Year: 1873

PERMIT me to introduce the speaker
Mr.. Haskell, Western stage driver-a man
muscular, and with an eye as keen and
unfinching as an eagles.


drove the stage from New Sharon to
Wexford, a distance of thirty miles In
the spring and fall when the travel was
bad, always tarried over night at Wex-
ford, going down to New Sharon the next
day, but during the summer only tarried
for fresh horses there, and returned by
night liked that plan better, for it
gave me some leisure to be with my
family.


The night of which I am. going to tel,
you, was late in autumn. 1t had been a
mighty tough storm, all the way up-a
north easter, just as fuIl.of needle points
as they could stuff in. Fine hail, you un-
derstand, and rain freezing up and frost
ing your beard, giving one a remarkable
If not a pleasing cast of countenance. |
had but two passengers up, an old man
with very white hair and beard, and
younger man with slight stoop, and no
other popularity, that | noticed l took
the mail bags outside with me under the
apron.


wasn't particle sorry when the vii
lage of Wexford blinked at me with its
numerous eyes from crevices in the show
ers of driving sleet.


Wexford was dignifed by the name of
village, or South Wexford, more proper
ly, for there was onlya meagre collection
of five or six houses, and | drove through
this place, usually putting up at the half
way house, as it was termed, Beyond
this halfway house was Wexford proper.
with quite bustling business air in its
one huge smoke stack, and the row of
stores well punctuated with drinking
dens. The other stage route ended here,
on account of the roughness of the road
the postman jolting the distance between
the halfway house and there, to connect
the mail line. This halfway house had
sorry reputation, on account of the
villainous class of roughs that frequent
ed it, to have game of poker or
bit of ring fight. / had watched
the games scores of times, without
allowing myself to be drawn into them,
or disturbed by them.


As I said, only tarried at Wexford
during the bad weather of early spring
and late autumn. But to come back to
the night of the storm. 1t was much as
might be expected. A small number of
ruffianly fellows were in the barroom,
but the night was rather threatening for
l.
in the stage about all the noticeable per-
sons destined to study the cloudy heavens
that night, through the bottom of mine
hosts glasses. There was black Dave
an appendix general to the tavern, as
clumsy piece of clown as one would
care to see; and Powder Bill, a second
class ruffian, who had gained his cogno.
men by having had his face somehow
blown full of powder. Besides these,
there were several loafers in no wise re-
markable Of this, was glad, for was
aware that the mail bag was unusually
heavy. l knew that there was quite large
sums of money expected by different
persons about that time, and | should be
glad enough when the responsibility was
off my shoulders.


We passed sociable evening. The
chatting turned upon practical joking, and
the danger oftentimes resulting there.
from. The person who participated
least in the conversation was my passen-
ger up-the man with stoop shoulders.
l had learned that his name was jerks.
While this one and that one told their
tales, his sharp, downcast eyes would, in
spite of himself, turn continually toward
that corner of the room where had toss
ed my mail bags. On the other hand. the
old fellow with the long, white hair, was
the most boisterous talker of the group.
His laugh was the loudest, his puffs of
smoke the most frequent, and his voice,
strengthened with his rising spirits lost
much of the quiver noticeable in oldish
persons.


Twas both astonished at him and de-
lighted also. To find a man slipping
down the shady side of life's hill, gay and
disposed to make merry with his friends,
JC 90 .rora IN nonurroncQ IL is nyhilarat-
ing to witness. He had popularity
about the face which you sometimes see,
and which gives an effect singular if not
pleasant to the beholder. He had very
bright, rapidly revolving eyes, under
bushy black eyebrows, brows shaggy
enough to suggest miniature crows nests,
roughly piled together. He called him.
self Stowell, and judged him to be a
stranger In those parts. In truth he in
cautiously made mention of the fact that
he was on Government business. At
mention of this, l found jerks furtively
and steadily regarding him from the cor
ner of his eyes. My feelings had settled
into fixed distrust of jerks before the
evening was half spent; on the other
hand the entire company, if | except
jerks, mentally pronounced the old fell
low just the one to while away a dull
evening.


After some quite loud heasting of cour-
age, and brave deeds by several of the
party, and this one telling what he could
DO. and that one affirming what he would
not do under such and such cireumstan.
ces. a motion was made for bed. The old
fellow, with separate good night to all,
was shown to his room first, at his own
request, jerks and myself going last.
The glances which this fellow cast at the