Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-12-24
MY NIGHT IN A STA GE COACH.

a True story Of an Old Christmas.
The year was lS56--the month December
the place Tamaqua. / was young man
then, and a strong one. l did good deal
of travelling through the state of Pennsyl-
vania, going from county town to county
town from the beginning OF the year to the
close. 1t was pleasant business enough,
for there was less railroading TO be done
then than now, aud more staging, and not
unfrequently lcng rides on canal boats in
the summer time. l was not oilen hurried
on my trips, and took my own time. Ny
exact business at the county seats consist
ed in hunting up titles to obscure, wild
lands, paying taxes upon them, aud getting
them in good condition for immediate sale.
In consequence of the nature of this busi-
ness, knew a good deal about the topog-
rapby of Pennsylvania, and a good deal
that, at the time, was worth knowing about
its roads and its inns. All Of the latter
were bad, but some were better than oth-
ers. One of the worst OF them was at Tam
aqua, and possibly 1t is there yet, though
when last slept under its roof 1t was in
| altogether such lamentable condition oi
ecay, and lis roof was such a very leaky
roof indeed, that doubt not II long ago
disappeared out of the sight Of men, and
possibly out of their memories also-Tsm-
aqua having achieved railroad since, and
| of course grown as only railroad towns dc
| grow.
arrived there in that December of 1856,
| on a Monday afternoon, which was quite
as cold and disagreeable Monday after
| noon as l remember ever TO have known
| though, when compared with the Tuesday
| that followed, it might be considered ra
| ther warm than otherwise. l was hal
frozen when 1 got there, and was no
quite thawed out when l let, for hac
| yielded TO burning curiosity TO visit Goa
mine, and fancy that Tamaqua is nothing
but a coal mine, with a thousand mouths
that every morning swallow so many thou
sand miners and disgorge them every night
1t was then, and 1 think ii is now, very
black and sooty place, with canal in from
OF it, hill behind 1t, and the huge mine
have spoken of under il.
1t was not only black and sooty itseli
but its people were similarly black AM
Sooty: and so were its horses, or rather 1t
mules, for it seemed TO have few of the for
mer and great many of the latter. Ever
its dogs and cats partook of the genera
sootiness, and were evidently greatly de
pressed by it. I was very cold when wen
| down into the mine,-which had its shai
ust behind the hotel, and l was colde
still when came out OF it. 1 went to be
cold, and got up cold, so cold indeed tha
thought 1 would never be warm an
more. When went down into the froze
break fast room, / looked out of the win
dow and saw that the ground was covere
deep with snow, and that it was still snow
ing as If it meant TO exhaust the Who'll
winters supply in five minutes or so, be
ing very greatly pressed 10 do it immed
aiely. drank my cold black coffee, an
ate my cold, tough beelsteak in gloomy S
lence, thinking more than had done for
long time before of home, of its pleasar
cheer and warmth, and of the loving boy
and girls in it who were even then, Il
doubt, expecting my speedy coming, ft
this was already the morning Of Tuesday
aud Thursday would be Christmas Da.
In that home / was st. Nicholas him sci
i for it was 1 that brought home in the nigl
q the brave tree with its spreading gree
branches; 1t was 1 that planted 1t hrml
!. in the middle OF the wide parlor; 1t was
that found the infinite variety of toy
" cakes, bon-bons, and glittering baubl'
which covered it; it was that placed II
ever beautiful image of the Chrlst-Chi
on the topmost boughi that lighted Il
many y-colored tapers, aad that at the Al
i spicious moment, suddenly threw open Il
folding-doors and let in the children to b
hold the glory of that wondrous ChriStm
! miracle.
In my frequent journeyings through Il
State, Ihad seen many places which wan
ed to get away from quickly, but / nev
saw another that wanted to turn my baC
= upon so much as Tamaqua. 1t was not
e any manner pleasant place, and beside
il those nephews and nieces OF mine we
10 have a Christmas tree at all In th
year, 1856, thought. ! must go home
! fast as could travel. had come to Tau