The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-11-08
The Fat Girl's Jump; or
HOW TO DO UP sOMXAMBULIsN

was just twelve years Of age, and
the most unequalIed rogue for mischief
that " old kentucky could produce II
was at this time that | wds sent to a
country boarding school, some thirty
miles from my birth place, Louisville
and an agreeable school it was, for i;
had but two departments, and they sim
ply consisted Of male and female. Oul
tutor and tutorcss were the kindest souls
in Christcndom, and never indicated d
heavier punishment than that of sending
the guilty one to bed suppcrlcss, or de-
priying him or her of the privilege of the
recess. Then there could DC ne wonder
IN our imposing upon such good hature
but for my adventure:
There was only door THAT of course
iocked) that separated the dormitory o:
the boys and girls: but the kind builder
had not omitted to place vcntilator over
the door, and, as luck would have it, the
good mistress had covered it with small
baize green curtain upon our side AT
ter enjoying Il fine dance upon the green,
and that, too, under the prettiest moon
light that ever shone, we were assem-
bled ia the chapel to PRAYER, and sent to
our separate dormitories--the girls, some
fifteen in number, taking one flight OF
stairs, while we, eighteen or twenty OF
the greatest scamps alive, took the OPP
posite flIght-Our master and mistress re-
turning to their own room. 4 few mo-
ments found all in bed. and strange to
say, perfectly qniet. We had lain So
but d short time, when we heard a sud
den creak, like bedstead put in violent
agitation. and this was followed by a
suppressed, but general litter.
BY golly, boys, there's fun among
the gals" | exclaimed, "and here 5
what's going to have a peep at EN-
In moment every bed showed sitting
figure. bounded out, and running
softly to the keyhole-but the fallen an
gels had stuffed it with rag, and that
was no 90.
Never mind, boys; easy now, and
I'll give you all sight"
softly drew table and placed it a
gainst the door, and with the creates,
difficulty stood chair upon i.--.or the
table being small, the chair made almost
too great a stride of it. However
mounted, and raising one corner of the
curtain, the whole scene was visible tc
me.
The girls had placed two beds some
SIX or eight feet apart, and laid feather
bed on the floor between them, and they
were then exercising themselves by
jumping from one bed to the other.
There was enc fat girl, about as broad
as she was long, and in no way calcuia-
ted for physical eXertions: but she had
got upon the bed, ard stood swinging
her arms to ard fro, making every midi
cation for desperate jump BY this
time | was on the floor and my place
at the curtain supplied by another spric
of mischief. He leaned down and whis-
percd-the fat girl was going to jump.
"Oh, golly.'' said he, eff Fan only
falls, won't she roll over nice!"
! was determined to see this, and
climbing up again, we both occupied the
I" tottering pile" With one hand over
our mouths, and pinching our noses, to
prevent a burst of laughter, we stood
GREATNESS awaiting the awful calamity.
There she goes, by lingo" | ex-
claimed. She didn't do it, though--tor
her feet just resting on the round of the
bed, she balanced but just for moment
and fell backwards, head down and feet
in the air, rolling and putting like por-
,poise. but displaying no mean agility for
so embarrassing a situation.
We could hold in no longer, but shook
with laughter. The chair tilted, and
down ali came together, with crash like
a young peal of thunder.
"To bed-to bed, boys" said I, 'sand
leave the rest to me-"
Ia an instant all was quiet; every body
in bed and sound asleep, with the excep-
ton of myself. Oh! such attempts to
snore, as might have been then heard
but we were all used to playing the
"possum, and | now concluded to give
the approaching tutor and wife sample
of sognnambuism
"Now don't laugh for the world boys,
and see me do the thing
] raised the table on its legs, and get
ting on it, was concluding my speech that