Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-02-06
HOW / LOST MY WHISPERS.

10 YOU ODICCh W Si1loklIS,
This | asked in my blandest manner
of an old gentleman who sat with his
face hidden by a newspaper opposite to
me in q railway car.
All the seats in the carriage were
filled. and four others were on our
way to Cambridge to enjoy the Christ
mas vacation. We were in high spirits,
for there is delight in banishing for a
while all thoughts Of comic sections,
Newton's Principal" and the little-go,
and entertaining in exchange, visions
of chops" skating parties, and all the
orgies which every right minded family
holds at this season of the year IN
honor of King Christmas.
But [ must introduce you to my
chums-for chums We were, although
our tastes did not all lie in the same
direction John Stirrup is-or rather
was at that period-a riding and hunt
ing man, and was not unfrequently to
to be found at Newmarket; Stretcher,
on the other hand, loved boating, and
preferred the sight of we'll developed
biceps to that of the best bred hunter
in the world, and would often say to
Jack, :" How on earth can you say that
you would rather see the Two Thous-
and than the Time Race in the Col
quhoun Sculls,' / cannot for the life of
me make OUT" Edwards was poor
and reading man, but whose wits and
talents made him universal favorite;
while Davies was rich, open-handed,
good-hearted fellow as ever lived. For
my own part, | don't think I had any
we'll defined popularity but did little
of everything. / read little, rowed g
little, hunted q little, had fair income,
in short, if | had any characteristic
at all it was q love Of laziness and prac-
teal jokes.
We congratulated ouselves on getting
a carriage by ourSelves-with the eX-
we intended to keep out the cold and
beguile the time with sundry pipes
and cigars We had got out our cases
and were prepared to light up. as a
matter of course, when we were aston
ished by my ris-a-uis dashing away
the paper which had concealed his
face.
''Do I object to smoking? Yes, sir.
do object. [ object very strongly, sir:
and beg that you will instantly replace
your cigars III your pockets. [ insist
on having no smoking in this car
riage !"
We looked aghast at the sudden burst
Of old gentlemanly wrath.
Might [ ask if you intend travelling
far on this line, sir?' inquired Edwards,
IN his comicalIy polite tone
"What Is that to you, sir? What bust
meas is it Of yours where | may be going
toIn
q merely wished to suggest that in
case of your travelling far, pleasing and
delightful as it world be for us to enjoy
your agreeable company, yet, neverthe-
less, we would try to bear the loss.
should you prefer to change carriages at
the next station"
No doubt you would wish to get rid
Of me; but no sir; [ do not move my
seat, and the first one who smokes will
report to the guard"
!" In that case [ fear we shall be
obliged to tear Ouselves away" I said,
as We stopped at a small station.
Fortunately we found the next COM
partment empty, and as we started
again we pulled out our cigar cases, this
time to light their contents.
1.-The old boy had certainly got out OF
bed on the wrong side this morning"
SAID [.
''Or has made a mistake in his bet
ting-book," remarked my sporting
friend we'll give him a benefit now,
at any rate; move we take it in turns
to puff smoke through the key-hole.
Let's look at him; ha cooled down a
little; is about to compose himself to
sleep. III trouble you for his nightcap !;
come and look at it, Fred
[ did so, and roared on seeing a red
woven cap of conical shape, which
added very considerably to the irasci-
bility of the wearer's features.
With perseverance which deserved a
better cause, we each made a tube of
paper and putting the end through the
lamp-hole took our turn at smoking
him OUT" and / blush as | now think
how heartily we enjoyed the enraged
state IN which he paced up and down
the empty carriage, like Gagged lion.
The next time we stopped, however,
the guard put his head into our carriage
window and said, with wink:
"GentPm In next compartment COM
plains of your smoking, sir
-Smokingm We exclaimed, with
mock indignation. . Do we look as if
we had been smoking? What non
sense" and added IN mysterious
manner. You see there's one vacant
seat; of course we're not going to tell
tales Of the man who occupied that"
"All right" said the guard, laughing.
:. | was not born yesterday And after
i slightly confidential transaction of a
pecuniary nature left US in peace.
The snow which had been falling all
day, now lay thick all around Our
eyes ached again as we looked out OF
the window-which was itself all frosted
over-on to the dazzling snow which
covered the landscape; and as we
stamped our feet on the floor of the
carriage we began heartily to wish our
selves at our journeys end, and by our
freside.
x \
"Hallo what are we stopping for