The Portland daily press., 1873-02-15

If there be thing that my soul hateth, it
is long night journey by rail. In the old
coaching days l do not think that | should
have minded it, passing swiftly through, a
summer night on the top of speedy coach,
with the star arch black-blue above ones
head, the sweet smell of earth, and her num-
berless flowers and grasses in ones nost1ls,
and the pleasant trot, trot, trot OF the four
strong horses in ones ears. But by railway
in little stuffy compartment, with nothing
to amuse you if you keep awake, win
dim lamp hanging above you, tantalzlng you
with the idea that you can read by us llsnt,
and when you try, satisfactorily plo'ins ~
you that you cannot and, II you sieep, preak-
ing YOUR neck. or at least stifening 1t, by the
brutal arrangement of the hard cushions.
These tboughts pass sulkily and rebellious-
" through nv head as l sit in my salon in
the Ecu. at Geneva, on the afternoon of the
fine autumn day on which, in an evil hour.
have settled to take the night train for Paris.
/ have put it off as long as can.
like Geneva, and am leaving some pleas
ant and congenial friends, but now, 60 Unjust.
My husband is to meet me at the Station in
Paris at six o'clock tomorrow morning. Six
O'Clock! what a barbarous hour at which to
arrive am putting on my bonnet and cloak !;
I look at myself in the glass with an air of
anticipative disgust. Yes, I look trim and
spruce enough nova not disagreeable OBJ
ject, perhaps-with sleek hair, quick and
alert eyes, and pink-tinted cheeks. Alas! at
six O'Clock tomorrow morning, what differ
ent tale there will he to tell! Dishevelled,
dusty locks, halfopen, weary eyes, disor-
dered dress and green-colored countenance.
I turn away with pettish gesture, and re-
fecting that at least there is no wisdom in
living me miseries twice, over, go down
stairs, and get into the hired open carriage
which awaits me. Ny maid and man follow
with the luggage. 1 give stricter injunctions
than ordinary to my maid never for one mo-
ment to lose her hold of the dr. essing-case
which contains, as it happens, a great many
more valuable jewels than people are wont to
travel in foreign. parts with, nor of a certain
costly and beautiful Dresden china and gold
LOUISE uatorze clock, which am carrying
home as present to my people, We reach
the station, and straightway betake myself
to the first-class sale Fdttente, there to re-
main penned up till the officials undo the
gates of spurgatory and release us-an ar
rangement whose wisdom have yet to learn
There are ten minutes to spare, and the sale
is filling fuller and fuller every moment
Chiefly my countrymen, countrywomen, and
country children, beginning to sroop home to
their cartridges. look curiously round at
them, specializing as to which of them will
be my companion or companions through the
night. ;,
There are no very unusual types girls in
sailor hats and blonde har-fringes; strong
minded old maids in painstakingly ugly wat
erproofs; baldish fathers; fattish mothers;
German or. two, with prominent pale eyes
and spectacles. 1 have just decided on the
companions l should prefer; large young
man, who belongs to nobody, and looks as #
alas he spent most of his life in laughing
he is not likely The is sure TO want to smoked
and handsome and prosperous looking young
couple. They are more likely, as very prob
ably, in the mans case, the bride-Iove will
overcome the cigar-love. The, porter comes
up. The key turns in the lock; the doors
open. At first am standing close to them,
hattening my nose against the glass, and
looking out on the pavement; but as the
passengers become more numerous, [ with
patinga rush f,r carriages i hate and dread
exceedingly crowd, and would much pre-
fer at any time to miss my train rather than
be squeezed and jostled by one. In conse-
quence, my maid and are almost the last
people to emerge, and have the last and
worst choice of seats. We run along the
train looking in; the footman, my maid, and
L. Full-full everywhere!
.tsDGmes Selles?n asks the guarL.s ~, f- "a
Certainly not! Neither DANES seules'
nor 'Fumeurs; but if it must be one or the
other, EFumeurs.'A 81 " E40 40
7 am growing nervous, when I see the foot
man who is little ahead of us, standing
with an open carriage door in his hand, and
signing to us to- make haste. All it is all
right! it always comes right when one does
not fuss. ones self.
PLENTY of room herein; only two gentle
men, wfr.es,er -, -
Iput my foot on the high step and climb
In. Rather uncivil of the two gentlemen =
neither Of them offers to help me; but they
are not LOOKING this way, L suppose. Mind
tho dresSing-casew I cry nerYously. as 1
stretch out my hand to help the maid Wat
in she comes-dressng-c clock, and all. |
Here we are for the night! .ni-5
am SO busy and amused looking out of the
window, seeing the different parties bid ling
their friends good-by, and watching with in
dignation the barbaric and malicious manner
In which the porters hurl the luckless luggage
about, that W. have steamed out of the sta
ton, and are fairly off for Paris, before have |
the curiosity to glance at my fellow passen- |
gers. Well when do take a look at them, |
do not make much of it. Watson and I oc-
cupy the two seats by one window, facing one
another: our fellow travellers have not taken |
The other two window seats; they occupy the |
middle ones, next us. They are both reading,
behind newspapers. Well! we shall not get |
much amusement out of them. l give them
up as bad job. All if could haYe had nv
Tish, and had the laughing young man, and
ne pretty young coupe, for company, the
ong However, should have been morti-
ed for them to have seen how green look
d when the dawn came; and as to these
ornnatsroydseurS, do not care if look as
reen as grass in their eyes. Thus, all no
oubt is for the best; and at all events it is
God trite copy-book maxim to say So So I
orget all about them, fix my eyes on the
andscape racing by, and fall into variety of
thoughts. "Willmy husband really get I'D
a time to come and meet me at the sta
ion Tomorrow morning?" He does so cor
ialy hate getting up. My only chance is his
lot having gone to. bed at ALL How will he
70 looking? have not seen him for four
months. Will he have succeeded in curbinn
is tendency to fat, during his Norway fish.
,g? Probably not. Fishing, on the con-
rary, is rather ALTERNATING occupation slug
ish and sedentary. Shall we have a pleas
Mt party at the house we are going to. for
hooting? To whom in Paris shall 90 for
~ gown? Worth? No, Worth is beyond
le. There leave the future, and 60 back
ito past enjOyments; excursions to Lans-
ere; trips down the lake 10 Chiffon; a hum
ed and one pleasantnesses. The time sims
r; the afternoon is drawing towards eye-
ng; a beginning of dusk is coming over the
ndscape. .93atg&
Hook round. Good heavens! what can
ose men find so interesting in the papers?
hou hit them hideously dull, when looked
er them this morning; and yet they are still
reading. WHAT can they have
hold of? cannot well see what the man .,
side me has; his ris-a-Uis is buried IN an :
lglish Times Just as am thinking about :
n he puts down his paper, and l see his }
e.. Nothing very remarkable; long black :
ara, and hat tilted somewhat low over his
,sheau. turn away my eyes hastily, for
~ !. on. oi upeing caught inquisitvey scanning; I
!, e T,a', out OF their corners see that he has
mred s 1roie polite out of the travelling bag,
' unst some OF its contents into class. and
=, g"sa at AZ ~ 70 MS lips. 1t appears as if D
NJ. -, q. s siS Ilme 1t happepss 7 have M q
a. OF doubt that he is drinkinr HTvo ~ III
81 tnat ne Is addressing me. inoi- hueh 1 b;
him he is holding out t hook up up ana /,
nep' .sa VI onerlng madame u. III
mo, thank you, monsieprp, ", W.
aklng my head hastily and speaking answer rssS. "
rupty. There is nothing that d datner
ore than being offered strange eatah dislike
lnkables In train or strange b vnn'Ior m
church. )SAAN Hf ntG< ~ go 80 'ook -
ne smiles politely, and then adds. SO
perhaps the other lady might he nursuod m m
to take a little?' w Pun 'o''u- d
hon