The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1885-04-23
MY ADVENTURE.
A Funny Mistake and It's Fortu-
nate Termination.


It was an odd adventure, and one
in which / exhibited degree of audac-
ity that 1 can scarcely credit now; but
it brought me such good fortune that /
have never regretted it, especially with
such a reputation for dignity as now
enjoy. 1t is not very long story, yet
think it win interest you. My wife
says 1 have told it TOO many times; but
believe it will bear one more repeti-
ton. It was in the year 1850. was
in the employ of a large mercantile
house in the city of Boston. 1 had be-
gun with them six years before, fresh
from a country town, and had gradual
Iy Deen promoted until 1 was confiden-
tial clerk, and had charge of the corps
of book-keepers which the business de-
manded. l was of a reserved disposi-
ton, of studious habits, and was fast
becoming a confirmed bachelor, when
the events l shall narrate occurred,
changing the tenor of my life.
1t was the month of December; I re-
member the evening as distinctly as
though it were just past The snow
WIS HENGAAA AntiiCo AAIGDs anu AAAG shy
was filed with the small white messen-
gers. The gas-lights glimmered feebly;
the shop windows were obscured; travel
in the street had nearly ceased; while
the few who were out hurried as fast as
possible to their respective destinations
Important business demanded my at
tention in New York, and / was to
leave on the midnight train for that
city. / had taken my supper, or more
properly speaking, a light lunch, near
the store, where l was employed until
ten o'clock with the accounts and pa
pers which were necessary in the trans
action of the business which called me
away.
1 looked at my watch, and found /
had but scant time to 90 home, and get
my valise, which / had unfortunately
Gas | then blindly thought) forgotten to
bring with me. As left the warm
store, and stepped out into the wintry
air, and breasted the storm, the SEN
satiOn, instead of being unpleasant, was
rather celebrating L found, in few
minutes, however, that the storm was
more severe than had imagined, and
my progress was very difficult. 1t took
me much longer to get to ID street than
l anticipated, SO that was in a great
hurry.
lived in a long block of houses, all
just alike. l knew nothing of those
who lived upon either side; for / was
away early in the morning, was gone all
day, after / got back at night, devoted
myself to my pipe and books, very
rarely going cut again.
The storm seemed to have redoubled
its fury as / went up the steps, and
opened the door. l was almost blown
into the hall, and the door swung be-
hind me with violence. All was dark
but ! knew just were my valise was, all
ready, and so ] crept upstairs eau
tiously, to avoid further disturbance,
found my room door open, and. right
in the corner, where / expected my
valise.
Without an instant's delay / rushed
downstairs, and was soon out in the
binding sleet / was really exhausted
when I got to the station, and, to add
TO my trials, l was just in time to see
the train slowly moving off. After
hard run ] got on the last car, recov-
cred my breath as soon as / could, put
my valise into a rack, gave the con-
ductor, with whom l was well ac-
quainted, my ticket, and settled myself
for nap. When l awoke it was morn
ing, and found, TO my dismay, that we
were snow-bound, and had made but
little progress on our way. There was
nothing TO do, however, but to make
the best of it l read awhile, smoked
awhile, walked impatiently through the
car, even lent them a hand at clearing
the track; and, after other devices to
kin time, thought l would look over
my business matters. As took down
my valise, it felt so light il attracted my
sfH NJ =.
tarily looked it over attentively 1t
certainly appeared right, and there were
my initials, c. 5. R., in the proper place.
Something intuitively told mo l had
made a mistake, and before opening l
tried to thinS how it had happened.
Although / had taken it in the dark,
recalled the stairway, the room at the
end of the upper hall, the position of
things as they had appeared in what
little light there was, and the valise in
the corner whence / took it. There
could be no mistake, and yet this valise
seemed only about half as heavy as it
ought It may appear strange that l
had not noticed it before; but, in my
hurry to the station, / doubt If 1 should
have noticed had il been empty.
To solve the mystery, opened it,
and the contents certainly were not
MAAANs u NRo cOAAH va Vic ANAA1NH Al
the house had played a trick upon me.
/ found some toilet articles, some apples,
a book. and, at the bottom, roll which
appeared to be my papers, but which
proved to be a lecture in manuscript
upon "Grecian Art" with the name
Chester Sylvanus Richardson at the end.
Who the dickens he was was q mystery,
and how l came by his valise q still
greater problem. After more study
over il, 1t flashed upon me that j must
have gone into one of the other houses
in the block. This eased my mind a
little, though / still felt anxious about
my papers. There was nothing could
do but exercise patience. and so began
reading the lecture. Although some
what beyond my requirements, / found
it interesting and instructive.
Toward four clock in the afternoon
we arrived at the manufacturing town
OF S., whose inhabitants were of the
wide-awake, knowledge-see class
80 often found in thriving New England
villages. AS it was impossible to tram
sact my business in full without my
papers, and was weary with the slow
progress I had made. formed q sudden
resolution to stop over night in s.,