The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-06-04


two dreAdfully brdish brides and their
spouseS who had likewise claimed their
places, My English beauty, utterly
disguised with her UiS.a uiS, asked for
a place in my section during the day,
and we became 80 delightfully."- conf
dental in ten minutes that / learned
she was from Nova Scotia that this
was the eleventh day of her journey,
and that her destination was Sacrameto !;
while the merry faced, handsome young
man whom she ordered about with such
supreme nonchalance was her brother.
Meantime, we heard from tho rear
sections peals of merry laughter, the
aforesaid infants gave us peal on peal of
dreadful wells, and we took dishonor-
able peeps in the tell-tale mirrors to
watch the "spooning" of the brides.
Our handsome young man roamed up
and down, and finally, with wickedly
mischievous face, came to his sister,
suggesting that she should go and
watch the view from the end of the ear.
| knew his motive, 80 | went too but
he made nothing that time, for his sis
ter never even glanced at the pretty
girls we passed. We looked from the
platform u few minutes our hero stood
twisting his mustache with veXation,
till, growing desperate, he remarked ::
"Say, Madge That girl with the
dark eyes is stunning, isn't she wish
you would make her acquaintance.
"Indeed That's the view you ad-
mired, was it? Well, sir, shall do
nothing of the kind have no vocation
for stunning girls. Come, Mr. D.,
let's go back p
Evidently used to such snubbing,
Tom-th wasn't his name, but we'll
play it was-made mocking salute,
and retorted, laughing
"WelI, madam, I'm quite equal to
helping myself. You just wait till yon
want to know some stunning fellow !"
Madge only gave him a look OF su-
premc contempt and walked off, tossing
over her shoulder command to fetch
the hamper, for she was hungry, and
no supper could be had till we reached
Grand island then, turning to me, she
said with an exceedingly ancient air,
"P, sitively, that boy is too ridiculous !
He gets silly over these American girls
all the time but | won't help him !"
"That boy y | repeated with intense
amusement for the delinquent stood
six feet high, and was evidently older
than the monitrcss who lectured him
in the gravest fashion all the while we
were nibbling at the contents of that
never-to be-forgotten hamper. 1t 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 freScO 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 howls of misery and fretfulnes9,
which walked lis all too soon. 1t was
droll enough to see the way in which
everybody peeped from their sections to
investigate the "reason 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 q vexcd 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 1t began in
chorus of stihed 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 Please-ma am what-else-
shall.I-do ?" face which was flnnier
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 buffaloes 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. | 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
81 wonder where Tom can be" and,
suiting the action to the word, she
started in pursuit, She was only gone
a minute then, with comically 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-
pying the same car step, while the rest
Of the gay group were camped on the
platform. OF course / laughed, while
Madge evinced her presence by reach
ing over and energetically pulling curl
of the handsome head that was so dan
gerously near the young lady's rosy
cheeks.
Tom started, locked round, and coolly
said "Ah, Madge! I thought it was
YOU. Well, l 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
blnsbed little, but bowed as graceful
" as her position permitted, and her
voice was singularly sweet when she
said, "I find that MIR. Fairfax is an old
scboolmate of my brothers. They were
at Toronto together y
| ,toloa,, turn In blusl now,