The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-07-10
TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION.


rudy checked, blue-eyed boy, whose
years were not counted above ten. She
carried in her arms a bundle, closely
and carefully wrapped, at one end of
which tiny face appeared. a diminu-
tive copy of her own. Carefully plac-
ing this bundle upon q seat, she next
dragged IN box and basket, and the
strong odor of bilge- water, such as ever
pervades the steerage or between decks
OF the emigrant vessel, announced to
the lnditferently interested passengers
that my ow-passenger was an emf
grant
She was not more than thirty she was
fair and appeared as strange and timid
as the antelope we saw from the car
window gliding over the plains. But
no one spoke to her, no one presumed
to claim acquaintance with this travel
soiled, weary-looking young woman,
and as she satOn the aextseat TO my own,
gazing YEARLY out upon the wild, bleak
monotony OF the plains, I observed sew
eral times during the day that her large
blue eyes filled with tears, and that the
little boy in Scotch cap, knee-breeches
and black hose busted himself in a vain
attempt to comfort his "mother." All
this observed from behind my book,
which book proved a medium OF COM
munieation between my fellow-passen-
ger aud myself.
She hal been looking at the back of
my book attentively for some time,
when she broke the silence by saying {:
&C beg pardon, sir, but can you tell
me when we shall arrive Cooking at an
envelope) at Biiou Station ?"
Tomorrow evening sometime, If all
goes well, replied.
els the country out there as wild and
sparsely settled IS this, sir ?"
Yes, madam, or more so. It de-
ponds very much upon the portion of
the BiIou you go to-"
The ice being broken between myself
and my fellow-passenger, she soon fell
victim to professional American
newspaper interviewer, to whom she
told her story.
But this story would have but little
interest for the general reader, were it
not for the sequel, which is herewith
given. 1 will give her story as near as
possible in her own words
Yes, sir, [ am from England. 1 left
there three weeks ago. 1 observed you
reading Dickens, and took the liberty
of speaking to you. Do admire Dick
ems? Yes, sir, I loved him I am Il
. relative of his, and have Ofttimes visi-
ted him at his place at Gad's Hill. /
am from Gloster. Do you know Clos
ter ? It is a dear old town. We lived
just within the shadow of that great ca
thedral Ga sigh. Oh, the dearOld town.
expect we will never meet again. It
is great old structure, sir. You can
read all about it IN Uncle Charles last
book, THE Mystery of Edwin brood.
He describes our town just as it Is. We
all loved Mr.. Dickens. l walked with
him many times in the grand old struct-
ure, for he made our home his home
when he came to Gloster. He only
lived ten miles away, and frequently
came to us while he WIS working upon
his last book. I observed you reading
one of his works, and l made 80 free as
to speak. for I am-Oh so very lone
some aud strange here Did I come
all tle way alone, sir? Yes, sir. But
it was wrong in me to attempt it.
think sometimes I shall give up before
reach my husband. But Charles is
quite a man to me. You have no idea,
sir, how clever and kind my little son
has been to me, both on the voyage and
at Halifax, at Baltimore and Cincinnati.
How do 1 like the states, did you say
Oh sir, don't like them at I'll like
the state of Cincinnati the best of any
have been in. 1 stopped at Halifax
1t is a dull, cold, miserable place.
They kept MS three days in Baltimore,
to discharge cargo. At Cincinnati my
luggage was smashed, and had to pur-
chase deal boxes to pack in. They
charged me O sovereign for them. I was
detained one day at st. Louis-a nasty,
gloomy, smoky place, Is it not, sir? AZ
Leavenworth they refused to take my
English gold for my hotel bill, and
was in great trouble and distress. Did
oil iCrbf gsy.
There is nine hundred pounds OF it.
Why did l bring so much, did you say?
Why, sir, my husband wrote me that
he had got perfect little Eden of q
place in Colorado. Yes, sir, ne calls
our new home Eden. and [ thought
would bring as many of the old things
from home as possible, and L brought a
box of tea, barrel OF sugar, several
bolts of long cloth, same boots and
clothing, and at least a hundred differ
emit kinds of garden-seeds. We will be
so happy when 1 get home. But, sir
(cryiug), I really think 1 never will
reach home again. Three weeks OF
travel all alone has nearly cost me my
life.
"What is7my husband doing in Coro-
RADIO, did Won say, sir? He is sheep.
farming. He was tailor and gentle
nen's-furnisher in Gloster. We lived
in one house for nineteen years. My
father kept the business before [ mar
ried my husband. We were doing very
we'll and getting rich, but my husband,
who had been a sailor when q boy, and
who was born in Brazil, was always dis
contented and wanted TO travel. In an
evil hour I consented to sell ont our
business in Gloster. He took e5, 900
with him and started to Colorado. His
letters which he wrote from Colorado
were very interesting they were printed
in our country paper at home. Oh, sir,
If YOU only could know how tired l am
of travelling, how lonesome I feel here
upon these plains, so many thousands
OF mile- from my dear old home, You
would realize how anxious am to meet
my husband"
The sun and the train rolled on west
ward, and toward evening on the second
dav out from Kansas City came in sight
OF Biiou. Ny fellow passenger was all
hustle and excitement; she had been
half n dozen times to the glass to adjust
her hair and apparel. The beautiful
little boy IL his Scotch cap blue jacket
and black stockings had had his golden
locks freshly curled. his rosy cheeks
washed, and stood upon the car-seat
looking ont of the window-looking for
- Gather"