The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-17
THE JUDGES FILTRATION.

THE JUDGES FILTRATION 4-r
"In the old, iold days, 81 said the
Judge, "when was in my senior year
in Columbia, Qdeelihelte mention the
exact time, foI' some of you youngsters
will be trying your skill in arithme-
tic on me; but was a much older fel-
low than am now), / had been home
here for the Christmas holidays, and
was TO start next morning for New York
% resume my work In those days a
journey from the interior of the State
10 New York City wss, speaking after
the manner Of men, only q less serious
matterthan.deatlr.s Iudeed, among the
country people very much the same
preparation WAS made for each, as far
rs putting al business. affairs. on a pos
sibie- post morton 1oo1ing went, with a
view OF zinaking a settlement easy in
case any thing happened, as it was
quiet likely TO DO A summer Journey
was undertaken only under the most
urgent stress of business, as the time
occupied and expense incurred were
things To be thought over and talked
over before being realized. OF course
we had steamboats,, such as they were;
but to the farmers in the retireS dis
tricts the idea of going to York in a
steamboat was about as practicable as
il would be to tallSs-of crossing the
ocean in a balloon in these latter times.
They much preferred the cheaper and
safer sloops and other sail vessels which
made regular trips between Albany and
New York for the accommodation of
travellers.
elf an avepage summer journey re-
quired all this forethought, for one un-
dertakenin the winter, when we were
obliged to cross the river and other
streams hardly less dangerous on the
ice, in a heavily laden coach drawn by
four horses, TO break our way through
deep snow drifts, or TO go the wheels
depth in mud, the risk was very much
enhanced. The advertised time forth
winter trip was three or four days, and
the small way-side taverns where we
use TO put up at night are still stand
ing. The promise as to time was rare
ly kept, depending, as it did, on the
condition of the roads, and the last day
OF the journey we generally rode pretty
well into the night. | remember very
well being on the road eight days dur
ing my college Years, when the passen-
gers were obliged to pry the coach out
of the mud several times. But as this
doesn't seem to be intimately connected
with my tSeme, HI defer it. w e -.E
"Charley r. was my companion,
aud had been home with me for the
holidays. A nice, clever chap enough,
and to this day my good friend, but as
boy he was too effeminate to be very
popular among his hardy classmates.
lie had remarkably small hands and
feet, Ike 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 andveffectiye work on the
Western frontier, when il required as
much courage 10 he a missionary as to
lead forlorn hope. e.--.--.--.
~'H" We were Obliged to go seven-and-
twenty miles by private conveyance to
reach Albany, from which place the
stage started. We arrived there about
10 o'clock in the evening, and enjoyed
our night of freedom at the then famous
Congress Hall-enjoyed it almost too
well, we thought next Dorning, when
we came down to the dimly lighted
breakfast-room, shivering and dispirit-
ed. n #
ait was the custom for the stage to
90 round from house to house to collect
passengers, the seats being secured in
advance, like boxes at the opera; so
when it drove up TO the hotel that dis
NAL morning it was filed, with the ex-
ception of the two places which we had
bespoken, one on the middle seat, where
the only support to the back was a
swaying leather strap, and the other
on the front. We could see dimly by
the drivers lantern that the two occu-
pants of the front seat were an elderly
gentleman, looking very cross, and ev-
identity an invalid, and pretty, fresh
looking young girl, rolled up to the
eyes in a fur lined mantle, and, as we
found out later, the sick mans daugh-
ter. don't think l ever saw so sweet
A.
"Come, come, Norris" interrupted
Mrs. Cooper, the Judges wife, "don't
90 into particulars, please, oryOu won't
finish tonight"
"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 carpet-bag
upon her lap, poking me in the side
with the brass rod that fastened it +;
when she did not crush nv feet by let
ting it slide TO the floor. With the day
light came a general Strengthening up,
and putting of ourselves in better
shape, excepting the pretty girl, who
was, from the first, distractingly grace
full and sweet. l glared jealousy at
Charley, who was beaming with. satis-
faction, and already trying to be atten-
tive, In a brotherly wav, to his fair
neighbor. WAS she comfortable?' p
Had she sufficient room?' And | was
delighted to see that farther eiIlities
were not encouraged by the daughter,
and that the father looked at my friend
over the collar of his camlet coat in a
way to snub a much braYer lad than
Charley ~. ,i. - Ia -a -
d" Well, we jolted weary mile after
weary mile, with nothing to break in
upon the dullness 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 hurl up with great
flourish and racket to the tavern, and
if the hour suited, we stopped for din
per or whatever meal was due. Some
times we accepted the drivers advice
tO get ont and stretch your legs'-coun-
sil that poor little Charley would glad
Ia, have raol;zod in perSOn