The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-03-08
THE FINGER Or FATE.
BY v. s. GILBERT.

-
bring about an event she has set hel
mind upon -
am a middIe-aged bachelor, Of
staid and careful habits. lam pref
u. comfortably of, having an inde-
pendent income of 94OO a year, and
a civil service pension of 97O0 year
I have led 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. hate
bright colors, unnecessary conver-
sation, useless noises-such as vocal
and instrumental music, and the
neighing of horses-and I can't bear
to see people in quick motion. If l
had my way no one should speak to
me except on matters of pure busi-
ness, and only then when the COM
could not be convent
emily reduced into the form of a
memorandum. Above all other
things I detest forward people
and above all other forward people,
I detest strangers Who address me
on immaterial topics in public COZ
allies -- lE
I had occasion, few weeks after
my retirement from official life, to
travel to Glasgow by the limited
mail, on my way to New York. 1t
is q long journey to Glasgow
twelve hours-the train leaving
Square at 9 P. NJ, and pro-
fessing to arrive at 8 A. M. the next
day. A railway journey to Glasgow
is detestable, but posting is worse,
and walking out of the question.
It was a cold night in April.
There we're very few passengers by
the limited mail. There were four
frst-class carriages to Glasgow; of
these, three were occupied by three
ladies-one In each carriage the
fourth was a smoking carriage, and
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 frst-class passengers on our
way. It was a new carriage and
had never been used. At all events
I was safe from female intrusion, so
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 q 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.
CT beg pardon, ma'am, but this is
a smoking carriage"
Exactly" replied the lady with
a strong foreign accent, "but ]
smokes"
This was a contingency I had
never contemplated.
"You give me light, sar2" said
the foreign lady. rrss
Here was chance of escape.
"I have no lights, madam"
"Ah, dash, she said. "But nc
consequence. GuardI"
The guard came in.
"You give me light. +"
And he gave her a 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 I said,
"I beg your pardon. but I ObiecI
to smoking.
"Ah," replied the lady, "you OBJ
jeet to smoke-you travel in smo
king carriagel Donkey-jackas'
donkey"
I had never travelled abroad, but
I knew that foreigners are remarka
BILE for their politeness.
"I entered this carriage to avoi(
the society of ladies'"
"Me. too" said the foreign lady
20 Dash I hate lady like gentle
man" Then she added as an after
thought: "You are a naughty OLD
customer, but I like you-you rum
my old passenger !" a
I was exceedingly annoyed 8
this. I plume myself on my gooC
taste in dress that is to say, stud,
to dress myself in such a manner q
to call for no remark of any kind
which hold to be the perfection o
good taste. My personal appear
ance is simply gentlemanly, with
out anything remarkable about il
It has been my constant study to b
gentlemanly, but useful, and to b
called ''rummy old passenger
was, under the circumstances, a
irritating thing. However, I main
tanned dignifed silence.
It was very cold night, and N
fellow-passenger had evidently
strong dash of negro blood in he
veins; SO I thought it would irritat
her if I let down the window. A.
cordingly I did so.
"Thank you, old passenger" sh
said, /" 1 like fresh airs; I let thi
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.
I was sulkily furious by this tim,
In half an hour We should reac
Stafford, and I determined
change my carriage at that station
In the meantime tried to sleeI
but the foreign lady kept up sue
an incessant clatter that sleep VIZ
out of the question.
Where you going, old passel
ger2 You not tell? Secret, eh7 A
you sly old dogl You old cashie
perhaps, boiling with bank money
Il eh? Confidential clerk, with en-
ployer's cash-bOx In pCrtmantsu, ei
I ~ = 4 l.