Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-27
LUCRETIA.
A Christmas Eve Adventure.

Will ACKNOWLEDGE InaJ was Certainty u very
young man in the year '67: indeed, / was only
just turned OF twenty, and was inordinatey
proud OF a slight downy fringe on my upper lip,
which was pleased to speak OF as my NOUS
tacbe. Stin, ] was a sturdy young Fellow
enough. In spite Of my consumptive tendencies.
and not given to grouAdleSs fears In a general
way; but ! must allow that l was decidedly
frightened by my adventure in the Richmond
Hotel on Christmas Eve OF that aforesaid year of
grace. 1t may be foolish Renaissance, yet I
dare you won't mind listening to 1t.
When say the Richmond hotel, you must not
understand me to speak OF the Star and Garter
In the town OF that ilk situated in the county
Of Surrey, England. The Richmond where
passed my uncomfortable Christmas Eve stands
on the banks of the pretty st. Francis river In
Lower Canada. had gone out 10 the colony IN
The autumn OF that year TO look AFTER a small
property OF my mothers near kamouraska; ana
l originally intended to spend the winter In
Quebec. But as November and December wore
away, and the snow grew deeper and deeper
upon the plains OF Abraham, became grad
sally aware that a Canadian winter was not the
best adapted tonic In the world for young man
with slight hereditary predisposition to con-
sumption. had seen enough of Arctic life in
Quebec during those two initial months TO give
me good idea OF It's pleasures and drawbacks
/ had steered my tabOggan down the ice-cone at
the Falls OF MontmOrenct; had driven sleigh,
tete-a-tete with French Canadian belle, 10 q
surprise picnic In house at Sainte Anne; had
skated, snow-shOed and curled to my hearts
content; and had caught nay death of cold on
the frozen ST. Lawrence, not to mention such
minor miSfortuneS as getting my nose, ears and
Feet froSt-bitten during driving party up the
Chaudiere. So few days before Christmas |
determined to strike south. 1 would go for
tour through Virginia and the Carolinas, to es
cape the cold weather, waiting for the return
OF the summer sun to catch glimpse OF Mag
ara and the great lakes.
For this purpose i must first go to Montreal;
and, that being the case, what could be more
convenient than to spend Christmas Day itself
with the rector at Richmond, to whom had let
tiers OF Introduction, his wife being in fact first
cousin OF my mothers? Richmond lies halfway
On the Grand Trunk line between quebec and
Montreal, and it would be more pleasant, by
and plum pudding in a friends family than In
that somewhat cherries hotel, the Dominion
Hall. SO of started from the Point Levy sta
ton at feur O'Clock on the oath Of December
hoping to arrive at my journeys end about one
o'clock on Christmas morning.
Now, those were the days, just after the great
American civil war. when gold was almost I'M
known. either in the States or Canada and every
body used greasy dollar notes Of uncertain and
purely local value. Hence l was compelled to
take the money for expenses on my projected
tour In the only form of specie which was avail
able, that of solid silver. hundred and fifty
pounds in silver dollars amounts to larger bulk
and heavier weight than you would suppose;
and thought it safer to carry the sum In my
own hands, loosely bundled into large leather
reticule. Hinc iltB lacrinlCB: that was the real
cause OF my nights adventure and of the pres
ent story.
When got into the long open American rail-
way carriage, with its comfortable stove and
warm foot bricks found only one seat vacant,
and that was red velvet sofa, opposite to an
other occupied by girl of singular beauty. /
can remember to this day exactly how she was
dressed: dare say my lady readers will think
It horribly old fashioned at the present time
but 1t was the very latest and the most enchant-
Ing style in the year '67. On her head was
cCQuettish little cheese plate bonnet, bound
round with one OF those warm, soft, feecy
girls know as Nubias. Her dress was a short
winter walking costume OF the period, trimmed
with fur, and vandyked at the bottom so as to
SNOW glimpse OF the, the quilted down pettcoat
played by the short costume, were buttoned far
above the ankle, and bound with fur, to match
tne dress; while tiny taSSel at the side added
just suspicion of Partisan coquetry. Her cloak
was lined with sable, or what seemed so to my
discriminating eyes; and her rug was splen-
Cid piece of wolverine skins. AS to her eyes, her
lips her figure, had rather not attempt them.
/ can manage clothes but not goddeSseS. Alto
gether quite dream OF Canadian beauty, not
devoid OF that indefnable grace which goes only
with the French blood.
Twas not bold in 67, and would have prefer
red to take any other seat rather than face this
divine appar1tion; but there was no help for it
since all the Others were filled; so sat down
little sheepishly, dare say. Almost before we
were well out OF the station we had got into con-
versation, and it was she who began it.
" You are an Engnshman, Think" she said,
looking at me with frank and pleasant smile
"Yes,"I answered, coloring, though why l
should have been ashamed of my nationality for
that solitary moment of my life l cannot i'm
agine, unless, perhaps, because she was Ca
madam; ''but how on earth did you discover
it,"
You would have been more warmly wrapped
up II You had lived long in Canada, she replied.
In spite of our hot stoves and hot bricks, you'll
Ind yourself very cold before you get to your
journeys end"
Yes" said; II suppose it's rather chilly
l. te at night in these big cars"
"Dreadfully; oh, quite terribly. You ough
to have rug, you really ought. Won't you lie.
zee lend me one? have another under the seat
here"
posed. You will want it by and by when IL
gets little COLDER
" Oh, no. shan't. This is warm enough 70
me, it's wolverine. You have mother:''
What an eXtraordnar, question. l thought
and what an unusually friendly girl. Was she
quite as simple minded as she seemed, or could
she be the .'designing woman" OF the novels?
Yes, admitted 10 her cautiously that pos
sessed maternal parent, who was at that mo-
ment safely drinking her tea in terrace in
South Kensington.
the personal pronoun, and sort OF appealing
look In her big eyes. But you should take care
OF yourself for her sake. You really must take
my rug. Hundreds oh, thousands OF young
Rnglishmen come out here and kill them selves
their first winter by imprudence."
Thus adjured, accepted the rug with many
warmly up in the corner, with a splendid view
Of my rfS-d-ris.
Exactly al that moment, the ticket collector
came around upon his Official tour Now, on
American and Canadian railways you do not
take your ticket before hand, but pay your fare
to the collector, who walks up and down through
the open cars from end to end, between every
station lifted up my bag of silver. which lay
on the seat beside me, and lnprudently opened
il to take out few dollars full in sight OF my
enchanting neighbor. l saw her look with I'M
affected curiosity at the heap OF coin within
and was proud at being able TO give such an
uneQuiyocal proof OF my high reSpectabilty-
for what better guaranty or all the ncbleSt
moral qualities can any man produce ali the
world over than bag OF dollars?
.tWhat lot OF money!" she said as the COL
lector passed on. "What can you want With 1t
all in coinl"
I'm going on a tour in the Southern States"
j eonfided in reply, and i thought it better to
take specie" II waSvery proud ten or twelve
years ago OF that word speCie.)
"And suppose those are your Initials On the
retfcule? What pretty monogram! Your
mother gave you that for a birthday present"
"You must be conjurer or ciaIryoyant,r
j said. smiling. $50 she did;' aud added that
the initials represented my humble patronymc
and bapttsmal designations.
my names LUcretia,' said nv neigibor art
leSsly, as child might have said IL, without
work as to surname or qualifying crcum-
stances; and from that moment she became to
me simply Lucretia / think of her as i.ucretia
to the present day. As she spoke, She pointed TO
the word engraved in tiny letters on her pretty
silver locket.
suppose she thought my confidence required
a little more confidence In return, for after
tod,