Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-07-08
The Extra Lodger.
By DIR. BIRD


Il
! We had scarce arranged this i'm
pd drtant matter, when the supernumer
arg guest and extra lodger who hac
perhaps been detained securing bis
prbperty for the night, came up stairs
behring his saddle bags and candle
an i with hesitating Step ana modest
coh hntenance stole through the room
Ilod king for an empty bed, but Of
col trse without finding any.
| perhaps, gentlemen said he,
wit III an extremely solemn, Yo-begone
voice of inquiry, "some Of you can
tell me where | am to sleep to-night?''
In paradise, ] supposepf said the
BIRD dying gentleman; ''fpr I'll be
hanged if there's any room for you
here. You see the beds are all full. y
/ do" quoth the stranger, looking
dis eonsolately round, @and they are
shd cking narrow ones, tool But l
rat her calculate the landlord meant
me to have half a one some where or
9th Her among you"
&Well, that seems but reas sonable, y
said the Mississippian; "and Il should
be Eery willing to let you have half
q mine, onlyf--here he ufned over
tle bed clothes and displayed a huge
boTie knife laying on one side of him,
and a pistol on the other-"only
that l never sleep without my arms
and they are somewhat dangerous
wh4 4n I dream at night, as ] do always
aft4 4r a bad supper. 'Pon my soul,
sir, l always dream the niggers are
numbering me, and so fall to at EN-
in d way that's quite a cautionl
'Poh my soul, sir, if you had seen
me how slashed the bed to pieces
last night, and shot off the bed postsl
Had to pay ten dollars damages to
old Skinaint, the landlord"
The Yankee recoiled with trepida-
tio4 from this perilous bedfellow, and
preferred his request to the lTennes-
seean, representing, very piteously,
that he had an affection of the
aa"-though Of what kind he did
not inform us-which was always
aggravated by want Of, or even by
.unc3 comfortable, sleep. The Tennes-
seeaI 10, however, swore he was just as
bad as his neighbor, the Mississippian,
though in another way; be never
could sleep with any body, without
beginning to fight, the moment he
fell asleep; and it was but a fl f5rtnight
ago, he said, he gouged an dnlucky
bedfellow's eyes out.
The Albanian declared heIchewed
tobacco in his sleep, and that his
quids were to the full as dangerous
to bedmate's eyes as the Tennes-
seean's fingers. The second Alissis-
sippian had taken a position directly
across the bed, his head stick ing out
on one side, his legs on the other, in
which position only, he swprc, he
could sleep with any co rnfd drt; and
therefore desired the Yankee to ap-I
plyto some one else; which he did
though with no better fortune, some
excusing themselves on pretences as
as those | have mentioned,
while one or two Others, whose wit
was not so ready, met his shpplica-
ting glances and hesitating applica-
tiols with downright refusals. As
for myself, the narrowness of my
couch was so manifest, as to- secure
me from application.
The poor Yankee, thus reelected on
all sides, and with the prospect Of
remaining bedless for the night, took
the desperate resolution of pr eferring
a complaint to bis majesty the inn
keeper. For this purpose he opened
the door, and called twice orI thrice,
but with timid tones, to mine host;
who having already retired to bis bed,
md not choosing to be troubled,
took no notice of the first calls, and
,nly replied to the last by threaten
NO to turn his unfortunate customer
,ut of the house if he did not keep
luiet.
To be turned out OF house In
which he was $ unhospitably treated,
night have seemed no very disagree
.bie alternative E; but unluckily, dis
nal rain had n ow commenced falling,
nd there was no 9th Ter place frefuge
within eight or ten miles.
Nothing remained for the extra