Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-04-30

Quite so it was /. Yes, l am what YOU
call ghost, though we consider the word
rather infrd dig amongst ourselves, and
have better term for it. Now | have
told you what am, you will like 10 know
what wsntS Very good. You shall
| see"
The ghost in my body then began to
feel in my pockets, from which he drew
out my meerschaum, loaded il from my
pouch, and lighted it With one otmy
"Ah, p he proceeded, whiting the weed
rapidly, "you smoke very good stuff
Golden Leaf and Returns not bad
mixture, though prefer little Lstakia
with it myself Not at all bad body
yours, either" he went on, eying the form
in which he was sitting, =" not at all bad
body and it fits me to n, only little
short in the arms, BY the way, l find one
of your front teeth little loose, so don't
say did that, when you come to yourself
again and Your nose is q little long for
me, but dare say it blows none the worse
for that" Ishuddered as l saw him take
out my handkerchief, and use Il on that
cherished organ of mine. tr.7f rr
Yes, dare say now you feel the cold
a little did at first; but it's nothing
when you are used toit. find your BODY
very hot,-being heavier than l am &C.
customed to wear but it won't be for
long, require it positively for this
night only as you say in your playbills,
and will return it uninjured by the time
we get to Chichester. By the by, let me
beg you to be a little careful how you
throw your arms about 30 much as you
did just now, for my body Is of more
| l11, }, \ 4.
ing so thin in substance, l am afraid you
will scag it under the armpits. You will
| observe ladies and gentlemen" he went
on in lecturers style, "thaJ if take a
| lighted Vesuvian and insertit in the cornea
of the patients eye, he will feel no pair" :"
Saying this, my dreadful companion pro-
ceeded to illustrate hisremark by making
dive at my shadowy eye with burning
match. felt no pain as the match burned
in my head, certainly.
You will allow, after all you see, that
my shape has its advantages" the ghost
proceeded; "but it also has its disadvant-
ages. Try the pipe now" tried to take
the pipe; it dropped through my vspory
fingers. He placed it in my mouth 1
could not hold it, nor get Whit from it.
Precisely So" said the ghost. "Now,
this is just what has brought me here to-
night. A great smoker all my life, doing
my six pipes day regularly, have been
defunct these two years-and during all
| that time | haven't had smoke mot a
blessed draw miss my 'bacco dreadful.
There is provision made for smokers,
down with us, you will understand; but
we are governed by Board of Directors,
whose incapacity quite equalsthat of most
| of your City Boards. There is stock of
| for cn
that, if you want pipe, you must go into
one of the bodies to enjoy it. But, if you
will believe me, the supply is so notorious
ly insufficient to meet the demand, that
there is no chance whatever for a new
| ghost to get smoke. When / entered
the Society, all the bodies were out in use,
and booked for three years in advance.
My name has been down on the books for
| two years, and there is no likelihood of
my getting body allotted me under an.
other twelvemonth. Fancy two years
without smoke! Why, sir, the incom.
| petence of our Board is positively wooden.
| can only explain the reason why we put
| up with such gross mismanagement in the
other world, because we have become so
used to it in this. Our constitutions, how
ever, are being undermined to that extent
that the Board has at last been coerced
by popular feeling into passing measure
| empowering ghosts to render themselves
visible to single individuals at time in
order that they may effect an exchange of
bodies for short periods, always with the
consent of the person in question, for the
purpose of indulging in a habit which the
directors cannot, however, but character
ize as pernicious and Injurious Under
this new act obtained your body" d 81
"You never had my consent, tiend |" 1
cried.
"It is vulgar to call names, my friend"
the ghost replied, smoothing my mustache
with my fingers; "but you are triling.
l asked you to change places with me, and
| you agreed, as you must be well aware.
But, dear me, here we are at Chichester
however, l must finish my pipe--think of
two years, and not a blessed draw, my
kiend"
The train was pulling up. My COM
panion leaned out of window, putting fast
and furious
"Plenty of time to change bodies" he
said ait shall be done in an instant as
soon as the train stops" And he con-
tinued leaning out, and whiting away
great clouds of smoke, till we came to the
platform. He hurriedly knocked out the
ashes of the tobacco on the door-rail, as
1 u
here I; all change here, if you please"
A sudden glow of warmth seemed to
pass over me as l rubbed my eyes, and
found, to my great delight, my own
smooth hands against my very own un.
wrinkled cheeks. looked up for my
companion-he was gone-I wass alone in
the carriage. r-l On p
was greatly surprised, when got on
the platform, at being asked for my card
by very oficious person still more so
on receiving a magistrates summons in
the morning. The officious person de
posed that he was the Secretary of the
Anti-tobaceo Alliance, and applied fer 3
conviction against the undersigned, undei
one of the bylaws of the company, fol
smoking in a railway carriage, the prop
erty of the ID. E. F. G. Company, contrary
to their regulations. He declared to havI
seen me (only think D-nae leaning out o
the carriage as it came into the Chelches
ter Station, smoking meerschaum pipe
The guard gave evidence that the carTiag,
certainly smelled very strongly of tobacc'
on arriving at Chichester, and that / wa
the only first class passenger. A meer
schaum pipe, answering the oficious per
sons description, was found on my per
son. Case was clear. Fined forty shil
lings and COSTS Nay, more the case @
smoking in a railway carriage has bee
gibbeted at all the stations on the line
where l am hung up as a caution AM
warning TO the British public, in solem
black frame, with my name and address
and the amount of the penalty enforced
at full lengthi
1t would have been useless to attemI
to dispute the case before the magistrate
1t is something 10 have set ones self rigt
, with the public Chambers Journal