The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-08-03

by tne speaker
The little fellow stood abashed for u
minute, with a fist boring into each eye,
suffering, the doctor said, from an attack
of stage fright; but after y short whis-
pered prompting from Aunt Alice, he
said, in low, grutf voice. "Up in the
norf woods! Heard a big band of moosic
Big bear coined out and eat every body
up! That's the end O my story!' And
stretching his toes down until they touch
ed a convenient chair, reached the floor
III triumph.
This rather mixed statement was re-
ceived with shouts of applause and laugh
| ter, frightening the small orator out of
his wits, but did not give the Judge the
time for preparation which, he insisted,
every condemned man was entitled to-
i" But I've caught at slight clew,
founded on fact and hope it will I'M
wind to your satisfaction. If not, why !
| shall delight in the sutferings you have
called down on yourselves, for YOU de-
serve it'
The noisy audience, quieting down, be-
gan to form q circle round the blazing
| fire, leaving a seat for the speaker in
their midst, Who after a few moments
| meditation and one or two preliminary
coughs, began:
"ln the old, old days, when | was in
my Senior year in Columbia I decline to
| mention the exact time, for some Of you
youngsters will be trying your Skill in
arithmetic on me; but | was a much old
er fellow than | am now), | had been
home here for the Christmas holidays,
and was to start next morning for New
York to resume my work
"ln those days a journey from the in
| terror of the State to New York city was
speaking after the manner OF men, only Il
less serious matter than death. Indeed
among the country people very much the
same preparation was made tor each, as
far rs putting all business affairs on u pos
sible p0stmOWe1n footing went, with Il
view of making Il settlement easy in case
any thing happened as it was quite like
ly to do. A summer Journey was under
taken only under the most urgent stress
of business, as the time occupied and ex-
pense incurred were things to be thought
over and talked over before being realiz-
ed. Of course we had steamboats,, such
as they were; but to the farmers in the re
tired districts the idea of going to York
! III steamboat was about as practicable
as it would be to talk of crossing the
! ocean in Il balloon in these later times
They much preferred the safer and cheap
er sleeps and other sail vessels which
made regular trips between Albany and
| New York for the accommodation of tray
elers
of an average summer journey requir-
ed all this torethought, for one undertak en-
oh TN
cross the river and other streams hardly
less dangerous on the ice, in u heavily
laden coach drawn by four horses, to
break our way through deep snow drifts,
or to so the wheels depth in mud, the
| risk was very much enhanced The adj
vertlsed time for the winter trip was three
or four days, and the small ay-side tav-
erns where we used to put up at nj ght
are still standing. The promise as to time
was rarely kept, depending as it did ON
the condition of the roads, and the last
day OF the journey we generally rode
pretty we'll into the night. | remember
very well being on the road eight days
during my college years. when the pas
sengers. were obliged to pry the coach out
Of the mud several times But as this
doesn't seem to be intimately connected
with my theme, I'll defer it.
"Charley R-- was my companion,
and had been home with me for the hol
days. A nice, clever chap enough, and to
this day my good friend, bat Us a boy he
was too etfeminatc to be very popular
among his hardy classmates He had re-
markably small hands and feet, like a
girls, and. we used to say, was quite as
proud of them. could never understand
why Charley, with his soft womanish
ways and manners, should have taken to
the Church; but he did brave and etlec-
tive work on the Western frontier, when
1t rcqur, d as much courage to be Il mis-
slonary as to lead a torlorn hope.
1--WE were obliged to 90 seyen-and-
twenty miles by private conveyance to
reach Albany, from which place the stage
started. We arrived there about ten
o'clock in the evening, and enjoycd our
night of freedom at the then famous Con-
gress IIall-enjoyed it almost too well
we thought next morning, when we came
down to the dimly lighted breaktnst-room
shivering and dispirited
''lt was the custom for the stage to 90
round from house to house to collect pas
sengers, the seats being secured in ad-
vance, like boxes at the opera; 50 when
it drove up to the hotel that dismal morn
ing it was filled, with the exception OF the
| two places which we had bespoken, one
on the middle seat, where the only sup
port to the back was Il swaying leather
strap, and the other on the front We
could see dimly by the drivers lantern
| that the two occupants of the front seat
were an elderly gentleman, looking very
cross, and evidently an invalid, and I,
pretty, iresh-looking young girl, rolled
up to the eyes in Il fur-lincd mantle. and,
as we found out later, the sick man
daughter. | don't think | ever saw so
! sweet d"
Come. come, Morris, interrupted
Mrs. Cooper, "don't 90 into particulars,
please, or you won't finish toni ght."
"Charley had the good luck to get in
first, and of course seized upon the seat
by the pretty girls side, leaving me to
share mine with an old lady who took
snuff, and carried a carpet-bag on her lap,
poking me in the side with the brass rod
that fastened it, when she did not crush
my feet by letting it slide to the floor
With the daylight came general straight
ening up, and putting of ourselves in
better shape, excepting the pretty girl,
who was, from the first, distractingly
graceful and sweet. glared jealousy at
Charley, who was beaming with satistac-
ton. and already trying to be attentive,
in a brotherly way, to his fair neighbor
WAS she comfortable?' Had she sutli
cient room?' And was delighted to sec
that farther cvilities were not encouraged
by the daughter, and that the father look
ed at my friend over the collar of his
camlet cloak in u way to snub much
braver lad than Charley.
We'll, we iolted weary mile after
weary mile, with nothing to break in up
on the dullncss of the still white road
We would toll heavily up hill. stop to
breathe the horses, and slip down the
other side almost as heavily. the wheels
being held by the stout brakes. Once in
a while we would whirl up with great
flourish and racket to the tavern, and if
the hour suited, we stopped for dinner OF
whatever meal was due. Sometimes we
!.