Part 30 (1/2)
”'I will not talk with you, sir What right have you to speak to me? I do not know you One would know that you coentleman_ would treat a lady as you have treated ive me the same provocation'
”'You have insulted me, sir! You have intimated that I am not a lady-and I hope I a that you will give yourself no alarm on that head, madam but at the same time I must insist-always respectfully-that you let ile laundress burst into tears and sobs
”'I never was so insulted before! Never, never! It is shameful, it is brutal, it is base, to bully and abuse an unprotected lady who has lost the use of her liony!'
”'Good heavens, madam, why didn't you say that at first! I offer a thousand pardons And I offer them most sincerely I did not know-I _could_ not know-that anything was the matter You are most welcome to the seat, and would have been from the first if I had only known I am truly sorry it all happened, I do assure you'
”But he couldn't get a word of forgiveness out of her She simply sobbed and snuffled in a subdued but wholly unappeasable way for two long hours,theno sort of attention to his frequent and hu for her comfort Then the train halted at the Italian line, and she hopped up andas any washerwoman of all her tribe! And how sick I was to see how she had fooleda fair and yet a in America should read G A Sala's book called _Aentleman from the Eastern States whom he met in the train across the continent, and who thus held forth upon the difference between reality and guide-books:-
”There ain't no bottling up of things about hter know it Don't tellmust be busted up Where are your buffalers? Perhaps you'll tell me that thes? They ain't dogs to begin with, they're squirrels Ain't you ashas? But where are they? There ain't none Where are your grizzlies? You rizzlies to keep up the name of your railroad Where are your herds of antelopes scudding before the advancing train? Nary an antelope have you got for to scud Rocky Mountains, sir? They ain't rocky at all-they're as flat as es? I can't see none
Where are your wild injuns? Do you call the trareasers looking out for an engage and dance men They're 'beats,' sir, 'dead beats,'
they're 'pudcocks,' and you oughter be told so”
Another passenger in the train with Mr Sala was of a poeticthe whole journey over the Rocky Mountains the following effusion:-
Beautiful snow, Beautiful snow, B-e-e-e-eautiful sno I'd like to have a revolver and go For the beast that wrote about beautiful snow
COPY OF A NOTICE
The following is a verbatim copy of a notice exhibited at Welsh railway station It is, perhaps, only a little : You passengers must careful For have the tickets ill bookingopen No tickets to have after the departure of the trains”
SNOWED UP ON THE PACIFIC RAILWAY
A writer in the _Leisure Hour_ remarks:-”It is no joke when a town like New York or London is blocked up for a few hours by snow Both labour and capital have then to submit to a strike from nature; but it is a more serious matter when a man is snowed up in the middle of the Pacific Railway He is not then kept at home, but kept away from it; he is not in the midst of comforts, but most unpleasantly out of their reach He may, too, have to endure his privations and annoyances for a week, or even a alleries, spring into ravines which the trains have to crossIt was, however, with some little alarm that the writer found himself caverned for a considerable time under one of these dark snow-sheds The difficulty of running through the snow impedio to a wood-station in the mountains As it was the favourite resort of avalanches, the prudent conductor of our train directed the pilot to back the carriages into a snow-shed, and then be off the ine and tender for a supply of fuel It was bitterly cold and in the dead of night The snoas piled up around the gallery, and had in h the crevices The silence was profound The sense of utter loneliness and desolation was cothened absence was a relief, like the spring sun following an arctic winter
”The first parties snowed up holly unprepared They had had their dollar h from the next when fixed in the bank It was, however, a rare harvest for the nearest store The necessity of some was the opportunity of others Food of inferior quality brought fabulous prices A dispute, involving a heavy wager, arose about one article of fare Was it antelope or not? The vendor admitted that a very lean old cow had been sacrificed on the pressing occasion
”For a little while soot out of the trouble of snowed-up trains Delicate attentions were tendered by gentlemen as cooks' mates to the ladies Oyster-cans were converted into culinary utensils, and telegraph wire proved excellent ridirons Many a joke was passed in the train kitchen, and hearty was the appetite for the rude viands thus rudely dressed But when the food grew more difficult to obtain, and the wood supply became less and less, the mirth was considerably slackened It is true that despatches were sent off for help, and cargoes of provisions were steamed up as near as the snoould permit; but it was hard work to carry over the snow, and insufficient was the supply Frightful growlings arose from the men and sad lamentations from the women Short allowance of food, with intense cold, could not be positively enjoyed any time; but to be cooped up within snoalls in such a desolate region, far fro One spoke of absolute necessity to be at his office within the week, as heavy bills had to be prepared for Another was going about an important speculation, which would utterly break down if he were detained three days Alas! he was there above three weeks
”The sorrows of the heart orse A hter A father had been su to clasp again a wife froe had separated him One poor felloas an especial object of sy bride He had to cool the ardour of his passion in the snow-bound car, and pass the day appointed for his wedding in shi+vering reflections In one of the snow depths was detained an interesting couple who had casuallytheto the east to effect their happy union The three weeks they were co circuht into each other's character, and this before the knot was tied
”The story is told of one resolute h but newly married, had been compelled to take a business journey He was most impatient to return home, and hile confounded with his unfortunate imprisonment