Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-09-21

lanchoiy affair to sleepy gentleman, about eie.
ven o'clock at night. A dim lamp suspended
from the ceiling, shed doleful. light upon the
long, low. narrow apartment The curtains Of
the berths were mostly drawn. Divers boots,
which, when enlivened by their respective legs.
had clambered mountains or passed over fields,
now lay in groups here and there. Hats. wallis
es. umbrellas, rested by their owners, being pro-
baby the only vestiges Of them we should ever
encounter. One fat gentleman had just lifted
his unwieldy person into bed, and was tying
bapdanna handkerchief around his head, prepare
tory to his launching off into glorious repose;
while cross. looking lean person opposite, hav-
ing wound up his watch. rescued his feet from
his bootss"ith prodigious deal OF straining and
i'll hsmor; having with considerable difficulty
discovered where he was to dispose Of his cloak
and nther matters; humping his head, moreover,
while getting into his couch, and easing the pain
with smothered eyecration, at length also dis
posed of himself to his satisfaction. We do not
know Of any thine which, when man is really
out of humor, exhausts his philosophy more utter.
" than hitting his head sharply against any hard
object. My friend cursed the builder OF the
steamboat, in a half smothered grow, and then all
was quiet. And now we were floating of into
pleasant sleep. when low and gradually increas.
ing sound from the berth of the tat gentleman ar
rested our attention. We listened; all was 81.
lent; aud then again the same sound, more pal
pable and better developed. 1t was at first
long breath, of the consistency Of loud whIs-
per. We turned over, still it went on. We
turned back again, there it was vet. We rose on
our elbow in passion. and poked our head ont
between the red curtains. There was the fat
gentIeman's berth. We could just detect glimpse
Of the bandanna handkerchief, BY feeble glare
of the lamp, Our sleepy eyes passed disconso.
lately over the boots and valises. We laid down
again, but could not s.with all the watching OF
our care tired thoughts, win the coy dame sleep
to our bed. What was to be done? Go up and
hit the fat gentleman blow? Impossible. Com
plain to the Captain He would laugh at US
Never was man so weighed down. so oppressed
with sleep, and never did man so suffer from a
snorer The fat gentleman, as il aware OF our
misery, and mocking at 1t, went on. like an ora
tor getting warm with his subject. tie grew
loud, vocferous, outrageous. We LAID and lis
tened He inhaled, he exhaled. Now the air
rushed in through his extended jaws,n now 1t burst
forth Obstreporously through his sonorous nose.
He took it in with the tune of an octave flute,
he let it gu, again with the profound depth OF
trombone. He brea,hcd short. he breathed long,
he casped, whislled, groaned, gurgled. lie
quickened the tone; became rapid, agitateu' 'u-
riOus.
Hitherto he had snored with the sound OF
rushing, regular stream, Fastening onward over
a deem channel: now it was the braw, clash,
dash, hurry. add discordant confusion OF the
same tide. hurled down cataract oil broken
rock,-at last he gave an abrupt snort. and ceas-
ed altopether We we're thanking heaven Tor
This relief when treble voice from the berth d.
rectly beneath, announced new trouble. 1t was
some one-w whom, we knew not. nor do we ever
covet his friendship, who belonged to different
class of snorers. lie made regular. quick,
sharp hacking sound, like that OF man cutting
wood Hack, hack, hack-we heard II at inter-
walls all night The lean gentleman, IN the op-
ppsi,e part of the room, now put IN his CLAIM as
snorer. He had four notes. II was a tune
| 1t could be written and played any day. we
! laughed outright, and inwartly resolved to .hn0
the fellow out, and see what he was like by day
light lie played on some time and then hnisli'
| I'd with sudden combination OF sounds among
! the constituent parts Of which we could plainly
distinguish q hiss and two sneeLes. Ills exit re-
( minded us Of those pyrotechnlc creations 10 oe
sren at Nitlo's. Castle Garden, &c which "hlri
, rcanl and round. and then explode with Phlz
,ld a whiZ. sure to be bounteously applauded oy
tho cnIish,ened audience. There was somethins
il this gentleman's snoring which touched our
feelings a fine spirited fellow he was, we war
rant. Full of life and animation. and not IN
cIned 10 hide his light under bushei: What
became of h,m, however. after this explosion, we
cannot say. He left dead silence, and his eva
nor.,ioo we almost lamen,pd. We should like
to know however, whether any law can be put
in reouistion against these gentry, or VIII : we
have not the same right to practise on the from
bone. on board the steamboat. that they possess
of piercing the nights dull ear" by such POM
pous displays Of nasal ability