Evening star., 1928-05-18


Confession Of an OPIUM Eater
The modern modes Of travelling cam
not compare with the old mail-coach
system IN grandeur and power. They
boast Of more speed. not, however. as
consciousness, but as a fact Of our
hfeless knowledge, resting upon evi-
dence We do not doubt or appreciate
as, for instance, because somebody
says that We have gone so miles an
hour. though we are far from feeling
It as personal experience.
But seated on the old mail coach.
We needed no evidence besides our
selves 10 indicate the speed. We saw
II. We felt 1t as thrilling; and this
speed was not the product Of blind
ltfeIeSg agencies, that had no SYM
pathy to give, but was incarnated In
the fiery eyeballs Of the nobiest among
brutes. ard thunder beating hoofs--
In short, perSonified III the horses.
But now. on the new system OF
travelling. iron tubes ana boilers have
disconnected mans heart from the
means OF his loccmotion Mans i'm
peTial nature no longer sends itself
forward through the electric feelings
of the horse The trumpet that once
announced from afar the approach
ing mall, feart-shaking when heard
screaming on the wind. and proclaim
ing itself through the darkness TO
every village or solitary house on Its
route. has now given way forever to
the pot-wailOpings Of the boiler.
Thus have perissled revelations Of
faces and groups that could not ap-
pear among the n0bs Of a railway
coach had one center. and aeknowl-
edged one interest But the crowds
attending at railway station have as
little unity as running water. owning
as many ceuteTs az there are sepa-
rate coaches Ia the train.
It was because Of the old mail coach
that sweet Fanny Of the Bath road
became the gl0rIfied inmate of my
dreams. II was because she was q con-
giant watcher for tne dawn and for
the London mail that IN Summer
months entered aDoait daybreak among
tie layny thlekets of Marlborough
forest. Yet Fanny, as the ioyeilsst
young woman for face and person that
perhaps In nay whole life ! have be-
l3eio EneFiteG the station which even
nov, from distance Of 40 years, she
holds IN my creams
Miss Fanny of the Bath road, strictly
speaking, lived a. O miles distance
from the road. But she came 80 con-
ti3ualiy 10 meet the mall that !, on
my frequent taugits. rarely missed her
sad naturally connected her image with
the great fbOr0ughiafe where only
had ever seer her Why sine came 81
psifsctHaIly ( % MOI exactly know, bat
i believe with some burden 0f com
& missions 10 De executed al Bath, which
llsea her Ilytne ag place for gather
ing them ready for the mail
Tie 8Oschman VINO drove tho Bath
mail and wore tIle royal livery hap-
peHed 70 be Fsnny's grandfather. A
good man ae was VINO loved his beautir
fsI granddaughter Lgglng her wisely
he was yjgilant oyer her department IN
any ea5e where young ulaD might bs
concerned DID my vanity then stag
gegt that ! myself could fall within
the lifle VI bis teftOgsg
Certainly not, az regarded any out
ward pfetensi0us could plead 10
Fanny lss a chance passenger from
her 0wD neigigD0iiG1d once told me
p counted in heE train i5a pf0ie@Sed ao
gasrers, II not open aEpiFante 10 iae
favor, Probably there Mas not one q
tias whole brigade bat fxeelled tByssi
~ personal advantages. 80 tfe dange
might have seemed slightvwonly tbs
wonlsu IL universally srissocFatle. II
amongst ner noiyliisaes oi ieart that 50
aS 30. ~ -