Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-07-12
Country LifS

MAX ADELER, writing in the Saturday
Evesiso Post, says: One of the greatest
delights OF boarding in the country for
the summer. is the pleasure man derives
from his efforts to catch the early morn
ing train by which he must reach the city
and his business. When he gets out OF
bed he looks at his watch, and finds he
has plenty of time, so he dresses leisure
ly, and sits Gown to breakfast in calm
and serene state Of mind. just as ne
cracks his first egg, he hears the up tram.
He starts, jerks out his watch, compares
1t with the clock, and finds that 1t H. eleven
minutes slow, and that he has only four
minutes left In which to get to the depot.
In fearful hurry he tries to scoop the
egg out of the shell, but it burns his fin
gers, the skin is tough and after fooling
with it for minute It mashes into hope
less mess, and he gets his fingers smeared
he drops the whole concern In disgust,
grabs a hot roll, and .scalds his tongue
with quick mouthful of coffee; then he
stuffs the roll in his mouth, while his wife
hands him his satchel, and tells him she
thinks she hears the whistle. He plunges
matllv around the room looking for his
umbrella then kisses his wife as well as
he can with all that unswallowed bread
! distending his cheeks, says go d-by to the
children in lump and makes dash for the
door. Just as he gets to the gate he finds
that he has forgotten his duster, and he
charges back after it, snatches 1t up, and
tears dnwa the gravel walk In q frenzy.
He doesn't like to run through the VII
lage, because that would be undignifed,
but he walks furiously. He goes faster
and faster. Halfway down he does hear
/ the whistle. for certain. He wants to run,
4 hsrfh hal lrr.ox fhof hn will
yellow dog there by the side walk II he
dees. Then he actually sees the train
looming into the depot. and he feels that he
! must make a rush. He does. The vel
low dog becomes excited, and tears after
him. Six other dogs join in the chase
one after the other, and bark furiously,
and frolic around his legs. Small boys
contribute to the excitement, as he goes
past, by whistling on their fingers, and
the men at work on the new meeting
house knock off to look at him and laugh
He feels ridiculous. but he must catch
that train. He gets desperate when he
has to slacken up until two or three wo-
man, who are on the side walk discussing
the servant girl question and the price ol
:. butter, scatter to let him pass. He ar
rives within one hundred yards Of the de
pot with duster flying in the wind, coat
tall horizontal and the yellow dog nippint
his heels, Just as the train begins TO move
He puts on extra pressure, and resolves
to make that train or perish. He reaches
it as the last car is going past. He seizei
the hand-rail, Is violently jerked arounc
once or twice. but finally lands on thu
step on his knees, and is hauled in by his
A coat-collar by the brakeman, hot, mad
dusty, with his trousers torn across thu
knees, his shins bruised, and three ribs II
|, his umbrella broken. Just as he sits com
. fortably into the car. the train stops
backs up on the siding, and laws there fol
! half an hour while the engineer hxes
broken valve. Then he is madder thai
|. ever, and determines he will move In tow
: tomorrow, and swears, while he look
out of the window and watches the dog
that followed him engaged In q contes
over bone which the yellow dog foun'
= on the platform of the station; and he reg
, listers a silent VOW to devote his first hoi
iday to hunting up that dog and Draining
him with q club.