Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-07-18
TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION.

outside-and she came tumbling in.
At the same instant there came in with
her ruddy checked, blue-eyed boy,
whose years were not counted above
ten. She carried in her arms a bun
die, closely and carefully wrapped, at
one end of which tiny face appear
ed, diminutive copy of her own.
| Carefully placing this bundle upon a
seat, she next dragged in a box and a
basket, and the strong odor of bilge-
water, such as ever pervades the steer
age or between decks of the emigrant
vessel, announced to the indiferently
interested passengers that my fellow
passenger was an emigrant.
She was not more thar thirty; she
was fair and appeared as strange and
timid as the antelope we saw from the
car-window glide 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 sat on the nextseat to my own,
gazing YEARLY out upon the wild, bleak
monotony of the plains, / observed
several times during the day that her
large blue eyes filled with tears, and
that the little boy in Scotch cap,
lknee-breeches and black hose busted
himself in vain attempt to comfort
his mother" All this I observed
from behind my book, which book
proved medium of communication
between my fellow passenger and my
self.
She had been looking at the back of
my book attentively for some time,
when she broke the silence by saying
II beg pardon. sir, but can you tell
me when we shall arrive looking at an
envelope) at Bijou Station?'
Tomorrow evening sometime, if
all goes we'll, / replied.
Is the country out there as wild
and sparsely settled as this, sir p
Yes, madam, or more so. 1t de-
pends very much upon the portion Of
the BUou you go to-
The ice being broken between my
self 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. I will give her story as near as
possible in her owR words.
Yes, sir, | am from England. |
left there three weeks ago. | observ-
ed you reading Dickens, and l took
the liberty of speaking to you. Do I
admire Dickens? Yes. sir, | loved
him. 1 am relative of his,
and have ofttimes visited him at
his place at Gad's Hill. l am from
Gloster. Do you know Gloster? 1t
is dear old town. We lived just
within the shadow of that great cathe-
dral "a sigh. Oh, the dear old town.
l expect we will never meet again. 1t
is a 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. walked With
him many times in the grand old
structure, for he made our home his
home when he came to Gloster. He
only lived ten miles away, and fire.
auently came to US while he was work
ing upon his last book. [ observed
you reading one of his works, and |
made so free as to speak, for | am
oh so very lonesome and strange here
Did [ come all the way alone, sir ?
Yes. sir. But it was wrong in me to
attempt it. think sometimes | shall
give up before | reach my husband.
But Charles is quite 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 l
like the states. did you say? Oh, sir,
| don't like them at all J | like the
State of Cincinnati the best of any !
have been in. Istopped at Halifax. 1t is
dull, cold, miserable place. They kept
us three days in Baltimore, TO discharge
cargo. At Cincinnati my luggage was
smashed. and had to purchase deal
boxes to pack in. They charged me
sovereign for them | was detained
one day at st. Louisa nasty, gloomy,
smoky place, is it not, sir? At Leav-
enworth they refused to take my Eng
lish gold for my hotel bill, and I was
/ IN great lTOuUic anu UiStIesS. Dlu \
GET my luggage all right? Yes, sir.
| There is nine hundred pounds of it.
! Why did I bring so much, did you say2
WHY. sir. my husband wrote me that
he had got perfect little Eden of a
place in Colorado. Yes, sir, he calls
our new home Eden, and | thought /
would bring as many of the old things
from home as possible, and | brought
a box of tea, a barrel Of sugar. several
bolts of long cloth, some boots and
clothing. and at least hundred differ,
ent kinds OF garden-seeds. We will
he so happy when 1 get home. But,
sir (cryingj, l really think l never will
reach home again. Three weeks OF
travel all alone has nearly cost me my
lie.
what is my husband doing in Colo
RADIO. did you say, sir? He is sheep
farming. He was a tailor and gentle
's-furnisher in Gloster We lived
in one house for nineteen years. My
father kept the business before | mar
ried nv husband. We were doing very
we'll and getting ROB. but my husband,
who had been a sailor when boy. and
who was born in Brazil, was always
discoutented and wanted to travel. In
an evil hour l consented to sell cut our
business in Gloster. He took 5000