, 1873-05-25
MISS RaEHETABEE!s: SON.



King. Is there no odense in it7
> Han. No oGease l. the world" -
" =: .. -. - HAMLET
TIE OLD TAVERN At nAr1Ers Foun-conSEns.
You will not find Grecnton, or Bay1ey's Four
Corners as it Is more usually designated, on any
map of New England that I know Of. It is not
town; it is not eyen village; it is merely an
absurd hotel. The. almost indescribable place
called Greenton is at the intersection Of four
roads, in the heart Of New Hampshire, twenty
miles from the nearest settlement OF: noto and
ten miles from any railway station. "A" good
location for hotel, you will eay. Precisely;
but there has always been hotel there, and for
ronizod-by one boardor. g Not to tride with an
intelligent public, will state at that, in the
early part Of this century Greenton was q point
ut which the mail-coach, on the Great North
ern Route, stopped to change horses and
allow tho passengers to dine People
IN the country, wishing to take the early
mail Portemouth-ward, put up overnight
at the old tavern, famous for its irreproachable
larder and soft feather-beds. Tho, tayerns at
that time was kopt by Jonathan Bayley, who
riva!ed Ills wallet in growing coEpnlent, and in
due time passed away. At his death the estab-
ishmcnt, which included farm, fell into the
hands of e son-in-law. Now, though Bayley loft
his son-in-1aw q hotol (which sounds hand
some,-he left him no guests; for at about the
period OF the old mans death the old stage
coach died also. Apoplexy killed one, and steam
the other. Thus, by B sudden swerve In the
tide Of progress, the tavern at tho Corners found
itself high and dry, like wreck on sand bank.
Shortly after this event, or maybe contemporar
ueously, there waB some attempt to build u town
at Greenton; but it apparently failed, il eleven
cellars choked up with debris and overgrown
with burdocks are any indication of failure. The
farm, however, was good farm, as things go in
New Hampahire; and Tobins sewel. the so1t-in-
law, could afford to snap his fingers at the trav-
cling public if they came nea- enough,-which
they never did.
The hotel remains today pretty much the same
in 1910, except that. sewel has from time to
time sold the furniture Of some of the upper
chambers to bridal couples in the neighborhood.
Tho bar is stu ope9 md the Parlor door says
passing drover looks in at that lonely bnr-room,
where high-shouldared bottle OF Santa Cruz
rum ogles with peculiarly knowing air shrivel-
ed lemon on shelf now and then farmer
comes across country to talk crops and stock
aud take friendly glass with Tobias and now
md then circus caravan with speckled ponies,
or a menagorie with soggy elephant, halts
under the swinging sign, on which there is dim
mai1-coach with four phantonisi horses, driven
by portly gentleman whose head has been
washed on by the rain. Other customers there
are none, except that one regular boarder whom
! have mentioned. 80,
II misery makes man acquainted with strange
bedfollowB, it is equally certain that the profess
sion of surveyor and civil-eng1neer often takes
ono into undreazned-of localities. I had never
heard Of Greenton until my duties sent me there,
and kept me there two weeks in the dreatiest
season Of the year. do not think I would, OF
my own yolition, have selected Greenton Tor
fortnight'B sojoura at any time; but now the
business is over, shall never regret the circun.-
stancea that made me the guest OF Tobias SeweH
and brought me into intimate rotations with Miss
Mehotabels Son.
It was black October night that discovered
Corners: Though the ten miles ride from e
had been depressing, especially the last five
miles, on account of the cold nutumnal rain
that. had set in, I felt a psng OF re-
Turn sarn round m in tho 1T road and roll oil in tho
darkness. There we're no lights visible my
where, and only for the big; shapefess mass Of
something in front OF me, which the d11yer nad
said was the hotel, should have fancied that
had beon sct down by the roadside. I.ras wet to
the skin and in no amiable humor; and not being
able to find boll-pull or Enocker, or even door,
/ bolaborod the side OF the house with my walk
ing-stick In minute or two nnw light flick
erlns svnowheIe a1oft, then hoaIa re sonna o.
disgust as blnst OF wind extinguishcd the can
die which had given me an lnBtantaneous picture
en- silhouette OF q man leaning out Of . easement:
81 say, what do you want, down there ?" said
III unpreposseBsing voice.
1T want to como in, l want supper, ana q
bed, and numberless things"
"tThis isn't no time Of night to go rousing
honest folks ont Of their sleep. Who ore you,
anyway"
very simple one and l. of nll people in the world,
ought to hare been ablo to answer it of1-hsud
but it staggered me- Strangely enough, there
came drifting across my memory the lettering on
the back Of Q metaphysical work which l had
seen ypars before On q shelf in the Astor Lii
brary. Owing to an unpremeditatodly funny col
lection Of titlo and author tho lettering read as
follows: "Who AMI Jones'" Evidently it
had puzzled Jones to know who he was, or he
tainly puzzled me ut TINT instant to define my
identity. "Thi1ty years ago." I reflected, !"
was nothing; fifty years hence shall be moth
ing again, humanity speaking. In the moantmo,
who am I, sure enough?" It had mover occurred
to me before what an indefinite article I was. I
wish it had not occurred to me then. Standing
there in the min and darkness, I wrcstled vainly
With tho problem, and WAS constrained to fall
back upon q Yankee expedieut:
" Isn't this g hotel r asked at length.
"WeI, it is sort Of hotel" said the voico,
doubtfnI1y. Ny hesitation and presaricatton liad
apparently not inBpiredmy interlocutor with con-
fidence in nc.
"Then let me in. have Just driven over from
E in this internal min I am vet through
and through"
" But What do you want here, at the Cor
uere What's your business People don't
come here, leastways in the middle OF the
night"
ed, incensed. IT como on business connected
with the new road. Tn the Superintendent of
the works."
rOhl"
tIAnd if you don't open the door at once, I'll
raise tbs whole neghborhoo God, and then go to
the other hotel" ...
Wien 1 said that, supposed Greenton was .
village With threc Q. four thousand population % at
~ 1;nshta and other signs Of human habitation.
Surely. I thought, all The people cannot DO ebed
and asleep at half-past 10 o'clock perhaps a, am
in the business section Of the town, among the
chops: -
oo1,t of manace. and braced myself for sortie
on The part Of the besieged, It he had any such