Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-25
Conversation.

sat down In front OF me, ana turned
around and faced me:
"Cold this mornin'," he said.
folded my paper, and famed myself
with it vigorously moment or two be-
fore replied. Then unbuttoned my
coat, wiped my frigid brow with my
handkerchief, and said in painting tones:
90 don't find it So"
The man looked astonished. But
presently he said
"Maybe you've been runner
emo" I replied, "I have been asleep
for the past two hours in sleigh"
"And ye didn't feel cold?" the man
inquired.
"Man," I said, in tones of amaze
ment, "cold on the 9th of June? ?"
"June !" he echoed, strengthening
up; care you crazy? It's the 9th OF
january"
"Well," I said, cit felt like the Goth
of June to me-
cts mighty fine sleighin', all the
same" the man said.
I told him without blush that 1 had
never seen the mud worse on Ohio roads
since I could remember.
Wucl0 OA CdIUI, AO nohCu LII uuuOA
establishment, "did you come from ,"
Clayton" I said.
His eyes began to creep out and
look at each other over the top of his
nose.
"When? ?" he asked.
"This morning, I said, calmly, "since
8 o'clock"
"How?" he fairly shouted.
In one-horse Sleigh" I said.
"Sakes alive /" he shrieked, "it is
impossible. It's only II o'clock now,
and Dayton is fifty-fve miles away !"
"Couldn't help it," I insisted 81
left there little over two hours ago in
a sleigh, had poor horse, drove slowly,
and the mud was up to the hubs Of the
wheels all the way. It was as warm as
May, and 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.
eff you amt crazy, and believe you
be-" he said, with grave earnestness,
"you are an awful liar"
"Good man," I said, 81 expect I am,
but I am not fool. Imay tell startling
lies, but do not talk like an ass /; and I
would be thought Liar and maniac
rather than an imbecile. lido not come
into car where the thermometer marks
three degrees below zero and tell iv-
ing, breathing, intelligent, sensitive
man that it is cold, just as though I was
imparting some information to him. I
do not watch him drive up to the train
in 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
sleighingis good. Iwouid rather aston
ish a 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 may have to lie to him /;
but that is better than boring him. You
might as well sit down and tell me that
twice two is four as to 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 90 to sleep. I tell you it is June;
GutIc ID LIZ ouOW, uhOAO 40 Nuoo, e1hIa
there are roses. It is 200 miles from
Dayton to Loveland, and I 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 fell into a
slumber, the forgotten dreams of which
contained more real, valuable informa-
ton than that man ever did or ever will
know, I heard him opening converse
ton with the taciturn brakeman by re-
marking:
"Cold this mornin' !'-Bwdette.