Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-12-25

efable time
'But to~ did you ami your child bssoos
70 wet. It has not rained here today"
1T hes Just rained heavy shower up the
river. but shall no, rraeh Boston tonight
II t2rrn. Would you advise rne TO take the
old Rad or the turupikeF
why. the Cd road Is one hundred and
seseateea miles, aud the turnpike i ainsty-
sevenT
How can you say sol you impose on ne;
IL Is wrong to tribe with q traveller; you
know it Is bu, forty miles from Sewburyport
10 Boston"
But This Is not New buryport; this is Hart
fordT
DO rot deceive me. sir. Is not this town
Newburyport, and ths river that have been
! following the MerrinacF
This is Hartford, and ths river ths Con
necticus"
He wrung his hands and looked incrsdu-
Ious.
Have the rivers too changed their courses,
as the cities have changed placesi BOT see!
the clouds are gathering in the south and We
shall have ralny night"
| had now, as | thought, discovered a
| clsw TO the history " Peter Rugg,
and determined, the next time my bsisi-
ness called me to Boston. to make u further
inquiry. Soon after was enabled to collect
the following particulars from Mrs Croft
an agei lady in Middle street, who has re-
sided Ia Boston during the last twenty years.
she says:
The last summer, a person, just at twilight,
stopped at the door of the late Mrs. Eucg.
Mrs. Croft, on coming TO the door perceived
stranger, with Il child by his side, Ia al old
weather beaten carriage, with a black horse
| Ia Sta st.sbf hru Rt,r sud
informed that Mrs Rugg had died more than
twenty years ago
Inc stranger replied, "fIow can you de
ceive me sol do ask Ms. Rugg to step TO the
| door"
| SIR, assure you Mrs. Rugg has not lived
hero these nineteen years"
The stranger paused and looked up and
down the street aud said. Though the paint
ing Is rather faded this looks like my house"
Yes, said the child, "that is tho stone be
| fore the door that 1 used TO sit on to eat my
| bread and milk"
But said the stranger lit seems TO be on
the wrong side OF the street. Indeed, every
thin: here seems to be misplaced The
streets are nll changed, the people are all
| changed, tho town seems changed, and what
is str,ngest OF all, Catherine Rugg has de-
serted her husband and chill Fray CON
tinued the stranger, has join Foy come
| home from seat llo went OH u lon. voyage;
he is my kinsman. If 1 could sec him 10
could give me some account Of Mrs. Rusgp
| Sir said Mrs Croft, II never heard Of
| John Foy. Where does he liver
| Just above here, in Orange Tree lane"
| There is no such place in this neishbsr>
hood
what do you tell mel Are the streets
nr, Ian a., l..l -
| Hanover street, near Pembertons Hill"
| There is no such lane now"
Madam, you cannot be serious. But you
| Doubtless know my brother, William Rugg
| He lives IN Royal Exchange lane near King
| street"
IL know Of no such lane, and | am sure
| there is no such street as King street. in this
town"
NO such place as King street, Why,
woman, you mock me, You may Us well tell
mo there is no King George However,
madam, see am wet and weary. | will 20
to Harris tavern, near tho market"
/ (Which market. SRI We have several
markets"
There is but one market. near the town
! dock
"Oh, the old market; but no such person
has kept there these twenty years"
Eere the stranger seemed Disconnected, and
uttered to himself quite sudibly-"Strangs
mistake; how much this looks like the town
| Of 3ostoul 1t certainly has = great ream-
blance to it; but perceive my mistake now
Some other Mrs. Rugg, some other Middle
street
Then" said he, 'caa you direct ne 70
Bostonf
.why. this is Boston, the city Of Boston,
] - -. k.,s d.
tho Boston where live, l recollect now, l
came ever a bridge instead Of ferry. What
bridge is that Just came ovsrF'
at IN Charles river bridge"
Il perceive my mistake; there is . ferry
between Boston and Charlestown; there u no
bridge All, perceive my mistake. II
were in Eostoa, my horse would carry ne d.
rsctly to Ely own door. But my horse shown
BY his Impotence that he is in q stranR
| plsce Abeurd, that should have mistaken
thB place for the old town Of Bostoni It b .
much finer city than the town Of Boston h
has been buiit long since Boston. fancy I.
anss lie at . distance from this city, ~ ~
| good woman seems ignorant Of IL"
| At these words his horse began 70 ehafs
And strike the pavement with his fore fest,
| The stranger seemed . little bewildersd, and
aid mo home tonight and, giving ths
reins to his horse, passed up the street.
| 1t was evident that the generation to which
Peter Rugg belonged had paved away. This
was all the account OF Peter Rugg coald
obtain from Mrs Croft. but she directed me
70 an elderly man, Mr. James Felt, who lived
nsar her.
at is true" said Mr.. Felt, sunday stories
grsv out Of Riggs affair, whether trss or
faIse cannot tell, but stranger things have
happened in my day
Sir" said |. Peter Rugg is now living,
have lately seen Peter Ru.s and his child,
| bor5c aud chair
Why. my friend" said James Felt, that
Peter Rugg is now living man. will not
deny, but that you have seen Peter Ruyg
and his child is impossible, IL you mean .
small child, for Jenny Rus=, If living. must
tie at ieast-let me see-Boston massacre,
l77o-Jenny Rugg was about 10 years old
Why, sir, Jenny Rugg. if living, Rust Be-
more than 90 years OF age That Peter Rugs
is living is highly probable. as he was only
ten years Older than myself, and | was only
10 last March, and | am As likely to live
twenty years longer IS any man.
Here perceived that Mr. Felt was in his
iotage; and despaired Of gaining any rsli-
able intelligence from hun
took my leave and proceeded TO nv IodS-
ings-
II Peter RuSg, thought /, has been travel
Ing since the Do .on massacre. there Is no
reason why he should not travel TIL the end
or time IL the present generation know
little Of him, the next will know less; and
Peter and his child will have no hold on this
world
In the course OF the evening / related nv
adventure
liar said one Of the company, smiling:
do you really think you have seen Peter
Ruggi | have heard my grandfather g,eak
OF him ss though he ssriously believed his
own story
Sir" said |, pray 1t - compare your
grandfsthers story Of Mr.. Rusg with ny
own
"Pstsr Rugg, sir, Il my grandfather vas
worthy Of credit. once lived ia Nidlle strs,s
in this city. He was nan in confort.ble
circumstances, had vie and one daughter,
and was generally esteemed for bis sober life
and manners But unAappily his temper at
times wn altogether angovernab,e; and
the0 his language was terribis Ia tnes, au
Of passion, II door stood in his way BE-
would never do less than kick q unni
through He would sometimes throw h.
heels ever his head and come down on his
tsss, altering oaths In . circle, and thus IN
arsgs hs was tbs arst TO perform . sornsr-
nolf, and did what othsrs have ancs learned
70 DO for msrriment and money Once Ruyr
was sssn 70 bits q tenpsnny nau in haly1
In t,nss days everybody, 10th men and bow
worp viSs; and Peter. At thso moment, 81