Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-10-03
MY NIGHT IN A ~BOX.,'

"And You must really 60 away, and re.
main all night in that nasty old box of
yours, and leave your little Rosebud, as
you call her, all alone here, to imagine all
sorts of horrid things happening to her
poor little boy , Couldn't you stay at home
just for this one night ?"
=" Couldn't possibly do it, my love-" said
/, struggling into my greatcoat, and pos
ses.ing myself at the same time Of my big
driving gloves, which my little wife Was
absentiy trying to fit on her own little
hands.
sNot if I very much wished it, Willie =?
Do you know felt 90 strange and lonely
last night, when you were away, that 1
could hardly make up my mind to 60 to bed
at all and tonight can scarcely bear
the thought that you should be so long
absent, You know what foolish little
thing l am."
Her arm quietly stole around me, and
she looked up to my face. with wistfal,
anxious look, while . tear stood elistenlng
in the corners of the sweet blue eyes.
~Why, you wee goose," said l, kissing
away the bright token Of her oarnestness,
" what has put such absurd thoughts into
that wisc noddle ofyours. Are you afraid
that the fairies will waylay mo, and spirit
me away to their elfnland7 If they do,
l shall tell them that have left fairy at
home, and not even the establishments II
the queen herself shall tempt mo into their
uncaLny country. But seriously, Maggie,
there is nothing to be alarmed about.
shall be home by seven o'clock at the
latest; but since you are 60 lonely, I will
call At fathers - pass, and send up my
brother Bob to keep you company and stay
in the house all night. Will that content
you, little woman ?"
"No, don't do that !: it would look foolish,
and Bob would only laugh at me when
he came. He does not understand mo.
l think NO one does understand me-except
you, dear WILL"
"Thank you Mag; think I do under
stand you. But here comes the gig; 60
good by, and don't fret tho short Time /
am away. I shall be back long before you
are done dreaming" Sosaying, l mounted
the gig, and drove rapidly along the frozen
road: But my wife fingered by the porch,
following mo with her eyes; and, 20 long
as tho house was iu sight; could. on look:
ing buck, Geo her white dress shimmerine
ghostlike in the, light which streamed
through the open door. -.
At the time which l write, I was tele.
graph superintendent on tho Wilton and
Longbank line Of railway. One of the
clerks, who was on night duty, had been
taken suddenly i'll. and being unable "a
find q substitute, ! had taken bis work my.
felf until such tim Q 40 he should recover.
had only been married q few months, and
was BY no means reconciled to the
necessity Of ofleaving my wife and home to
pass the night in that nasty old box" az
Mag cail.d it-and she was perfectly
correct in her description. But l knew
that it was necessity, aud l knew, likewise
that no grumbling Of mine could mend
the matter.
A drive of about eight miles brought
mo to my post. There was nothing very
extraordinary in the duty to which l had
been called away, nor was it any new OK
perien:e to me !; but on that night my m,nd
was filled with unde6nable fears, for which
tried in vain to account. The night wa,
clear and windless, and away in tho north
western sky the aurora borealis wa,
fitting to and fro in o thousand strange
fantastic shapes. As watched the SHIFT
ing and quivering CLEANS, now shooting
IN rapid succession from one luminous
center, and anon spreading and rolling
wave after wave across the starry heavens
began to think of the disastrous omens o
war, plague, famine which the older time'
men drew from such sights. Somewhat Q
the same emotion felt in my own mind
and, reason as would, fell it impossible
to shake off the growing sense Of un
eas'ness and gloom which had taken pos
session OF me. On entering the telegraph
station, the clerk whom l had come to re
'iieve was ready to depart.
"YOa WON'T have much to do tonight
sir," SAID he. "Yhe instruments are quit
unworkable; NO signals have been receive
here for the last three hours. Goo,
night"
When was left alone, found that
was rs he had said. Tho electric current.
which are developed in the atmospher
during most meteorological changes. ha
rendered the wires quit useless; aud
although the needles swayed ceaselcssl,
backwards and forwards, they made D
sign which the wisdom of man could in
terpret. Seeing that my Office was 'likeI.
to be s,necuro, drew my chair to th
stove, and taking down book which
saw upon shelf / tried to interest my
selfin the story. The volume which
had discovered was "JAne Eyre;;" an
although, since that time, have read, wit
tears and laughter, it and other work
which came from the same true and lovinI
pen, yet, on that night. the spell of her VIII
il 50 powerful to awaken our interest an
enlist our symp"thy,-whoh has given u
RlHck ROche6ter and cl,rnniclnd viii, n,