presently attaining an
sminence he struck across the trackless
gvolds in a direction that, through a wild
would bring him sooner to his
At times he listened to the
sounds, for, let me tell you, in
he stillest nights there are all kinds of
sounds in the 9uietest country; the sigh
ng winds, the stirs of leaf and bough. the
)urrOwing creatures, the startled game,
.ach trill of water, each several echo.
There is something very mysterious in
hat under-current of life i'm the dead of
light in an open lonely country. Thus
,ur stranger almost audibly soIiloquized:-
% really think there is something most
depressing and disappointing in coming
,ack to the scenes of ones early days. 1t
: quite a mistake. The early days are all
! mistake. If you want to see whole
perfectly dead, to have every