Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-02-06

pecuniary nature left us in peace.
! The snow which had been falling all
day, now lay thick AL around. Our
eyes ached again rs we looked out Of
the window-which was itself all frosted
over-or 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
tireside.
Halo what are we stopping for
now! | wonder if we are going to do
an upset, or something exciting Of that
kind" said Davies, looking out of the
window. IL don't see train anywhere
that we can have friendly collision
with"
"Get out here, gentlemen" said the
guard, passing the window; the line is
showed up, and we shall have to wait
until it is clear"
The grumbling which this pleasant
announcement naturally caused was
Immediately stopped by our hearing
the voice of our disagreeable COM
panion in the next compartment.
"Line showed up, is it,? said that
gentleman, trying to appear calm in
his fury. and we get out here? Oh
and do you suppose am going q uiet-
ly to submit to this The line ought
to have been cleared ready for us. I
shall bring an action"
But, sir" said I,"how on earth
could they"
Might request to know who spoke
to you, sir? l consider your remark
and interference excessive imper-
thence"
This was little too bad, and turned
to Jack and whispered that we would
devise some plan of giving our friend
IL lesson demonstrative 70 the evils
attending bad temper at Christmas
time.
We were fortunately stopped at dis
lance of only two hundred yards from
station; but q very poor station it
was, without any waiting rooms or re-
| freshment rooms.
The station master, who was u pleas
ant sort of fellow, said we would have
to wait but couple of hours, and gave
us room, where We made the best of
a bad job, and having sent for some
beer from the nearest public" be-
came, as Edwards mathematically OBJ
served, approximately happy. The old
gentleman, however, had not vented
all his wrath, but kept on anathema-
tizing the snow and the people at i'll
tervals.
After we had warmed ourselves,
Stretcher proposed that we should
have some songs but as no one vol
unteered, l suggested that we should
get on our way sooner if we went out
and helped clear away the snow. To
this all assented, except our amiable
friend, Of course. We had worked
away merrily for an hour, and were
congratulatlng ourselves on being able
to start, when Jack came running up
with a very pleased expression of
countenance, and as he tapped me
on the shoulder remembered that he
had not been with us for the last half
hour.
Fred, l have an idea"
Keep it, them" l replied, "for it is
so rare a commodity with you that
would not deprive you of it for the
world"
Don't chat, and will tell you about
It,. l went up into the room at the
station just now and found our friend,
the old boy, fast asleep in his chair.
completely collapsed under the soporific
effects of the fire and glass of brandy
and water. Immediately ran into the
village and bought these" he said, show
ing handful Of screws, a gimlet and a
screw-driver.
"What in the name Of everything
ridiculous can you want Of these ?" l
asked in establishment.
"Don't you see? We shall be able
to start again directly, now that the line
is clear; we meanwhile run up stairs
screw the old gentleman firmly into the
room-the train goes on-we are re-
venged for his surly behavior to us, and
he will then learn that old gentlemen
should not be ill-tcmpered at Christmas
time"
"Capital!" l cried, always ready to
fall in with practical joke. LET us
be off at once"
We certainly found the old gentleman
in as Morphean a torpor as we could
wish. His feet were propped up on a
chair while his boots were drying, and
he was breathing with his n outh wide
open, in rather apoplectic manner.
Shall put a SNOWFALL in each of his
| boots?' | said.
No /; that would be too much of a
good thing, but l will tell you what YOU
shall DO; you are rather swell at draw
ing, aren't you? I'll just burn the end
OF that beer bottle cork and you shall
artistically adorn his face"
That is splendid" he whispered, as