St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-12-08
Change of Fortune.

very singular genius on my road fror
springfield to Boston. This was
stout, black -whiskered man who s.;
immediately in front of me, and VIII
lndulged, from time to time, in the mos
strange and unaccountablr manpuyer,
Every now and then he would yet II
and hurry away to the narrow passag
which leads to the door in these draw
mg-room cars, and when he though
himself secure from observation, woul
) fall to laughing to himself in the mos
S'l"icrt manu"r, md continHe til
hcalthful exercise until he was red il
the face as il lobster. As we ncare,
Boston these demonstrations increase,
III violence, save that the stranger III
longer ran away to laugh, but kept hi
seat and . 'ckled to himself, with hi
chin de- Ia wn in his shirt collar. Blu
the chang: hose portmanteaus under
went! He moved them here, there
everywhere; he put them behind him
III front of him. on each side of him
He was evidently getting ready to leave
but, as we were vet twenty mile
from Boston. the idea of such prepara
ti"mS WAS ridiculous. If we had en-
tered the city then, the MYSTERY woul,
have remained uDSolved, hut the Stran
| ger AT last became 81 excited that h,
/ could Keep his seat no longer. som,
one must help him, and us was til,
nearest To him he selected me.
suddenly turning, aS if ! had aSkc,
| hlm question, he said. rocking himself
To and fro III his chair the meantime
and Slapping his legs and breathing
hard. Been gone three Years = '.Ah =
'NcS. been in Europe. Folks don't ex-
pcct me. but | got through and started
telegraphed them at the last station
! they've got it 10y this time" A. he said
this he rubbed his hands and changed
the portmanteau on his left to his right
and the one ON his right To the left
again. Got Il wife - said l. Yes.
and three children" he observed. and
hr got up and folded his nvcrcoat anew. .
and hung it over the back of the seat.
~ on are pretty nervous over the mat
ten. are YOU not =" | said. watching his
hd%ctN movements. "'Wtll. | should
think 81" he replied Il haven't slept
>oundIN for Il week. And do you know. =
he went on. glancImg around at the
passengers and speaking in low tone.
Il am almost certain that this train will
run of the track and break my neck
before we get To Boston. Well, the
fact Is. have had too much good luck
for one man lately. The thing cant
last: ii isn't natural that it should. Won
know. I've watched it. FIRST it rains.
then II shines. then rains again. 1t
rains 80 hard YOU think its never going
: "a stop; the. it shines 81 bright Won
think It's always going To shine and
Just as Nou are settled in either belief
YOU are knocked over bV IL change to
show that you know nothing about it,"
Wv ell. according To that philosophy"
SAID |, 'Nnu will continue To have sun
shine because You are expecting IA
storm. at is curious" he returned.
but the only thing which makes me
think | will get through safe is hrcarI>.
| think | won't - "Wcll. that is curl
"u>." said |. "lc>." he replied. I'm a
marhinrst made il discovery
believed in it spent all my money try
ing I" bring II ont murtgagrd my home
all. Every body laughed AT me
every yhodN but my witc-iinc little wo-
man said she would work her fingers
of before should give it up. Went
to England no better there: came
within an ace of jumping oil London
bridge. Went into Il shop to earn
money to come home with: there met
the man | wanted. To make Il long
story short. I've brought thirty thou
sand dollars home with me. and here |
am" Good for you," | exclaimed
''lcS. said he. ''thirtN thousand dol
laS: and the best of it is she don't
know anything about it. I've fooled
her 50 often. and disappointed her 81
often that | just concluded would say
nothing about this. When | got my
money. though. You better believe |
struck II bec-l line fol home"
"Amd now lou will make her happy"
said l.
"IIappy." he replied. "why. you
don't know anything about it. Shes
worked like IL dog while have been
gone. trying t" support herself and her
children decently. They paid her tliir-
teen cents apiece for making coarse
shirts and that's the way she'd live
half the time. She'll come down there
to the depot To meet me i'll il gingham
lress. and IL shawl IA hundred wears old. |
and she'll think she's dressed up. Oh.
she won't have nice clothes after this
Dh, no, | guess not !"
And with these words. which implied
hat his wife's wardrobe would soon
ival Queen NictOria's the stranger tore
l"wn the passage way again, and get
ing in his old corner, where he thought
out of sight. went through the
'tlangest pantomime, laughing. getting
lis mouth into the drollest shapes. and
hen swinging himself back and forth
n the limited space, as if he was "walk-
ny down Broadway" full-ripped
belle. And SO till he rolled
uto the Ienot and | ul,coJ ,,,,.,.Jr go,