Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-12-26
BLooMsBURG, COLUMBIA co, PA, WEDNESDAY
Behind the Curtains, How They
go to Bed.

=
Der, and, with the cautious timidity peculia
to her sex, first locks the door and arrange
the window curtains, so that by no chance ;
passer-by, or belated nocturnal wandere
| from the pavement can catch a glimpse o
her beauty when en- dishdbile This tasl
completed, she turns on the gas to Its full
and Institutes a general search Throughout
the apartment that she may be sure it doe:
not contain horrible ''bugbear, or a "des
perate ruffian,' in big whiskers and crisp
black hair Carefully, with her delicate lit
tie fingers, she lifts the bed valance, peers
into places where even Tom Thumb could
not squeeze his diminutive corporation, and
takes cursory peep into the halfemptied
trunk, not forgetting to glance nervously
under the sofa, the space between which aud
the floor is not sufficient to contain the ghost
of Calvin Edison, much less an ordinary rob-
Der. Having ascertained that she is really
alone, she leisurely proceeds to divest her
fair form of the silk and linen conventional
ties of society First, she relieves her
glossy hair of the pins and combs which en-
thrall it, and "does it up" more compactly.
Then off comes the little collar and the lit
tie vapory cloud of lace she calls under
sleeves, which all the day have been clasped
around her white plump arms, by a couple
of India rubber straps.
Next the love of spring silk dress is un-
fastened in front. The sundry waist strings
and button straps are loosed, and 10 what
collapse, like loves big balloon. She
stands like Saturn, the centre Of the rings
There they lie on the soft carpet, partly COW
cred by the linen undertakings, with no more
expression in them than there is in the floor
beneath the carpet. She sits now on the
side of the snowy bed, and begins the unlac-
ing of CATERS, and the disrobing of those
fair, swelling limbs of their stockings The
pretty little foot is carefully perched upon
the knee-down drops. the gaiter, off drops
the elastic, and her thumb inserted in the
top of her stocking, pushes it downtown
over the heel, and the cotton rests beside
the prunella. So with the other foot, only
involving change of position. There is a
smile that peeps out behind the bushes of
her sweet face, now, as standing before the
glass, she places on her head the night-cap,
and with the quick twist of her finger ties
the bewitching bow Then the nightgown
is thrown over the frilled chemise, conceal
ing the heaving bosom and the shoulders in
the linen folds Then the counterpane and
sheets are turned back, and the gas is turn
ed down-very, very low-aud the little
form presses the yielding couch, and the
angel goes off into the world of dreams.
Now, In the room directly above her, is
the great brute of brother He comes
into it, shuts the door with slam, turns the
key with snap, growls at the chair which
happens to be in the way, pulls of his boots
and throws them in a corner, jerks his socks
from his feet, drops his pantaloons on the
floor and lets them lie there, gets of his
vest and coat by quick, vindictiye move of
the arms and body. unpins and unbuttons
his collar, throws it carelessly at, rather
than on, the table travels to the window in
his shirt extremity to let down the curtain,
as if he didn't care cuss whether the en-
tire population of the neighborhood beheld
his anatomy or not; then puts out the light,
and then bounces into bed like great calf
jumping into pile of hay-curls himself up
his knees nearly touching Lis nose, lies
or two, turns s.on his back, stretches
his limbs out, swears at the tucking in Of the
bed-clothes, grunts, gets over on the other
side, and is-asleep Then comes in the
snoring and the snorting