Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-02-21
A Kiss In a
Coach
In the Days Before There
Were Railways
By F. A. mitchell

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have always had fancy for look
ing back into the past for items con-
corning those from whom have de-
.cended. The doings Of these persons
who lived and moved and worked and
,ored and quarreled. just as others Of
nv family are doing today. have al
uavs been OF interest to me. have
hefore me n portrait OF one Of my
crandfathers painted when he was the
ace that am now, and one would
suppose that he and were twin BROTH
srs instead OF being two generations
apart. He was young in the last cen
mry. when the railroad was coming
into vogue as q mode Of travel and
shortly before the use Of electricity
IN ,elegraphing. Among family docu.
ments, OF which | have collected
great number. there Is one written by
this gentleman which ! prize more
than any OF the others. give 1t just
as he wrote Il except for a little ed
fling where he referred to himself. for
an photographer ~ always at dis
advantage In this respect. need TO
saw that the writer Mt the time Of the
happenings narrated was twenty-three
years old and considered handsome
His narrative reads:
| started to cross the Allegheny
mountains on a business trip TO Gin
rlnnati. then the principal city In the
west. and expected TO be gone several
weeks. having planned to spend
week In Cincinnati and week re.
turning. We left at O o'clock In the
morning from the Antlers' tavern.
there being eight inskies and four out
sides on the coach.
There was some shifting Of passen-
gers during the day. and at evening
the positions OF those inside was as
tolows--f give them minuteiy. for they
are pertinent to an understanding OF
my narrative: | sat on the front seat.
riding backward There was one 9TH
or person on the seat with me. mid
de aged lady. She sat on my left.
On the middle seat. facing me. but on
the other side Of the coach. was an
elderly gentleman, eminently respect.
able looking. The other two places on
the middle seat were occupied by
young woman. very precise looking,
whom he called Amelia. and his
daughter. girl OF about eighteen. On
the back seat were a man and two wo-
men. do not describe them. for they
have no Part In what | am going to
record.
The first night In coach Is very un.
comfortable; !; Is only when one gets
somewhat accustomed to the jolting
aud has met with sufficient loss OF
sleep TO render him hungry for slum-
her that he can lose himself sitting
straight mp and continually bumped.
But | on this first night ascending the
mountains, having been up late sew
eral evenings preceding my departure.
slept fairly wen. The horses were
obliged to proceed ut walk.
In The middle - tie u'yht | was
awakened by Tair OF erIns thrown
a,eyul me and e IN. -! l'.ss PRESSED
ee;'Isr name. u. ~ IL 50 1T taSiuF
- t4it - III st'B Z 2 u . II I'll L iaH
meliately occur II Zee 10 detaln WHO
ever kissed me. aud by the time I pro-
ceeled 10 do so II was too late. The
arms about me were unlocked and the
UPS removed from mine.
Not only was there no light In the
coach. but the night was very dark.
could not see my hand before my eyes.
All knew OF the episode was by the
sense Of touch. There was no doubt in
my mind that I had been kissed by
woman. but the principal evidence Of
this was that the lips that were press
Ell upon mine were soft and there was
no beard. Had the matter occurred
when my faculties were normally alive
doubtless should have lain awake the
rest OF :he night celebrating as TO who