Misfortune of a Punctual Man.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 289, 10 March 1881, Page 2

Misfortune of a Punctual Man.

correspondent, Burlington Hawkeyt.') He said nothing, but led me into the ■, dining-room and my family* arrayed in travelling costume, hats . on,, dinner; \ , eaten, were waiting for me. And : the baggage, they told me, was all; packed. And more, that it bad all gone down to the depot, and wa!s there ■ now. And they were all ready and . were only waiting for me. And on the top of this the faithful clock proclaimed ■' that it was two minutes past train . time. . - ./ Now, you see, ever since we left Burlington I had been playing “old , traveller” with my confiding family.; When they were nervous about the baggage I sniffled and told them to be -v; calm and not worry about the baggage while I was running things; heavy,J accent on the I. When they tutudljf . wondered if we weren’t running too .ih > fast I yawned and said if we didn’t faster than this we would never’get; there, and then told what time we, ; : - made on one occasion when I cafne in .; : on number three, with Billy Putnam) •y. running the train and Ed. McClintock .; • in the cab. When they suggested thaf ! I should ask the clerk at thp- hotel, about the time the train left, I said if I didn’t know more about the railway than arty hotel clerk in America, I would travel by canal boat, And here I stood, wilted,) perspiring, humiliated, “ sot down ” upon; left The girls were merciful. TbeyiVerfe ’•* ’. . magnanimous. They didn’t much about it. They simply .made it-the general topic of conversation ' noon and evening,, and’ I thmk hfjy, •" , little sferene highness spoke:T»f : it once or twice during nptfiO enter info thespirit W;th^

very Heartily. tdo not think i ... pretended its fullness very thorough!v. I endeavored to cultivate a fa ial i :: pression of serene resignation a i martyr-like fortitude. And I read, stood it very well until Sabba'.h morning, when I had the prince on my lap, ... trying to teach him a little hymn, and he raised his blue eyes to my face , and murmured, “ Papa left.”