Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-03-09
THE FINGER OF FATE,
BY W. s. GILBERT,

bring about an event she has set he
mind upon.
l am a middle-aged bachelor, O
staid and careful habits. l am pret
ty comfortably of, having an inde
pendent income of G4OO a year, anC
a civil service pension Of &7OO year
l have led a quiet and retired
llfe-shunning society in its gayes
sense, and associating intimately
with three or four other heads O
subordinate departments, and nc
one else. l am naturally nervous
and, l am afraid, irritable. hate
bright colors, unnecessary conver
sation, useless noises as vocal
and instrumental music, and the
neighing Of horses and l can't beal
to see people in quick motion. If
had my way no one should speak to
me except on matters of pure busi-
ness, and only then when the com
municatlon could not be convent.
emily reduced into the form of O
memorandum. Above all other
things | detest forward people
and above all other forward people,
l detest strangers who address me
on immaterial topics in public con-
veyances.
l had occasion, a few weeks after
my retirement from official life, to
travel to Glasgow by the limited
mail, on my way to New York. 1t
is a long journey to Glasgow
twelve hours-the train leaving
Euston Square at 8 P. NJ, and pro-
Tossing to arrive at 8 A. NJ. 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
frst-class carriages to Glaagow; Of
these, three were occupied by three
ladies-one in each carriage the
fourth was q smoking carriage, and
empty. l 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 frst-class passengers on our
way. 1t was new carriage and
had never been used. At all events
l was safe from female intrusion, SO
1 jumped in. The train started,
and had my carriage all to myself.
The train did not stop till we
reached Rugby. At Rugby a lady
opened the carriage door. She was
a stout, plain, middle-aged woman
five and forty, l should say. She
was extrayagantly dressed in snowy
colors,
This wouldn't do l could settle
her at all events.
"I beg pardon, ma'am, but this il
smoking carriage"
Exactly" replied the lady with
a strong foreign accent but J
smokes"
This was a contingency I hOd
never contemplated.
"You give me light, sar?" SAID
the foreign lady.
Here was u chance of escape.
81 have no lights, madam"
"Ah, dash" she said. "But nc
consequence. Guardl "
The guard came in.
"You give me light"
And he gave her a light, and ther
he disappeared. -,
I was nearly choking with the
fumes of her detestable Havana
At last l could stand it no longer
and | said,
II beg your pardon, but l Objec
TO smoking"
"Ah," replied the lady "you OBJ
iect to smoke-you travel in smo
king carriagel Donkey-jackas'
donkey"
| had never travelled abroad, bu
l knew that foreigners are remarka
BILE for their politeness. =.
"I entered this carriage to aVolc
the society of Ladies"
"Me, too" said the foreign lady
"Dash / I hate lady; l like gentle
man" Then she added as an after
thought: "You are naughty ole
customer, but l like you-you rum
my old passenger"
I was exceedingly annoyed a
this. 1 plume myself on my goo(
taste in dress-that is to say, l stud.
to dress myself in such a manner a
to call for no remark of any kind
which l hold to be the perfection o
rood taste. My personal appear
snce is simply gentlemanly, with n
out anything remarkable about it
# has been my constant study to b
gentlemanly, but useful, and to b
called a "rummy old passenger
was, under the circumstances al
irritating thing. However, | main
tanned q dlgnifed silence.
II was o very cold night, and m.
fellow-passenger had evidently,
strong dash Of negro blood in he
veins: go / thought it would irritat
her # I let down the window. AC
cordingly I did so.
"Thank you, old passenger" Sh
said, II like fresh airs ! let TIL
one down, too" And she lowere
the other window.
I couldn't stand the draught, so
put up my windOw-and she put u
hers, n;o4;m.
In hall an hour we should Teac Ss
Stafford, and l Determined y
change my carriage at that station ol,
In the meantime ! trled 70 Stoot \
but the foreign lady kept UP sue 10
an incessant clatteE that sleep WI
O"Where You going, old PGs'eI eI
perP You not tell 7 Secret gu q. y,
| w. old nAGh1nl