The National tribune., 1897-04-01

We started ont foratrip in Virginia, hap.
hazard trip. with full knowledge Of the proba-
Bile joys and woes Of that lovely country, the
blue skies and musical rpine forests, tho bad
roads aud worse bread4 Our bicycles were in
the baggage-car, and in vague way Manassas
and its battlefelds Was our objective point. We
were filed with that, desire for outdoors of
which the olden poet sang
Whan that AprilIe with his shoures soote
The droghte of Marcaf bath perced to the rootc.
And smale fowles makes n.elodye
That slepen nile night with eye.
So prketh hem naturebh iItr corages;
Then longen folk 10 COON piigrimages.
- @.f 20
There was just enough Spring 10 Washing
ton in the warm winds. in the sight of gay
crocusses in the grass, and Of budding leaves
in the tree.tops, to make lifc indoors unbear-
able-to make one long to 20 on pilgrimagcs.
Like Don Quixote, we were in search Of ad.
venture and having our minds tuned that way
we found it-though there may be folks who
would not count our adventures such-how-
ever, they are other people.
Picturesque English is as interesting as pic
turesque scenery, and We had glimpse Of
brakeman's world of words first thing, for which
we were duly grateful. We were waiting patti.
emily OH switch, but when our train started
off there was an unusual clatter and crash and
shak ing and rush Of the men to the door TO
SEQ what it meant. Presently We all under.
stood. the brakeman having explained-'Joe's
got lot of dead sleepers on, and his air got
stuck on him." which being interpreted meant.
Joe. the engineer. was hauling lot of empty
sleeping coaches, attached to his regular train,
and valve in the air. brake had stuck.
Next came the arrival ut the station, with
the usual staring loafng contemptuonsly
benghted human beings who CHANGED to be
passengers on the train.
We reached Manassas at 10 o'clock in the
morning and started imme 1iately for the bat
tlefield, bicycling hopefully out OF town to the
ieers and taunts Of small boys aud girls,
who cried after us: "Eat 'em up, bicycles! !"
We had six-mile- run-walk, jump, wade,
dodge-over the toughest roads imaginable.
The ruts were fcarsome things to a timid
wheelwoman; there were all sorts and sizes
and degrees, fierce and red, each and every one
threatening muddy broken collarbones. No blue
sky no small fowl making melody could tempt
my attention away from the road, although
the birds aud skies and trees were what VIC
were out for to see.
Very tired and hungry, We reached the his
toric neighborhood and looked about as for the
landmarks. There was the run. tho land slop-
ing to sharp plateau on one side and moro
gradually on the other. Before US, across the
creek, was the old Stone House, a hospital in
war times. We crossed the creek with diff.
Guilty. there being no, bridge. only slippery
log. high in the air and promising duckng to
novice in og-wAlking, A dark-eyed girl
watched US from the windows of the house,
greeted US pleasantly when we bespoke her
and ushered US in a little room clean and
sweet-smelling with the fragrance of oak sticks
burning in the little fireplace, and left US while
she prepared luncheon. An old dame-her
tiny OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES sitting by the fire knit.
ting an enormous white cotton sock, and after q
little we opened up al conversation with her.
Sho was deaf, and. had q trick of batting her
eyes for moment or SO before speaking, which
made the talk slow. She expressed great and
rebuking surprise to learn that :" ladies" rode
bicycles, but after little she began talking
about her work aud her age. /, not yet &C.
qnainted with all the ways Of my sex, was
carefully steering away from the subject of her
age, thinking it a more or less uncomfortable
topic for every woman out of her teens, until
she said
How old do you think be?"
Imurmured something polite about her dark
hair, but with ill-concealed pride she broke in:
III live to see the Cd Of next June III be
So
Goodness" said that being the only ap.
propriate thing that came to mind.
And I'm right spry yet. How ODDS your
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| II don't know" replied, in all truth; but