The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1880-07-08

E ..fa t9aastfA q sAsAk #at e H+N ~ e
+ play Z bali with ra3sIar aa' y g
wo,hsrs iruna,lng bahY ear'si rlHr'y
61lkf Stepping slowly nc waipt M
i3vtu ssan,cring .og.iheriniha ly.E
tnsiuess men rushiuF hiiher sal thitatrr
batehers' ard bakers wsEons rrttlife "
81 full speed, IS Is people werc ln s ,re'
mnn5oas hurry Ger something 10 eat ?
j jas, such busy li,lle ant bin a. oar own,
with bright shy shove Il, and beautiful
green bin slopes around i, At which few
people prdbahly End time 10 lcok. So on,
and on again, but Il is moro % bin aud
down; and now we are all wide awake,
and glad TO get into our warn wraps and
closks. II is nearing snndown, and we
ask passing horseman how far Il is TO
San -, our hating place.
About ak miles was the eheery re-
sponse.
oh, then we shall soon be there, for the
ponies arc making up for their midday
lsziness. We ride on brlskly for half an
hour aud accost another traveller, who
ames ploddiug toward us under roll Of
blankets, and ask him the distance
Eight or ten miles, reckon.
This Is discouraglnf; but VIC ride reso.
lulely forward for another long stretch,
and then ask q man who Is leaning over
fhis gate. He makes lengthy psuse, as
If to take the exact bearings for the first
time.
Wei, guess It's nigh onto ten mile.
Why, this is dreAdfull Wouldn't II be
wiser to turn directly around and try the
opposite directionf Noon the whole,
We decide TO advance, although straight
line has evidently ceased to be the short.
est distance between two points. Pretty
soon We see the bright lights Of way side
inn, standing on the edge Of what seems a
veritable Black Forest. We drive up 10
The open door, and again-this time very
iimidly-inquire how far 1t is TO San -.
About seven miles, says mine host.
There isa fne camping ground near
by; shall we give up our attempt to
reach fSan -, or aball we push on 7
We decide TO keep to the road and our
original plan. Besides, VIC feel greatly
encouraged now that we have really be-
gun TO make diminishing impression on
that awful distance. So we turn our tired
backs to the temptation, aud once more
drive on in the moonlight. 1t was most
preposterous seven milos; bat the end
came at last, as 1t does TO everything
earthly, and vt ten o'clock we found our
selves CrRmped, slia, benumbed with cold
in the silent and deserted streets Of San
----. We decide to camp In the plaza,
| Nith tao boldness of Any other pack OF
Tgypsies. A stable boy was found at the
enc tavern OF the town, and the tired
horses put in his keeping, while we pro-
eeeded to awaken the amazed dwelers 10
this Sleepy Hollow By the vigorous driV-
ing Of tent stakes and other Usual noises,
such as the sleepy and iearfully e50ss
tones OF children breaking sharply III DO.
tween the subdued grumbling OF older
voices, discussing points Of distance and
tension OF ropes. AT last the white wings
OF the tent brood over us. We hastily
spread down mating and sail cloth, un.
roll our bedding, brew cup of tea over
the spirit lamp, distribute crackers and
cakes, and then convert, first the child
rem aud finally ourselves, into huge chrys.
alides, and ilapse off into the land Of
dreams. Let me not discourage any en-
thusisstic and inexperienced soul who
intends to try camping life because OF lie
refreshing slumbers, its wonderfully re-
Iuvenating effects, ETC.. but the delights
Of sleeping upon the ground may be over
estimated. Rheumatism, cramps, stiff
joints, numbness, incpient paralysis
hover near, and thousand horrors In tho
way OF chronological acquaintance
Lizards, beetles, tickS, wOod bugs, and q
certain hideous thing called California
cricket, with head ike huge cricket
and body like q gigantic wasp (minus
the sting, thank heavenly these and
many another strange bsdfellow, await
him who
RESTS his head upon the lap Of earth"
With the rising sun VIC crawl forth, like
other early worms, rub our aching bones,
gaze in each others faces, and-lsughl !
Thanks TO the recuperative forces Of ma
ture, we find ourselves in quite good run
ming order. We emerge from our tent,
and look around at the ancient pueblo.
There is but one street ofADy importance,
and that bounds our plaza on the west
side, separating it from . low, rambling
old hosteiry. North Of Us stands the
picturesque old mission church, with the
record OF hund red wonderful
antiquity for anything Amerlcan-in its
crumbling walls and entirely foreign air.
East Of us are stragg ling sheds, and veg.
etable gardens In quIt Itss thrifty condition.
We we're awakened before daylight by
tho Italian owner driving out bis loaded
vegetable wagon on his peddling round.
South Of us was more modern looking,
large, low rooted house, withlpiszzas run.
ming around 1t, and flower garden. In
The rear we're stables and shed, in Ameri-
eau fashion. A row Of small poplar trees
ran across the east and south sides OF the
plaza, otherwise IL was entirely given
over to fox-laiIgrass--oDe OF the vigorous
and irreprcssible institutions Of Cslifor-
MA, whote seeds Aro rightly named
"s,iekers." Any garment which brushes
ever this grAssin its dry Is straight.
way flled with its barbed needles, some-