Richland beacon., 1873-09-06
Contrasted Pictures.

There is no better place in tIssSyorld
to study human character than rail.
car; people put off their manners SC
often with their best clothes, or cover
them up with dust cloaks. Here you
see just what men and women will do
when they are strangers to each other
and meet on the common footing of
tickets that cost the same for the factO-
ry.hand, the senator, the servant, and
the millionaire. 1t is not always either
pleasant or wholesome to study human
nature; one needs to have a sound heart
and a sweet temper not to be altogether
cast down by such researches above
all, one has to remember that which
they are themselves, and out of their
own conscious weaknesses excuse their
neighbors. Still 1 do think, after much
observation, that the woman who offers
halt her seat to anosher woman with a
baby, for a long nights ride, and does
it with a smile, is creature calculated
to redeem ones faith in their kind. 1
could not do it unless the baby was re-
markably handsome and very good
felt cross myself that hot October night
going from New York to Boston on the
late tram. The cars crowded, the night
foggy and sultry, the dust rising in
clouds, for the past summer had been a
long drought, and all the country looked
exhausted a0Out us. was not the onlv
cross womaE either; there were dozen
at least in that car; women whose grimy
faces, bleated eyes, crumpled linen
dust cloaks, rough hair and scolaing, or
fretting tones betrayed their dispOsi-
ton when nature was unadorned." 1
was alone, SO l did not scold-audibly,
but felt certain savage satisfaction
in seeing aud hearing so much COM
panion misery. The men generally
went to sleep, if they did not go into
the smoking car, and afforded extraordi-
nary spectacles to the beholder. If
there is one position above another in
which man: is not picturesque or beau
tiful, it is with his hea thrown back,
his ugly travelling cap set on askew, his
whiskers gray with dust, his forehead
peppered with cinders, his mouth wide
open, and his manly nose nttering hor-
rid snores. Romance and sentiment
expire at tho sight you would laugh
out if YOU we're not exasperated, aud
there arises in the mind of an ill-condi-
toned persG n like myself wild de-
sire to throw; something at them, or to
have a pea shooter, and take aim at
their open cGuntenances. don't know
what l mighf have been led to do of
this frantic sort if my mind had not
been tranquilized at an early point of
the journey lily the aspect cf refresh
ing woman who sat acress the aisle from
me. Some women are refreshing to
look at; they may not by young, nor
beautiful, nor fashionable, but they are
as pleasant as green tree to the sight
something fresh, or clean, or graceful
about their dress, some cordiality and
cheer in their faces, sort of unwordly
look like !luxuriant blossom sim
plicity, uncGnsciOusness, peace, good
will. There was another woman in
front of my; neighbor, dressed in a
travelling costume, de reglc, of en-
broidered linsnand finest palmetto hat
adorned with a whole hay cock of
grasses, kid gloves and elaborate satch-
el; even her shawl was Indian, and
odors indescyibable perfumed her at
|poephere, cologne and sandal-wood,
I'd Agnhw &aer face was very beauti-
A i3sats regular features, fair
- gay blue eyes with
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