The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-12-24
M NIGHT IN A STAGE-COACH.
.rrue story Of Chrs.,mn. Eve.


The wear was ls56-the month De
cember-the place Tamaqua. | was a
young man then. and a strong one |
did good deal Of travelling through
the State Of Pennsylvania, going from
county town 10 county town from the
beginning Of the year TO the close II
WAS pleasant business enough. for there
was less railroading to be done then
than now, and more staging, and not
unfrequently long rides on canal boats
in the summer time. was not often
hurried on my trips, and took my own
time. Nfyexact business ~ the county
seats consisted ot hunting up titles 70
obscure, wild lands, paving taxes upon
them, and getting them in good condi-
tiOn for immediate sale.
In consequence Of the nature Of this
business. knew good deal about the
topography of Pennsylvania, and a good
deal that, at the time, was worth know
ing about its roads and its inns. All Of
the latter We're bad. but some We're bet
ter than others. One of the worst Of
them were at Tamaqua. and possibly it
Is there vet, though when / last slept
under its roof. Il was ia altogether such
a lamentable condition Of decay, and its
roof was such a very leaky roof indeed,
that doubt motif long ago disappeared
out Of the sight Of men and possibly out
of their memories alsO-Tamaqua hay-
ing achieved railroad since. and, Of
course. grown as only railroad towns
10 grow.
arrived there in that December OF
1856, on Monday afternoon, which
was quite a. cold and disagreeable a
Monday afternoon A. | remember ever
TO have known, though, when compar-
ed with the Tuesday that followed. il
might be considered rather warm than
otherwise was half frozen when
got there, and l was not quite thawed
out when left. for / had yielded 10
burning curiosity 10 visit coal mine,
and fancy that Tamaqua i nothing
but a coal mine. with q thousand mouths
that every morning swallow so many
thousand miners and disgorge them
every night. 1t was then,
and think it is now,
a very black and sooty place, with
canal in front Of it, hill behind it, and
the huge mine have spoken Of under
it, IL was not only black and sooty il
self. but its people were similarly black
and sooty; and 50 Were its horses, OF
rather Its mules, for il seemed 10 have
few Of the former and great many Of
the latter. Even its dogs and cats par
took Of the general soOtiness, and were
evidently greatly depressed by it.
was very cold when I went down into
the mine-which had its shaft just be-
4 .,I Il. a I 80
when came out Of il. went to bed
cold, and got up cold, 20 cold indeed
that thought would never be warm
any more. When | went down into the
frozen breakfast-roOm, looked out Of
the window, and saw that the ground
was covered deep with snow, and that
IL was still showing a. il il meant 10 ex-
haust the whole winters supply in five
minutes or so. being very greatly press
ed 10 do II Immediately / drank my
cold. black coffee and ate my cold. tough
beefsteak in gloomy silence, thinking
more than had done for a long time
before Of home. n IL pleasant cheer
and warmth, and Of the loving boys and
girls i'm il who were even then, no doubt, /
expecting my speedy coming, for this
was already the morning Of Tuesday.
aud II thursday would be Christmas day. (
In that home 1 was IT. Nicholas him. !
self, for il was that brought home in
the night the brave tree with is spread (
ing green branches il was that planted
il firmly in the middle Of the wide par
Tor; il was that found the infinite va
riety IF toys, cakes, bon-bons. and gilt
tering baubles which covered IL: IL was
| thar placed the ever-beautiful image
Of the Christ-Child on the topmOst I
bough that lighted the many-colored I
tapers, and | that, at the suspicious mo 4
ment, suddenly threw open the folding 1
doors and let in the children 20 behold I
the glory Of that wondrous Christmas
miracle.
In my frequent Journeys through the I
State. | had seen many places which 4
wanted to get away from quickly, but I
never saw another that wanted 10 turn I
my back upon 50 much as Tamaqua. II \
was not in any manners pleasant place,
and besides, IL these nephews and nieces
OF mine we're TO have Christmas tree
at all in this year, 1856, I thought. I (
must 90 home as fast a. could travel.
l had come To Tamagua i'm a stage. and
lmust 60 away from it in a stagc-not