Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-10-30
From Virginia.
CHARLOTTESVILLE. VA,
October, 1875.

October, 1870.
Not many mornings ago, arose
from my peaceful couch in Staun-
ton, and after dispatching an ex-
ceIlent hotel breakfast, packed my
valise, boarded the train and was
soon dashing over the road to-
ward this town. The car i'm which
/ had settled myself, contained
quite a lively party. Behind me
sat loving couple, a young dove
Of a lady and her companion. O!
he was a beauty. twenty-five
years Of constant piety had ren-
d5red him bald-headed, or i'm other
words, he parted his hair very
wide in the middle. lie wore a
piccadilly collar, striped hose,
when he wore any, and taken all
10 all, was jolly good fellow,
harmless In the extreme, and was
SO full Of "true inwardness'' that
he would gaze at baby suffering
with a severe attack of cholic on
the seat behind him, and wopder
why that child could be unhappy
while there was SO much love in
the seat next to it. He'd gaze out
at the passing scenery. We pass
ed an old, dilapidated country
house. Said he to his girl, "Look,
Ida, look" She didn't look in
time, and sweetly inquired, Hen
cry, what was it ?" "Ahp said
he, "a sight well worth seeing. A
palace, lifting to eternal summer
its marble walls, from out a glossy
bower of COO est foliage musical
with BIRDS" &c. Now this 'sAdol-
plus" had read the Lady of Ly-
ons," and that's the way he paint
ed that old farm house. She gazed
into the depths of his pensive eyes.
listened to the flow of language,
and might have answered, "Oh /!
de- the bee upon the flower, / hang
upon the honey Of thy eloquent
tongue! Am l not blest ?" In.
stead Of that, she only said, "Ain't
you nice ?" nestled a little closer
to him, and waited for the chest
nut vender 10 come thro' the car.
When he appeared Romeo !"
bought ten cents worth and then
they were twice as happy. Said /
to myself, won't we hear some
kissing while going through the
tunnel. In front eff me, on the
next seat, sat an old cattle drover.
He was going towards Richmond,
and ha0 evidently lost his bear
ings. AT every station he would
bend towards me and ask what
place it was. told him 1 was
stranger myself. Before we reach
ed the first tunnel, which is a lit
tie less than a mile in length, he
bought ten cent box of dried figs,
eat one or two; they soured on
him and turning to me said Look
here, friend, you like figs, dom,
you: well, here's some; you kin
have, for I'll be darned if / kin
eat en-" l told him that wasn't
eating figs that day. He gave them
to a small boy opposite. who ate
'em all and then tweaked his nose
at another boy because lie didn't
get any. Presently the brakeman
lighted the candle in our car, then
we prepared 10 go through the
tunnel. TIE loving couple behind
me nestled more closely together :
the old drover, in the front seat,
felt in his great coat for something
with stopper in it, and we cor
respondent enscOnsed himself Slug
~ in his seat, and waited for fun.
Suddenly we were plunged in
darkness; true, we had a faint
light, but the sudden transforma-
ton made everything look dark.
We couldn't see, but what did we
hear? What did we smell? Be-
hind me a sound of pop bottles be-
ing uncOrked, not those noisy bot
ties, whose shoppers punch the
ceiling OF the room, but a feint
noise, like bottles Of weak pop that
relinquish the stopper very slowly.
L knew they were kissing. Kind
% felt it. o! the nectar of those
lips, / heard those sweet sounds,
And felt the while pleasing kind OF
smart,
Those sounds went tingiing to my very
heart,
When sound was gone, the incense sweet
did stay,
Floating through that musty car all day.
O! twas nice. The sound in the
seat ahead of me was like the
"murmers of low fountains that
gush forth in the midst of roses -
or like the drover trying to swal
low half pint of tanglefoot when
| the valve of his threat was closed
up.
We soon reached daylight Ro-
meo had wiped the honey from his