The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-03-07
THE FINGER OF FATE.
BY W. 8. GILBERT.

aiu BolHB W give you I'LL III
stance of the desperately strong
measures Fate will lake in order to
bring about an event she has set her
mind upon.
I am a middle-aged bachelor, Of
staid and careful habits. lam pret-
ty comfortably off, having an inde-
pendent income of G40O a year, and
a civil service pension Of 9700 a year,
I have led q quiet and retired
life-shunning society in its gayest
sense, and associating intimately
with three or four other heads Of
subordinate departments, and no
one else. I am naturally nervous,
and, I am afraid, irritable. I hate
bright colors, unnecessary conver-
sation, useless noises es-such as vocal
and instrumental music, and the
neighing of horses-and I can't bear
to see people in quick motion. If
had my way no one should speak to
me except on matters of pure bust
ness, and only then when the COM
munication could not be convent
emily reduced into the form of o
memorandum. Above all other
things l detest forward people
and above all other forward people,
I detest strangers who address me
on immaterial topics in public con-
veyances.
I had occasion, q few weeks after
my retirement from official life, to
travel to Glasgow by the limited
mail, on my way to New York. 1t
is long journey to Glasgow
twelve hours-the train leaving
Euston Square at 8 P. M, and pro-
Tossing to arrive at 9 A. M. the next
day. A railway journey to Glasgow
is detestable, but posting is worse,
and walking out Of the question.
1t was a cold night in April.
There were very few passengers by
the limited mail. There were four
first-class carriages to Glasgow; OF
these, three were occupied by three
ladies-one in each carriage the
fourth was a smoking carriage, and
empty. I don't smoke, but the
train was on the point of starting,
and the guard assured me that it
was unlikely that we should take
up any first-class passengers on our
way. 1t was o new carriage and
had never been used. At all events
1 was safe from female intrusion, SC
I jumped in. The train started
and I had my carriage all to myself
The train did not stop till We
reached Rugby. At Rugby lady
opened the carriage door. She was
a stout, plain, middle-aged woman
five and forty, I should say. She
was extravagantly dressed in SNOWY
cOlors.
This wouldn't do; I could settle
her at all events.
II beg pardon, ma'am, but this ia
q smoking-carriage."
Exactly" replied the lady with
q strong foreign accent, "but l
smokes"
This was q contingency l had
never contemplated.
"You give me light, sar?" said
the foreign lady.
Here was chance Of escape.
81 have no lights, madam"
"Ah, DASH" she said. "But no
consequence. Guard |"
The guard came in.
"You give me light"
And he gave her light, and then
he disappeared.
I was nearly choking With the
fumes of her detestable Havana.
At last I could stand it no longer,
and said,
II beg your pardon, but I object
to smoking"
"Ah," replied the lady, "you OBJ
ject to smoke-you travel in smo-
king carriage! Donkey-jackass
donkey"
1 had never travelled abroad, but
l knew that foreigners are remarka-
BILE for their politeness.
81 entered this carriage to avoid
the society of ladies"
"Me, too" said the foreign lady.
"Dash I hate lady like gentle
man." Then she added as an after
thought: "You are q naughty old
customer, but l like you-you rum
my old passenger"
I was exceedingly annoyed at
this. I plume myself on my good
taste in dress-that is to say, I study
to dress myself in such a manner as
to call for no remark of any kind,
which I hold to be the perfection OF
good taste. My personal appear
ance is simply gentlemanly, with.
out anything remarkable about it.
It has been my constant study to be
gentlemanly, but useful, and to be- .'
called a "rummy old passenger
was, under the circumstances, an
irritating thing. However, | main
tanned dignlfed silence.
It was o very cold night, and my
fellow-passenger had evidently q
strong dash OF negro blood in hel
veins; so I thought it would irritate
her if 1 let down the window. Ac
cordingly I did 80.
"Thank you, old passenger" she
said, al like fresh airs; l let thi.
one down, too" And she lowered
the other window.
I couldn't stand the draught, so
mt nm nv windoW-and she put up