St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-06

the good woman Of the house surveyed me
critically through her spectacles, and took my
full measuve before allowing me to enter.
Strangers poking around the country seem
to rank as suspicious characters in North
Reading She did not say whether / could
stay all night or not, but asked me into the
sitting room. Once seated, and the dame,
among other questions, inquired from whence
l came and on what train l had arrived. i
felt the crisis approaching. ] felt that in me
were vagss ely suspected the possibilities Of a
thief, burglar, midnight murderer, or a
criminal fleeing from justice. Suspicion was
in the atmosphere. The old family clock
licked 1t. The homemade rag carpet on the
floor looked it. The neat and prim array all
about seemed severely reproachful. "By
what train had comei'' plunged in boldly
and said had come on foot that day from
Marblehead, and that was so travelling to
''see the country"
Twas not turned away. The old lady con-
Guided to risk me. The supper hour ap-
preached. The ''old man" came in from
his barn-yard duties-just such an old man
as expected to see gray, lean, weakened.
half bald, and strongly nasal in his intona-
ton. Next the boy of twelve or there
abOuts, who was excited over the new play
bill OF some coming show and was sent oul
to milk. Next the eldest son, just in from
an all days work, probably twenty-oue
years Of age-tall, STOPPING, awkward, angu-
lar. Lastly, three wood teamsters, guests
like myself.
guessed my place at the table while the
dame was Arranging it. She flung a napkin
at my plate. II was the only napkin pres
emit She fungit there with an air which
seemed to say, "City folks! Must have one
s'pose!" / accepted the napkin and bel
reminder of contempt.
Supper was ready. We ''drew up" i
was a hardened household. No grace pre-
faced the meal. The table talk was entirely
local. Smith wasn't working now Tor Jeu
kins. Lost his place He drank. Goo,
man when sober, though Wife sick. She
was a Peters before she married. Consump
ton, guess. (Silence.) After which on,
remarked, Pretty bad thing to have" Isl
| lenee.l
presume / slept in II,
"spare bedroom The room wa
as large as many a miners cabin. Ger
tifcates CT high school embership hung VI
the wall. The bed was very large aud tn
towel and wash pitcher very small. At
O'Clock a church bell opposite commenced
| ringing. l thought Of tire. There WAS N
disturbance. To ring the church bell al
| O'Clock in the evening Is still the custom il
many New England villages.
departed, bound OF finding Lexington
To reach Lexington must pass throug
Reading. then take Woburn street 70 We
burn, hye miles distant, thence 10 Lexing
ton, six miles. So iOurnrying, anothe
benevolent young man in buggy asked II,
10 ride. lie carried me TO Recalling. Coin
10 WOburu fell in with another fOOtman
lie turned out al old soldier. Had serve
during the war. SHOT near the right eye
&. \. X. Had pension and 4 watch il
pawn at Woburn. Showed me in WOburn
back door said it opened gu the best whisk
in town. Found q retired back room be
longing 10 a grocery. A wagon at the doc
was loading, principally With jugs: appareu
large export trade in rum.
From Woburn marched on to Lexing
ton. II Is pretty town, ten miles from
Boston. The historic green where the baitl
was fought is triangular piece Of gTOun
barely large enough for regiment TO exel
else in. II bears a liberty pole, under that
large mounted iron cannon, and near Oy
plain monument erected in 1859 10 the men
ory Of the seven men Of Lexington who fe
there. ] noticed that John Brown" pei
ished at Lexington also. There is larg
village tavern near by where liquors are i
censed 10 be drank on the premises, an
therein was Darkroom bar whereat conner
and Coers appeared TO be drinking on III
premises, and in the s'Office'i sundry ord
nary looking men sat smoking and appal
entity thinking no more Of the battle Of Lex
instOn than the Pyramid of Gheops.
did not in reason expect the people c
Lexington 20 be In l chronic state OF med
iatiOn over their battle. Yet We may expel
some very unreasonable and ridiculous ihins
at times. At Concord the landlord Of Il
! Wright tavern, erected IN lT9
/ tells me that the principal reaso
for The scarcity Of taverns in the smalle
= New England towns Is the railroads b
d tween forty aud fifty years ago all the freig
e 10 and from the interior was carried
D teams. Now the railroad carries IL. Tear
!. sieTs then furnished the tavern with Il
/. most regular patronage. They Travelled b
q few miles a day. Hence tayerns on q
II country roads were hut few miles apal
All this system Is al abolished The railw
: train snatches up ton Of freight and in
d few hours carries Il one hundred miles whe
II the team would have advanced but ten. T
70 temperance agitation has also helped
abolish the tavern. Selling rum help
? swell its income. Rum IS going out
r fashion Its sale by retail becomes me
70 and more disreputable. Half century q
% il was no disgrace even for the deacon
b drink his bitters over the tavern bar. Tod
'r such conduct would turn him out OF chIrc