Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-06
Conversation,


Fairly on the road, man came and
sat down in front of me, and turned
arotnd and faced me:
"Oold this mornin'," he said.
folded my paper, and famed myself
with it vigorously moment Or two pe-
fore I replied. Then unbuttoned my
coat, wiped my frigid brow with my
handkerchief, and said in painting tones:
/ don't find it so"
The man looked astonished. But
presently he said:
"Maybe you've been runner
mo" I replied, 81 have been asleep
for the past two hours in sleigh.
"And We didn't feel cold?" the man
inquired.
"Man,' 1 said, in tones of amaze
ment. {" cold on the 9th Of June ?"
81 une !" he echoed, strengthening
ND: care YOU crazy? It's the 9th Of
january"
"Well, said, sit felt like the Goth
of June to me.
cts mighty fine sleighin', all the
same" the man said.
I told him without blush that I had
never seen the mud worse on Ohio roads
since L could remember.
"Where on EARTH" he asked in utter
astonishment, "did you come from |"
Clayton" said.
His eyes began to creep out and
look at each other over the top Of his
nose.
"When ?" he asked.
"This morning, 4 said, calmly, "since
8 o'clock."
"How ?" he fairly shouted.
" In one-horse sleigh" said.
"Sakes alive !" he shrieked, sit is
impossible. It's only II o'clock now,
and Dayton is fifty-fve miles away
Couldn't help it," [ insisted; " L
left there little over two hours ago III
q sleigh, had poor horse, drove slowly,
and the mud was up to the hubs OF the
wheels all the way. 1t was as warm as
May, and 1 hadn't seen enough snow to
make one boy slide in 5000 miles.
The mans hair stood on end, and he
got up to start off for the other end OF
the car.
of you amt crazy, and I believe you
be-" he said, with grave earnestness,
'you are an awful lar. )"
Good man," said, 81 expect I am,
but am not fool. Imay tell startling
hes. but l do not talk like an ass and
would be thought liar and maniac
rather than an imbecile. lido not come
into a car where the thermometer marks
three degrees below zero and tell a liv-
ing, breathing, intelligent, sensitive
man that it is cold, just as though I was
imparting some information to him.
do not watch him drive up to the train
In a sleigh, spinning over the dry, wisp
snow, on the smooth, perfect pixies of
Ohio, and then attempt to instruct,
amuse or startle him by telling him the
s1eighingi is good. Iwould rather aston
ish man than bore him. If I have
nothing better to tell him than some
thing he knows already far better than
I do, my mouth is sealed, and will
never speak. In order to astonish him
or startle him I may have to lie to him;
but that is better than boring him. You
might as we'll sit down and tell me that
twice two is four as 10 tell me that it is
cold. You might as well tell me that
George Washington is dead as to tell me
the sleighing is good. Go away, good
man 60 to sleep. l tell you it is June;
there is no snow, there is dust, and
there are roses It is 200 miles from
Dayton to Loveland, and walked from
the North pole this morning. Go, get
thee to a nunnery. and when you can
model your conversation on something
beside the United States Signal Service
reports, come and wake me up and hold
me in the matchless charms of your in
structive talk. I know not what course
others may take; but as for me, gaul
blast the man who talks to me about the
weather"
And straightway the man ariz and got
him unto the after wood box, for he was
sore astonished. And as I fell into
slumber, the forgotten dreams of which
contained more real, valuable informal
ton than that man ever did or ever will
know, I heard him opening converse
ton with the tacitun brakeman by re-
marking:
"Cold this mornin' T'-BUdette