The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-04-18
I thought it delightful t!

little dirty children of the neighbor
hood looked at me with their fingers
in their mouths, and women who
used Goldfish instead of "rose" fol
perfumery, sat beside me, and ]
began to wish myself at my jour.
ney's end.
| | went from Boston to the end oI
the railroad, on the Cape, in u few
hours, and then clambered into a
stage-coach. There were only ten
Of us in the inside, and one of the
ten was a baby whose teeth were
coming.
l sat on the seat with fat woman
and her husband, but 1 did not
think of complaining, for it was the
back seat and next the ocean, OF
which | had an occasional glimpse.
On the seat front of me were young
men of exquisite appearance, who
were going few miles to see the
"gov'ner" of one of them. Facing
me was Il man of thirty years, l
should think, who looked solemn
enough to be repeating "The last
Judgment" and on the seat with
him, was poor, pale woman with
a baby and little girl.
looked at my fellow travellers
before we started on our trip of
twenty miles through sand and dust
and thought it would be decidedly
dull. The women beside me, who
had as much curiosity as mother
Eve, began questioning us, by ask
ing me where | was going.
"To c." was my reply.
"Du tell why, live there. Is
that your hump"
said mo" in rather a short way,
then feeling ashamed of my rude
ness, la1ished smile on her, and
added, 81 am going on visit"
"Are? Well, where are you from?"
"W-," was the reply.
81 wonder if you bel I've got a
sister that lies there; maybe you
know her-her name is Smith. /
forgot her husbands first name, but
hern is Eliza"
knew no one by that name, and
with "it is too bad you don't
know her." she turned to the little
woman with the baby. "You going
fur?"
"Only to the next town."
"That baby of yourn looks puny;
reckon 'taint we'll"
The woman cast a sad look at
the baby, but made no reply. After
a few minutes silence she asked one
of the young men to close the win
dow, as the air was "too strong"
He gave her a lofty look, and
went on with the conversation
which had commenced between the
gentleman in the opposite corner
and himself. The woman grumbled
awhile about his impudence, then
sank into silence.
Soon the baby began to cry, and
the little girl to grow tired, and l
heard the solemn gentleman ask her
to sit on his lap and look out the
window, adding, 81 hold my little.
girl at home" She sat there very
contentedly, and he entertained her
with stories, and forgot his former
solemn manner, and thought him
exceedingly pleasant looking. Pres
emily the young men left the coach
then the woman and children-the
girl loaded with oranges and bon
bons-and the husband of the fat
woman took the middle seat, and
began to enjoy the ride.
Excepting when l could see the
ocean, the prospect from the coach
window was not very inspiring, be-
ing only waste of sand, with here
and there a shrub, oak or pine tree
sometimes row of tanks would
come in view, and windmill (Which
reminded me of Don Quixote) for
the purpose of drawing the water
from the ocean into the tanks, and
there left to evaporate and leave the
salt. The useful and the ornamental
blended.
Very seldom do passengers in
stage-coach maintain such silence
as fell on us. The woman put her
head back and closed her eyes, and
presently her mouth opened in
very unromantic way, and 1 sup
posed she must be asleep. Her hus-
band put his feet upon the front
seat, and his arm upon the coach
door, and with his chin resting upon
his hands, looked upon the beau
ties of nature. | "made believe to
look from the window, but 1 found
myself often looking at the face OPP
posite. He seemed to be in a deep
reverie, with his eyes upon some
place in the distance, and took no
notice of the country or us.