American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-02-22


Should svsl Be siiso~ned,
Here cosaes tiny stranger
King Baby is dethroned.
-Tlf+t- ---4 -AIdine
UNDER THE CLOAK.
I like Geneva, and am leaving som
pleasant and congenial friends, but now
70 must. My husband is to meet me a
the station In Paris at six O'Clock to-moI
row morning. Six O'Clock! what a bar
barous hour at which to arrive, an
putting on my bonnet and cloak; lool
At myself in the glass with an air of antic
fpated disgust. Yes, 1 look trim an,
spruce enough nova not disagreeabl
object. perhaps-with sleek hair, quicl
and Alert eyes, and pink-tinted cheeks
what different tale there will be to tel
Disheveled, dusty locks, half-open weary
eyes, a dfsor1ered dress and q green col
ored countenance.
turn away with pettish gesture, and
rejecting that 1t least there Is no wisdom
in living my miseries twice over, gC
down stairs; 1ad get into the hired ope1
man fonoy the luggage. 1 give
maid nG1f q moment to lose her hold
q - dressing case which contains
- e happens, q great many more
v4A4ble jewels than people are wont to
@4 ta, foreian parts with, nor of q
es!9y and beautiful Dresden china and
carrying home - present to my people.
We reach tn. station, and 1 straightway
betake myeq4 r. the. first-class sale
d'attente, there to remain penned up till
the Officials undo the gates of purgatory
and release us-an arrangement whose
wisdom have yet to learn. There are
ten minutes to spare, and the sale is fill
Chiefly my countrymen, countrywomen,
and country children, beginning to troop
home to their partridges. look curl
ousiy round at them, Specializing as to
which Of them will be my companion or
companions through the night.
There are no unusual types; girls in
sailor hats and blonde hair-fringes; strong
waterprq6f bAldfsh fathers fattish
Aothere D German or two, with promi-
nent pale eyes and spectacles. have just
Uec1ded on the companions / should pre-
r: large young man who belongs to
nobody, and whO looks as If he spent
most Of his time In laughing-alas ne is
not likely! he is sure TO want to smoke =
young couple. They are more likely, as
very probably, In the mans case, the
bride-l0xe will overcome the cigar-loye.
The potter comes up. The key turns in
the lock the doors open. At first am
standing close to them, 1attening my
nose against the glass, and looking out
ON the pavement; but as the passengers
my prominent position, anticipating a
rush for carriages. 1 hate and dread ex-
ceedingiy a crowd, and would much pre-
fer at any time to miss my train rather
than to be squeezed and jostled by one.
In consequence. my maid and l are almost
the last people to emerge, and have the
last and worst choice of seats. We run
my maid, and 1. Full-full everywhere
Dance sexLes ." asks the guard.
"CefAsnly notI Neither Danes sexles'
nor Fkmcurs but If it must be one or
the other, Fume,ers'"
L am growing nervous when L see the
footmanf who Is little ahead of us, stard-
ing with an open carriage door in his
hind, and signing to us to make haste.
All! it is ~ right! it always comes right
when one does not fuss ones self
l put my foot on the high step and
climbed in. Rather uncivil of the tive gen.
tlemen-neitherpf them offers to help M;
but they are not looking this way, sup
pose. 9 Mind the dressing-c aser' cry
,nervously, as ! stretch out my hand to
pushes her from behind in she comes
dressing-case, clock, and all. Here we are
for the night!
am sobusy and amused looking out of
the window, seeing the different parties
bidding their friends goodbye, and watch
ing with Indignation the barbaric and ma
licious manner in which the pOrters hurl
the luctlese. luggage about, that we have
steamed out of the station, and are fairly
of for Paris, before have the curiosity
to gia41 It my fell0w-pAeengers. Well!
when do take look at them, do not
make much OF it Watson and occupy
the two seats by one window, facing one
another our fellOw-travelers have not ia
ken the other two window seats they oc-
cupy the middle ones, next US. They are
both reading, behind newspapers. Well!
we shall not get much amusement out of
them. give them up as a bad job. All!
If l could hive bad my wish. and had the
laughing young man, and the pretty
young couple. for company, the night
would not perhaps have seemed so long.
However, should have been mortified
for them to have seen how green looked
when the dawn came; and, as to these
commisuoyageurs, do not care if look as
green as grass in their eyes. Thus, all no
doubt is for the best; and at all events it
is good trite copy-book maxim to say
80. So forget all about them, fix my
eyes on the landscape racing by, and fall
into a variety of thoughts. "Will my
husband really get up in time to come and
meet me at the station tomorrow morn
up. My only chance is his not having
gone TO Ted 1t all. How will he be look
ing? i have not seen him for four
months Will he have succeeded in curb
ing his tendency to fat, during his Nor
way fishing? Probably not. Fishing,
on the contrary, Is rather tat-making Oc-
cupation !; sluggish and sedentary. Shall
are going to, for shooting? To whom in
Paris shall go for my gown? Worth
No, Worth Is beyond me. There leave
the future, and go back into past enjoy
ments; excursions to Lansmere; trips
down the lake to Chiffon; hundred and
the afternoon Is drawing towards even
ing; beginning of dusk is coming over
the landscape.
look round. Good heavens! what can
those men find so interesting in the pa
pers? L thought them hideously dull,
when looked over them this morning !;
and yet they are s. ill persistently reading.
What can they have got hold of? can
not well see what the man beside me has !;
his ris-a-ris is buried in an English Times.
just as am thinking about him he puts
down his paper, and see his face. Moth
ing very remarkable; q long black beard,
and hat tilted somewhat low over his
forehead. turn away my eyes hastily,
for fear of being caught inguisitively
scanning; but still, out of their corners I
see that he has taken little bottle out of
his travelling bag, has poured some of its
contents into glass, and is putting il to
his lips 1t appears as if-and, at the
time it happens, L have no manner of
doubt that he is drinking. Then feel