, 1873-02-02
UNDER THE CLOAK.

/
] II there be anything in the world that my sou
hateth, it is d long night journey by rail. In tn
| old coaching days do not think that I shoul'
have minded it, passing swiftly through sum
n,er night on the top Of speedy coach, with tn
star arch black-bluo above ono's head, tho swee
smell OF earth, and her nu1nborless flowers ant
grasses, in ono's nostrils, and the pleasant trot
trot, trot, trot, Of tho four strong horses il
ones cars. But By railway lin little stuff
compartment, with nothing to amuse you /
you keep awake; with q dim lamp hanging
above you, tartalizing you with the idea tha
J you can read by it's light, and, when you try
satisfactorily proving to you that you cannot
and you sleep, breaking your mock, OF at leas
! hard cushions. These thoughts pass sulkil..
| and robelliously through my head as sat in n,
salon in tho Ecu, at Geneva, on the afternoon O
the fine autumn day On which, in an eyil hour,
hnve settled to take my place in the night train
for Paris. have put of going as long as I can
I like Geneva, and am leaving soma pleasant
and congenia friends, but now so must. NJ
husband ia to meet mo at the station in Paris Al
o'clock Tomorrow morning. 6i1 o. clock! what
3 barbarous hour at which to arrive! T am put
ting on my bonnet and cloak; look at myself
| IN the glass with an air of anticipated disgust
| Yes, look trim aud spruce enough nova not
dlsagreeable object, perhaps-with sleek hair,
Quick and alert eyes, and pink~tinted checks,
Alas! at 6 Tomorrow morning what different
tale there will DO to tell! DisLeyelled, dusty
loEhEs UAll-OpEu weary eyes, u Ql6OIu6IHu uIE&6.
and green-colored countenance-
turn away with pettiah gesture, and reflect
ing that at least there is wisdom in living my
miseries twice over, 50 down staira and get
into the hired open carriage that awaits me. My
maid and man follow with the luggage. I give
stricter lnjunctions than ordinary to my maid
never for one moment to lose her hold Of the
dressing-case, which contains, as it happens, a
great many moro va1onblo jowe1s than people arc
won't to travel in foreign parts with, nor Of
certain costly and beautiful Dresden china
and-Sold Louis-Quatorze clock, which l am
carrying home as a present to my people. We
reach tho station, and straightway botake my
self to the first-class sale d'aNee, there to re-
main pennod up till the officials undo the gates
OF purgatory and release ua-an arrangement
whose wisdom havo yet to learn. There are
ten minutes to spare, and the sale is filling
fuller and fuller every moment. Chiefly my
couutrymen, countrywomen, and country chill
dren, beginning to troop home to their par
tridges. l look curiously round at them, .specu-
lating as to which Of them will be aly companion
CT companions through the night.
There are no very unusual types; girls in
sailor hats and blonde hair-friuges strong mind
ed old maids in painstakingl gly-uSly water-proofs; !;
baldish fathers; fattish mothers; German or
two, with prominent palo eyes md spectacles.
have just decidod on the companions should
prefer; q large young man, who belongs to no
body and looks Us if he hpent most OF his life in
laushing-alas 10 is not likely, he is sure to
want to srnoko!-and T. handsome aud prosper
as yoang nrebab s3as h'y ytbe aFe ms
case; aas's the bside-lo7e S vii overcome I the
cigar-lovo. Tho porter comes up. The
ksy turns in the lock: tho doors open. At first
am standing close to them, hattening my nose
against the glass, and looking out on the pave
ment; but as the passengers become moro
numerous, Withdraw from my prominent posi-
ton, anticipating rush for carriages. I hate
and dread exceedingly crowd, and would much
prefer at any time to miss my trnin ratier than
be squeezed and jostled By one; In consequence,
nv maid md were almost the last people to
emerge, aud have the last and worst choice Of
seats. We run nlong the train looking in; the
footman, my maid, and I. Fu1l-full every
where!
e Danes sc1les ?" asks tho guard.
"Certain1y not! Neither Danes scu,es' nor
Fume,trs : but it it must be one or tho
other, certainly Funaears.'
am growing nervous, when geo the foot
man, who is little ahead Of us, standing with
IN open carriago-door in bis hand; and singing
ways comes right when one does not fuss ono-
self.
"P1enty Of room here, m; only two gentle
men,"
nut my foot on the high step and climb in.
Rather uncivil Of tho two gentlemen !-neither
of them offers to help mo; but they arc not
looking this way, suppose. .. Mind the dresa-
inc-case!" cry neryoua1y, as I stretch out my
haEd to help the maid Watson up. The man
ushes her from behind; IN she comes-dross-
fne-caae, clock, and all Hero We are for the
night!
an 80 busy and amused looking out Of the
window. seeing the different parties bidding
their friends Sood-by. and watching with indig-
nation the barbarie and malicious manner in
which tho Porter,ah g., hurl tie h!us usklesa lug
eug oug Of the station and are fairly
or for Paris before have the curiosity to glance
ut my tollow-pnssen6ers. Well! when do take
4 look at them, do not make much Of it. Wat
facing one another; our follow-trayellers have
not taken tho two other windoT~seats; they oc-
cupy the middle ones, noxt us: They arc both
reading. behind newspapers. Well! re shall not
get much amusement ont OF them l give them
IN as a bad job. Ali If could have had my
wish, and had the laughing young man and the
pretty young couple for company, the night
would not, perhaps, have seemed so long. How
ever should have been mortified for thom to
have seen how green looked when the dawn came;
end as to these con1n1isroyd5eurs, do not care
if look as green es grass in their eyes. Thus
Ill no doubt is for the best; and, at I'll events,
it is good trite copy-book maxim to say SO. So
I forget all about them, tix my eyes On tho land
1ssng III my nga RtG Ge. ysTsg sss
ttno to como aud meet me at the station to-mor-
row mornins?" He does so cordially hate getting
up. Ny only chance is his not having gone to
bed at I'll. How WILL ne be l0oklngE have not
seen him for four months. Will he hnvo sue.
ceeded in curbing his tendency to fat, during his
Norway fishing? Probably not. Fishing, on
the contrary is rather fai-making occupation !;
aluggiah aud se1entary: {. Shall we have a
Shooting? To whom in Paris shall 60 fol my
gown?- Worth2 No. Worth is beyond mo.
Thcro leave the future, and 50 back into past
enioyments; excursions to Lcusmere; trips
down the lake to Chiffon; hundred and one
Tho tinao clips by; the after
noon is drawing toward evening q beginning Of
dusk is coming over the landscape.
I look round. Good heavens! what can those
men fnd so interesting in the papers7 I
thought them li1eously dull when l looked
them over this morning; md yet they arc still
persiatently reading. What can they have
cot hold Of? I connot we'll see what the
man beeido me hss; his ris-a-ris is buried
in an Eng1ish Times Just q. I an thinking
ab out him he puts down his paper aud see his
face. Nothing very remarkable; long black
beard, and hat tilted somewhat low over his
forehead. turn away my eyes hastily, for fear
Of being caught inquisitively scanning but
still out OF their corners see that he has taken
a little bottle out OF his trave1ling-bag, has
poured some of its contents into glass, and is