The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-06-12


six feet high, and was evidently older
than the monitress who lectured him
in the gravest fashion all the while we
were nibbling at the contents of that
never-to- be-forgotten hamper. It re-
minded me of the famous one which
Mr.. Wardle carried to the races, and
think we enjoyed it as much as Mr..
Pickwick and his friends enjoyed their
al tre8co lunch, though the sleepy fat
boy was not in attendance.
The usual funny scenes occurred dur
ing the stowing-away process at night );
but the long hours passed swiftly, and
the " infants" greeted the morning with
sundry bowls of misery and fretfulness,
which walked us all too soon. It was
drou enough to see the way in which
everybody peeped from their sections to
investigate the treason why" and then,
having viewed the situation, each sud
denly discovered all the other curious
heads, and disappeared. The lament
ing wall was from the stout lungs of a
four-year-old boy this time. His moth
er, arranging her toilet placidly, paid
no heed to his screams, and the little
imp danced with passion. Suddenly
Madge showed vexed face between her
curtains, and her ringing voice called
out imperatively
"Tom for heavens sake get slip
per ard spank that child He's quite
too old to cry like that, and his mother
doesn't seem to know enough to manage
him - Then she vanished.
Fancy the laugh Tt began in a
chorus of stifed chuckles, but she had
spoken for US all and hearty indorse-
ment sounded from every berth, while
the amazed parent picked up her off
spring, slapped him soundly, and looked
round with a Please-ma' am-what-else
shall-I-do ?" face which was funnier
than Madge's prescription.
Our train was "behind time" and
breakfast was only dim prophecy, SO
we beguiled the hours as best we might,
watching for bufaloes which wouldn't
appear, spying several groups of the
pretty, graceful antelopes, passing
swiftly through widespread settlements
of the funny little prairie-dogs, and
opening our eyes widely at the cactus
which grew IN such prickly profusion
on either side of the track. I found the
face of my English beauty more en-
chanting than anything else, for it was
as changeful as her thoughts. Sudden
ly she exclaimed:
q wonder where Tom can be !" and,
suiting the action to the word, she
started in pursuit, She was only gone
a minute then, with a cOmicalIy rue
ful face, she begged me to come, too.
We found the deserter costly tucked
beside the very girl he had admired the
day before, for both of them were occu-
plying the same car step, while the rest
of the gay group were camped on the
platform. OF course I laughed, while
Madge evinced her presence by reach
ing over and energetically pulling a curl
of the handsome head that was SO dan.
gerously near the young lady's 1osy
cheeks.
Tom started, locked round, and coolly
said: "Ah, Madge L thought it was
you. Well, can't very well move Just
now; but, Miss Ellis, if you can look
over your shoulder you will see my sis
ter. Miss Fairfax, allow me to present
Miss Ellis"
The scamp certainly showed good
taste for Miss Ellis was very lovely,
both in feature and expression, She
blushed little, but bowed as graceful
~ as her position permitted, and her
voice was singularly sweet when she
said, 81 find that Mr.. Fairfax is an old
schoolmate of my brothers. They were
at Toronto together -
1t was Madge's turn to blush now,
not a little, but furiously, while Toms
mischievous eyes danced with delight
at her confusion, and l did some
Yankee guessing about that @ broth
err" which proved quite correct, and
I 4 70 toh fr,r
opments and to enjoy the happiness be-
fore me. o youth and hope and beau
ty ! What brave possessions We are
Ye hold in your magical glasses such
rare libatiOns, and we drink such eager
draughts, believing the visions they
bring to heart and brain.
The train roared on. Boss Tweed"
came out and stood on the platform
of his car, watching, the strange,
desOlate lands we were passing; gem
tlemen consoled themselves with cigars;
ladies tried all conceivable changes of
position and read persistently; while
all the happiness and delight in the
whole train seemed to concentrate in the
knot of young people about me. Madge
sent for the hamper, the young ladies
opened their baskets, and when we
reached Cheyenne I left Tom seated on
a reversed water pail, with all the gay
girls around him pampering him by of
fers of the daintiest morsels, and my
queenly Madge as merry as the rest, di-
recting at him a perpetual volley of
saucy speeches.
They were all going through to Sacra-
mento. My prophetic soul told me what
would happen, for the imprisonment in
a Pullman car for a week of two mutu-
ally susceptible young people has an
almost certain result. Nothing in
Euclid is surer than a Irritation, while
something more serious is very apt to
take place. Tom gave me his own YER
sion of the story, declaring fate had
been too much for him, for during those
days of travel he had grown SO used to
caring for Miss Ellis, so accustomed to
playing a devoted lover "ju8t to tease
Nadge ~ that when their destination
was attained the force of habit made
him still seek the young lady, and "she
seemed 50 fond of him, that, we'll, real
ly now, you know a fellow finds himself
in queer position, and 1 had to marry
her just to save her feelingsr'
The pretty bride had heard all this
before, so she only reioined with the
meekeSt air 4:
I'm trying to show how sensible I
am of his pure benevolence.
Altogether an accident !' but what
a delicious consequence 1 am telling
you true story, dear friends, and if
you will find ont the history of many a
it will be found to have had
an equally small beginning.
"And Madge?" I think I hear you
say. Well, Madge was going to Sacra-
mento to complete her engagement to
that same brother of Miss Ellis, who
had known TON" at Toronto, and
Tom asserts that she rules him splen-
1id1y. I'd give something to see her
eyes flash again, but tomorrow 1 am to
say good by to my hero and heroine,
who sail for home, at Gaps Breton; and |
Madge is keeping house in Sacramento.
Salt as Manure.
Various experiments have been made |
~ NJ Da11inOE o1J otbarS in