Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-03-14
VoA. XVII.
THE i. SUMMER HOUSE,

In the winter Of 1854 the Nashville and
Chattanooga Railroad was completed to the
Tennessee River, where it connected with a
line of steamers to Chattanooga for a number
Of months, awaiting the completion of the
bridge. At this terminus now stands the town
of Jonesville, Alabama, (then called Bridge
port); there were two hotels CD opened for the
accommodation of the travelling public; the
| best one stood near the railroad track, and was
| denominated the Summer House, from the fact
that the floors had "shrunk" so much that a
| clever whisper uttered up stairs in one end
| could be distinctly heard down stairs in the
| other. Now 1t was Arnold's fortune Tor mis-
fortune) to be landed there (by the good steamer
Lookout, commanded by Capt. Todd,) about
| IL o'clock at night, and bad to stay somewhere
until the departure of the train at five in the
morning, so he asked Capt. Todd which was
Summer House f" Accordingly Arnold went
there. The house was crowded, and all the
beds bespoke but one, and some twenty appli-
cants fer that, but Arnold being introduced
and vouched for by Capt. Todd, was awarded
the bed, and soon retired. He had been in
bed about half an hour when the landlord
came up, followed by live Yankee from Con-
necticut, who was a soap -pedler, and who was
about twenty-three years Of age, and should
guess rather timid man; but he was excusable
tor being timid, for only few days before, in
Dalton, Ga, man had made thrust at him
with a bOwie-knife, and he supposed all South.
erners were alike.
Well, this soap gentleman wanted lodging
and was not particular how or where he got it,
and as he had come down on the same boat
with Arnold, he (Arnold) had heard him speak
of his Dalton scrape. The landlord accosted
Arnold in this wise" Mr.. Wilklereid this is
undoubtedly your bed for the night, and neither
myself or any one else have the right to use or
share in 1t without your consent, and come
to ask as favor of yeu to let this gentleman
lodge with you; he complains of nervous head
ache"
"Well, sir" said Arnold rubbing his eyes
and yawning as though he had been asleep,
II have no objection to his sleeping with me if
be will run the risk of catching the seven
year-itch' with which / am now afflicted"
ooh, am not afraid of that" said the soap
man.
But" said Arnold, "there is greater risk
than that to run; 1 am subject to spells in
my sleep, and very often bite people who are
with me; sometimes bite myself and some
times use my weapons, (pointing to brace of
pistols and large side-knifo lying on the win
dow sill beside the bed but rather think, or
hope at least, that shall net be troubled to-
night, and if you are willing to risk it you are
welcome
Soapman.-Well, spose'en ye let the land
lord take the weepinS, and keep 'em till morn
in,
Arnold-Not exactly; I never let them 20
out of my sight, for 1 always keep the means
of self-defense in my own hands.
Soapman-Well, meow guess yer will tell
me how can tell when one Of them spells is
a-comin' on, won't yer?
Arnold-Oh, yes, as far as know will; but
l only know from what have been told by
those who have been sleeping with me when
attacked. They say 1 grit my teeth and snap
little, and then begin slowly to move my
body, and then comes the SPELL
Soapman-Well, I've a mind to risk it, and
80 here goes; and under the cover he went.
The landlord now retired, and Arnold could
distinctly see a smile on his countenance and
twinkle in his eye, as though he expected to
see some fun before morning, and Arnold, for
his part, was determined that the landlord
should not be disappointed if be could help it.
Very soon the soapman was heard whisper
ing. Arnold said-Did you speak to me?
No answer, whispering continues.)
Arnold-Did you speak to me, sir?
No answer, whispering still going on.)
Arnold (rather tartly)-What did you say?
No answer, but the whispering still going
ArnoId-What in the - are you talking
about
This brought the reply-I've been saying
my prayers, sir.
Arnold-Praysrs DO you pray and sell
soap, too?
soapman-Yes, sir, pray every day and
night; and I've prayed for you tonight, too,
Arnold-Well, amt you afraid you're vast
ing ammunition when you pray for such men
as mel
Soap-man-Oh, no sir, for the Bible tells us
'that while the lamp holds out to burn, the
vilest sinner may return
Arnold-He can, eh? Well, let's 20 to
sleep I'm one Of 'em
While all this was going on the landlord,
the conductor, the route agent (Jim McCarty,)
and several others, were down stairs listening,
and laughing "ft to kill" All was now quiet
for half an hour, when Arnold began to grit
his teeth and snap The soap-man raised HIM
self In the bed, and turned his eyes on Arnold,
who began to writhe his body into different
shapes, and to thrust his hand toward the win
dow, where laid the aforesaid implements to
kill" The soap-man could stand il no longer,
but leaped onto the floor as slick as though he
bad been escaped" all over he fell over his
chair of clothes, which he had left in the mid
die OF the room, and in trying to recover him.
self Ia la blundering horse) only made matters
worse. Now there was no banisters or ratings
around the head Of those stairs, and over he
went, and such q fall as he got, one would
have thought he was killed; but no, he wasn't
hurt. When the soap-man's feet struck the
floor up stairs, Jim McCarty blew out the light
below. Here went the soap-msn, through the
bar-room below, and into the ladies' depart
ment in the west end, whore some fifteen la
dies were slowed away, and who raised the
scream. This brought lights in, and the hus-
bands and brothers from up stairs. The land
lord could with difficulty protect the SOAP
man until the matter could be explained. This
done, however, some three or four hot bIooded
young gentlemen declared that Arnold should
fght on the strength of it, but Arnold at first
declined to do this, but dressed himself and
came down into the bar-room, and told them
he was not a fighting man, but if nothing else
would do them he could accommodate either
one Of them single-handed.
The landlord, an engineer, the conductor,
and Jim MoCarty, now seeing that a fight was
inevitable, sided with Arnold, and declared
that he should have fair play, and the very
moment that was known all agreed to pass it
of as good joke, and the belligerent young
men called for drinks for the crowd, in which
all joined save the soap-man, who didn's use
any, and he was allowed to occupy Arnold's
bed the remainder Of the nlsht.-Oid Spirit
of the Times.