The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-05-15

musical instruments. and singing, and pen's
n Of laughter hust upon his astonished ear:
Thinking he had made mistake, he raise"
the lantern, and discovering different door
from lis own, with the sign Ola hotel owe,
il, he became completely bewildered' an!
began to traverse the pavement anew. III
is indeed the Rue dc Lavapie," said ne.
.Ilere is the hook store Of Pedro Tnppal !;
there is the frliter's shop and this is the
house of Diego le Boitei,x; and then sure
" comes mine /; for on the other side there
| is that Of Lucas Moreno, the money chang
err" lie recognized the doors OF all ills
neirlbors; each one was familiar; ms
alone was changed. "Hcaven help me ~
said he. making fifty signs Of the cross,
'this indeed must be my house. il Is hui
un hour since left 1t. Ny wife was then
weeping and groaning with pain. and now
they are singing and dancing. And yet we
were living alone in the house. The door
IL is tr,,c, needed little repair; hut ! am
certain Il WINS not changed when ] ie't
home. Besides, | have never noticed a
tavern in this street, and surely II Is not ~
my house they would establish one. Am
I dreaming? That cannot be. My eyes
are wide open. and hear plainly enough.
The rain is pelting flriously; yet this illu
sion cannot be the effect Of little drop ot
wine Itook before setting out" lie began
10 make closer examination, carefully pass
ing his hand over the door, but co,liu> not
/ find the knocker in its accustomed place
determining to make himself hearl, in
hopes that as soon as he effected an en-
trance he would learn the cause of the mys
tcrious transformation, he began to thump
at the doors loud enough to rouse the whole
neighborhood. The merry.maken within
pretended not to hear him. lie knocked
still more loudly. At length, after he had
been left standing long time under The
drippings Of tho roof, man, with head
covered by an old handkerchief, and hold.
ing light in his hand, opened the window
above the door.
"Halloa! my good man, what the deuce
do you want a, this time Of night? There
is no room for you here. Go seek '0dg
ing elsewhere"
"My friend, it is not our custom to open
our doors at this unusual hour"
".,iorbleau but l tell you this Is my
house and my father, Diego Morales, paid
round sum for it with his own deniers.'
"Hark ye. my fine fellow. know not ii
the wine which disturbs your noddle wns
Val do Pequas or Logroquo, but Ill he
sworn il was capital; and the water from
tho cutters will not hurt you. So go your
way. Cease knocking at the door, or will
let loose masIif whose teeth will make a
dozen button holes in your hide in . quick
time. Good nirht,' Thus saying, he
closed the window. The singing and
laughter were renewed within; and the
poor painter gave himself to all the furics
fully persuaded that somo sorceror was
PLAY ing him this cruel trick.
Meanwhile the rain continued, and flakes
of falling snow came thick upon the face Of
Morales. The candle In his lantern had
burnt out, and his patience had long since
been completely exhausted. He commence
ed knocking anew, when presently he
heard some one within tho house call out,
"IIalloa, Antonio unloose the dogs; bring
n cudgel, and give the shoulders Of this
drunken fei,ow t1.t, ori,e; It will relieve
his muddy brain little" \,
At this, the door was thrown open, and
forth came man, with two hugo dogs,
which might have made the joke rather a
serious one. had they not been held back
by their keeper.
'"You cursed fellow" said the latter,
.wliat do you mean by making this clamor?
Were you not told there was no room Tor
you here 7"
"Rut, my good friend, this Is my house.
and cannot comprehend what piece Of
sorcery has converted tinto a tavern. This
is, indeed, | assure you, tho very house !
received as heritage from Diego Morales,
my father"
''siy good man, you arc certainly under
a strange delusion. There arc neither Nor
ales nor mull,erries in the neighborhood."
al am a painter we'll known in this city
and of some celebrity In this quarter.
have lived twenty years In this house. Call
my wife, Casilda. lf she is not transform.
cd into landlady, she will doubtless extri
cate me from this labrinth."
allow can you talk in this foolish man.
ner? For more than six years this house
has been one of tho most frequented and
best known hotels IN Madrid. Its master
is Pedro Caraso. The landlady is Maria
Perez; and !, who speak to you, am An.
tonic their valet. And now take yourself
off, m heavens name, without any more
noise. or this cudgel shall speedily restore
you to your senses"
The poor painter, not knowing to what
saint TO turn for succor, made the best OF
his way, by cropping along through the
darkness, 10 the house OF one Of his friends.
Il was tour o'clock in the morning when he
reached il. From the lamentable voice in
which Morales claimed admil,ance, the
friend thought that some serious calamity
had belallcn the painter. and hastened to
let him In. Moules related his adventure;
hut his friend listened to him with incredu.
l,y. He howeved. lighted fire to dry the
well.soaked garments Of his guest; and
having prepared for him q bed, advised
him to go to sleep, for he doubted not that
Morales had been making little too free
with The bottle.
In the morning, however, the painter still
persists in maintaining the truth Of the story
he hutl told on the previous evening; and
his friend, curious to behold the enchanted
mansion, accompanied him home. But to
the utter astonishment Of the mystified ar
tist, another change had come over the
spirit Of his dream. The marvellous sign
had disappeared. the house was secured l'y
its accustomed portal. and everything had
resumed its former quiet and peaceful ap.
pearnnce. ..-.
"Come, Morales" said his friend, tap.
ping him on the SHOULDER, "contess that you
had taken drop too much last night, aud
were afraid to return home"
"On my honor US n IMAM and as nn nriist :"
replied Morales, ] have told you nothing
but the truth"
"But, my dear fellow, il Is no such great
crime to he overcome by cup of good
wine .Hu r. '.
Morales needed not the remark, hut com.
menced ripping sniartly at the door Bril-
get, the maid. servant, halfdressed TO open
il.
aOls Senor Morales" cried she, iiu ,ooes
Of well fsigned as,onishment, show could
you have the heart to stay out all night in
The city carousipg with your friends, aud
v,,,r ,,oor vvifs ivin0 here nj dc,,b,. ,,,.,,