Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-05-24
MISCELLANEOUS READING.
rNCJE pUJJ,S STORY

bu iiusl huoN, uee' yNe'S
| that st. Louis was not always as big place
as it now is, and accommodations for man
and beast were not quite 80 good hltren or
twenty years ago rs they are now. When !
came to the State, it had not even start, ana
settled up here under the belief that III a
/ few years 81. Louis would be n"Th"rr.
short time however convinced me that wne
in error and had To pay 10 that place an
annual visit Ia lay III my stock OF medicines.
About those days the tavern ut which !
stopped, and which was the principal one IN
| the town. con tanned one long room, like the
cabin of II steamboat which served in the va
rious capacities of Il ballroom, hall oiJustlce,
a common council ROOM a theatre, and. when
the town was fall. for sleeping apartment
for such of the surplus population as were
not lucky enough to get accommodations III a
more limited space. ST. Louis then was very
moral place. for never knew nor heard OF
ANYTHING having been lost or stolen III the
promiscuous crowd of sleepers, whose sole
conyrniences we're chair. and mattress
on the floor.
w ell business once carried me there IN
midsummer. and, rs the town was thronged.
] was put with thirty or forty Others IN the
great accommodation roem and consigned
for the night to my pallet of straw. came
in late that night, for had met some old ac-
uuaintances, and we had made rather fast
time of it, so that found all the mattresses
occupied. save the one reserved for me. and
each occupant fast asleep. The landlord
had given me a small piece Of candle about
one inch long to light me TO bed, and as he
was too sleepvor too lazy to get candle
4. \ A. d. t,ll,,v hand and
chcd up TO my dormitory. 1t was fear
fully hot night. and the tcmperatur", OF
course. not much leSscned by the heat radiat-
ing from the carcasses OF thirty or forty
sleeping men. and to me the sultrineSs was
the more oppressive because perhaps l had
a little more heat in me, after leaving my
friends, than was in the habit of carrying.
Marching up the aisle of sleepers, | soon
found my bed. and forthwith proceeded to
'unshuck' Sticking my candle in the edge
of my chair. carefully laid my clothes on
the back of it. so as to guard as far as posi-
bic against all probability Of their contact
with the taIlow, and | was proceeding to
blow out nv light, when, i'll my anxiety
to save my clothes, the only suit had with
me. the thought occurred that | had better
remove the candle altogether. After glance
around the room. found this to be mat
ter of some difficulty. saw that every
chair was occupied. | was afraid to set it
on the floor, and the fireplace was too far
off to justify even the remotest hope OF my
ever regaining my couch, once away from
it, in the dark While was in this quanda-
ry my eye fell upon the form of large fat
man. who was sleeping at tremendous rate,
about ten feet off, From the excessive heat
that prevailed, he had thrown Oft every un-
necessary article Of clothing. He was
breathing at the same time as hard, and sn0r-
ing as loud, as if he were determined TO ex-
tract every possible particle Of enjoyment
from those musical accompanlments.
An opportunity presented itself OF getting
rid Of my candle that was too tempting TO be
resisted. knew that should be safe from
ANY responsibility in the darkness that would
follow the extnguishment Of the light and
amid the multitude Of surrounding sleepers
Quietly advancing towards my snoring neigh
lodgment for my piece of candle, now consl-
deraby reduced, upon a very prominent and
very exposed portion Of my ''fat friend, and
he was SO profoundly asleep that | had no
difficulty in finding fixed basis for my burn
ing tallow As soon as had by actual ex-
pertinent satisfied myself that my 'illumina-
ter would in its upheavings turn neither to
the right nor To the left but would burn stcadI-
" where had set it, Istole back to my place
in bed as asquicky as possible, and soon trled t"
get up q small gamut Of extra noises with my
nose and throat, but it was no 90. Every
incipient effort at a snore was sure to terml-
nate in a litter, and so | just lay still and
watched the course fevents. lneyer saw II
piece Of candle take so much time To burn
half an inch. thought the Internal talow
had the lives of nine eats, but burn on it did.
and still snored on my fat neighbor. Tho
light gradually approached the period OF It's
extinguishment; ! confess that it was the most
exciting moment of my life. At last, to my
inexpressible delight, saw the sleeper give
n twitch, and then for moment all WAS still;
then followed u spa1modic action II little more
violent; calm OF an instant succeeded, when
the candle performed circle in the air, expir
ing as it reached the floor, and the fat maE,
wide awake and perfectly erect, was heard
~ exclaim: I'LL. boys did you see Mat&treak
Of hyhtmny! Anybody dead? I'm hit. Don't
you smell scorched meat" "-NeW York SpDH
! .ftLs T;ms.