The Portland daily press., 1873-09-09
Chitchat Of Travel.
A PORTLAND GIRL ON THE RAIL.
NEW HAMPSHIRE. Sent. l. Is

New HAMPSHIRE, Sept. 1, 1873.
Seated for six hours ride on the cars, upon
hot and dusty day, vigorously set to work
TO get rid of these same hours quickly and
pleasantly as possible.
The human mind Graves information; so |
read the morning Press, SIX mined an article in
Harper on an asylum for deaf-mutes another
on John Stuart Mil. and ventured to absorb
poem or two. But reading "on the railway is
at best, a iolting, disturbing sort of business
and 1 finally gave it up and turned to the win
dow, watching the hills, houses and telegraph
poles whisk past in indefinite numbers After
time even this grew monotonous and my at
tenton was attracted to party of men in
front of me. 1t was still quite early. as l had
started on my trip at six o'clock in the morning,
and the car held few occupants. If one thing
is more shocking than another it is to bear peo-
pie quarrel upon the subject of religion and these
men were in the depths of fiery discussion of
that very topic. One had sore throat envel-
oped in a wooden muller which at best gave him
an unpleasant appearance for an August day;
but when, without the least regard for this suf
fering member, he fairly shrieked out at the
others his ideas of those things which should be
spoken of most reverenty it was simply distress
ing. The individual of the group to whom he
particularly addressed himself had a villainous
face and way of banging about which tended
to make one wink, we do when anything
comes suddenly at our eyes. l was not sorry
to see them depart at the next station.
|. The cars began to fill up. A woman with
three children, all small ones, took two of the
seats thus vacated, and proceeded to settle her.
self and the babies for the ride as comfortably
as possible. She looked tired to death, but
amiable aud happy as could be. aud quite adj
mred her serenity with the infa, is The
youngest might have been six months old, had
a small but perfectly bald head and little face
entirely destitute of expression. She wore
blue flannel sack, and her eyes looked as if
they had been shipped out of scrap of the
same.
at the next stopping place three persons got
in One was a fellow perhaps twenty years
old, with so large mouth that whenever he
laughed, which, uhhappy, he did often,
the effect was appalling. The second
arrival sat directly opposite me. ard
condensed rainbow or a coat of many cOlors
would give you no idea of the brillLancy with
which she was attired Her deane dress, gray,
with bright spots in which red and blue pre-
dominated, was trimmed with lively green
rep, of which the over dress also was COM
posed. A simple knot of magenta aud white
ribbon confined the collar at her throat, and a
buff bat trimmed with pink completed this
The effect of all this color was heightened
When my eyes rested upon n1mber three. She
was rather an elderly lady with placid face,
whose black bonnet, linen dress and fresh col
lar looked as If getting dusty or being crushed
were things unh"ard of and impossible. She
Violently was not accustomed to travelling, for
er pocket-hook, ticket aud memoranda were
'artlu wedged In between the different fin
gerS of her hand, covered with a neat though
rather large sized thread glove Then again,
in spite Of her calmness, could see she was a
title upon the alert all the time, as though she
expected something might happen any mo
meut.
As the day wore on people came pouring in
10 the cars to such an extent that [ hogan to
tsk myself why, in the name of all that was
reasonable. bad 'yerybody decided TO leave
home the same day: which mental eonundrum
was duly answered when learned that The
Rayfarers We're bound to camp meeting. One
young woman was suitably dressed for such an
occasion in a white muslin, and a hat plent
ully bestrewed with brown ribbon and hlonde
ace She was surrounded by a number of
Youths and maidens all evidently from the
country, and in extremely good health and
spirits. They were in a state of chronic
amuseme and INDUCED lavishly in peanuts
and candy.
When we came TIC change cars everybody got
generally brwildered and made many mistakes.
| congratulated myself upon having managed
tickets and traps admirably and upon having
hit the right trai But alas THE pavement of
life is strewn with orange peel and who OF us have
not slipped upon rhe fags?' Had L known
that the check for my trunk reposed in my
pocket when it should have been exchanged for
another, and that while went on, my baggage
stopped half way, should not have been SO
content with my lot.
Camp meetingers still surrounded me. On
my right was small sized plantation of color
ed brethren and among them the cutest bit of
ebony that ever darkened car window. A
really pretty little face with great soft eyes that
gave her shy look. and dimples that supplied
the customary saucy air,
On my left young man whose white hat
rested n one ear and was mostly weed, devoted
himself to the amusement of snndry pretty
girls from the filters, giggles and gales pro
ceedirg from that direction, [ should judge
that he succeeded
But OF even watching and wondering one may
have sufficency. [ grew tired and so set
about scrbbiug other people into similar
state. VIATRIX,