Washington telegraph., 1850-05-22
A NIGHTS ADVENTURE.
retired, Heaven knows, with

IioA vi q iuChlesS dcClueHt, IL proved Ihe
sorest night of my life. Retiring in sea
of abstraction, beguiled in the alimeut of
promise, and about to enter upon mag
niicent occasion for a perfect recovery
bewildered by the contention of pleasant
anticipations and imaginary ills, which
dazZed like sunbeams, without any valet
l. walked into the wrong room. sun
grovelling in the wells of truth, the depths
of error, went into lady's bed. What
a fatal error for my repose! What del
icate distress, The chamber had enter
ed to have and occupy, belonged to an
aged spinster: regular watering-p'ace
hunter, who had long since consumed her
share of the honey of heaven born charity;
who loved only her lap-dog and winning
partner at whist; who disliked the young
of her own sex. and who had the widest
hatred 20 mine. In the room of such an
example OF mortality, what distress
what catastrophe to my ends and visit.
Ah! what prodigious ills from petty causes
| spring.
| l marvel to this day, how came there
l wonder how | overlooked the feminine
| 6yOut1erae, the toilette, caps, ribbons,
combs, curls, artificials, roses, and sprigs
OF myrtle, on the dressing-table, and /
answer l cannot imagine. [ have rumag-
| ed my imagination for excuses in vain;
| the only one which aids me is this: ]
must have been IN state of somnambu-
| ilsm wien entered :he den of that ana-
able virtuoso. | remembered nothing in
the morning, but that | had gone quietly
and soberly to bed, filled with hope from
the cheering conversation Of the water
doctor. This, and some dreary fragments
of the life of easy happiness | langushed
to attain, alone fingered on the table of
memory.
| had gone TO bed, and after the second,
or ii may be the third watch, was most
uncomfortably disturbed. The upshot OF
it is this: the room was double bedded,
and III the occupancy of a lady and her
maid. | had entered upon and occupied
the latter's couch, In tht morning she
was called Justify, to administer to her
mistress the usual morning dose; no ans
wer being given, she had risen fir om her
bed 10 awake this creature, who, it was
discovered. had slipped out after pretend
ing to retire, to join dancing party in
the hotel. Unluckily, had taken her
| place. For nights | had not closed my
eyelids, but this night l slept like rock;
and tapped in that delicious slumber
which refreshes the weary and prepares
the strong man for the toll of battle, heed
| ed not the callings and cries of voice
in distress, till my head was gripped be-
tween two talr hands, and shaken most
| profoundly. | called for silver, and my
masculine voice startled my astounded
witness. TWAS a moment of recognition,
aud as surprising TO one as it was uu-
satisfactory to the other A scream, shrill
and loud, saluted my ears. I caught
| glimpse of a face, befriled in lace retir-
ing from mine.
"What is the matter!" said [, fancyng
the house was on fire, by the rudeness Of
the shocks. | heard her utter, 1T is a
! mans voice!-a man's" Another scream,
and yet another. And as 1 peered FORTH
she ran towards her bed, like lapwing,
plotting very modestly, that l should not
spy her feet, which, Heaven knows, [
was not covetous to look at. A violent
pulling at the bell roused me to crisis of
| apprehension, and | rose i'll my sitting.
"Lie down, sir; you horrid villain" said
she, ''lie down. r.}--
obeyed precipitatey. When spoke
or questioned, she screamed. | heard a
knocking at the door, and watched to
get up to open it. She saw me move
appeared to be convulsed by the ilea of
one of my gender rising in her presence,
and L Silly over-delicate, was abashed
into inaction when | should have been
active. What perplexity. What was
TO be done in such a position! She would
not rise to open the door, or permit me.
";Stay in bed, sir!!'' was her cry, continu-
ally; and when [ protruded a leg, she
seemed to be fainting. She called for
Fanny. "She is not here" said |.
"What. are you alone?"
| felt all over the bed, and protested l
aOaS alone, ] protested and explained it
was evident l missed my chamber, aud
the discovery distracted me. l said
would rise and go out; she insisted with
infinite rancour [ should lie down; | had
nearly killed her already, and if rose /
should be her death. How dreadful it is
to be attacked by woman, with free
and not particular tongue; to pocket those
epithets in sor. of chivalry. The door
was burst. To my bedside came young
woman, with a candle in her hand, and
two or more followed her heels. l thought
l should have been set on and torn to
pieces by this ungentle creature, and to
my surprise her mistress spoke to my
good behavior. Fanny, to excuse her
delinquency, made it evident she was
bolted out, and she had chosen to remain
out, rather than disturb her poor, dear,
sick mistress in her sleep. Rather than
disturb! The slut. The truth is, true
to my habit, l had cautiously locked the
door, but / believe she never tried to open