Year: 1871

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While on visit TO the East in tht
summer of 1868, chanced to pas.
through the State of Pennsylvania, il
company with lady friend.


Soon after leaving Harrisburg. WI
stopped at q way station, where /
couple from the rural districts, who
bad evidently never travelled mnch,
stepped aboard the the cars, with che
avoWed intention afgoing to the town oi
c. to get spliccd." They were
very affectionate towards each other I'm
their passage through the cars to pro,
cure n seat After they did find one
the lady, in order 10 show her generos>
ity, gave her aflianced the whole seat
and she sat down, very complacently, on
his lap. To say there were many ex.
pressions of merriment passed among
the passengers, would be to tall fAr
short OF the reality LIN the height ol
the merriment, | passed to the forward
car to enjoy d smoke. While sitting
there enjoying my cigar, in dreamy,
half,unconsciousness of what was pass
ing around me, the cars stopped Mt q
station, and FIVE ruddy, athletic young
men, fresh from college, stepped into
the car. They were on their way home
to spend vacation, aud came into the
smoking car, where they could enjoy
themselves without molestation. The
conductor came in when the train had
started, and, from the familiarity with
which they spoke TO him when ne
entered, and the ready flow of gossip
which Immediately followed, one could
readily perceive that they we're old
friends. After talking a short time
together, the conductor said "Boys,
there's chance in the rear coach for
some fun Idon't wish to take any part
in it myself, but any sport you can
have. will be all legitimate " While
the boys were concocting their plans,
| finished my cigar, aud passed into the
coach, and took my seat with my
friend. -


told her what was brewing--how
the sport was coming, of course could
not tell but we were not kept long i'm
suspense. The seat which we occupied
was on the opposite side Of the car, and
little in the rear of the one occupied
by the doomed couple. Presently, In
came young man, whom ] instantly
recognized as one of the perpetrators
of the mischief, with his hat set care
lessly ON the back part of his head, and
a aoacdalnnt air 80 often assumed
among strangers. AS he passed along
the middle OF the car, he seemed to
notice no one, until he came opposite
the gentleman with the lady on his lap,
when he stopped suddenly, turned
round, put out his hand as if greeting
an old friend, and, with n smile OF
recognition, began, Halloa, Jones,
my old boy, aow are youg Which way
are you going? How arc the wife and
babies And where are you taking
this girl? Not running off with her,
are your" While he was running on
with this TRADE, not giving the rustic a
chance to reply, the lassie sat with her
eyes distended, and her mouth ajar, as
If she were perfectly nonplussed. AS
soon as our rustic got an opportunity,
he CALCULATED, You must be laboring
under mistake, my name is not Jones,
my name is Harper" Ah Jones,
replied the other, That won't do, you
are playing that pretty fine, but | pity
the young lady!" And he passed on
and left them.


As soon as he was gone, our rustic
settled the matter by explaining TO his
companion the similarity sometimes
perceived between entire strangers, and
closed by saying, That the stranger,
probably, took him for some man
named Jones, whom he had known.
The young collegiate passed TO the
rear of the car, and seated himself
where he could see NIL that transpired.
Soon another of the actors made his
appearance i'm the doorway, and came
staggering along, as one Ia compelled to
do in trying to walk In car running oil
the rate of forty miles an hour, and al
he reached the seat which OR rural
couple occupied, he stopped and recog.
nized the rustic the same as bis prede-
cessor had done, and used nearly The
same language, with the additional re.
mark, That he was getting too old
to be playing such tricks as that, and the
sooner he quit il the better"


The young lady became suspicious by
this time that perhaps there might be
something wrong, and beginning 10 fear
that she was q victim of trickery, got
off the rustic's lap, and took q seat
beside him, and commenced talking tc
him about the matter. trying 10 gel
some explanation to satisfy herself that
his name was Harper and not Jones.
But misfortunes never come single


handed. Before the unfortunate youth
had any time to reconcile matters &c
her satisfaction, in came another one ol