Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-04-30

L
beneath me, and l struck wildly at the
vision of myself on the other seat. But
found my arms light as vapor,. for they
| passed over his body, which went through
them, giving me the impression Of pain.
| 1t was body of shade that had been
given me for my own body Of flesh and
blood, which this wretch had stolen. By
some sorcery or other, we had indeed
changed places.
"Sorcerer-demonl cried out, only to
| hear myself speaking with his sharp,
cracked voice. When saw myself sitting
opposite to me coolly addressing me in
my own voice, could no longer credit my
senses, if indeed l had any of them at all
left of my own.
"Dare say you think you are speaking
loud now," he said.
answered by calling the guard as loud
| ly as could halloo.
"Ah, you might call good deal louder
than that, if the carriage were full OF pas
| sengers, and they could no more hear you
than they could see yOu," he continued,
| chuckling, and screwing up my features
into hideously knowing grin, such as l
could never have made them assume. You
see, my friend, yours is body of air, of
shadow, insensible, impalpable to all but
myself, just as it was to all but you when
I entered the carriage. You wish, per-
haps, to know who am? Well, two
years ago tonight, I was q passenger by
this very up-mail. There was a collision
with stupid down-goOds, you see, and
the result was that several passengers were
| injured One of them was-well, its no
use mincing matters-killed on the spot.
Quite so it was /. Yes, l am what you
| call ghost, though we consider the word
rather mira dig. amongst ourselves, and
have a better term for it. Now have
| told you what am, you will like to know
what want? Very good. You shall
see." ...
The ghost in my body then began to
| feel in my pockets, from which he drew
out nay meerschaum, loaded it from my
pouch, and lighted it with one of my
%Ah," he proceeded, whiting the weed
rapidly, "you smoke very good stuff
Golden Leaf and Returns not bad
mixture, though prefer little Latakia
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 T, 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 little long for
me, but dare say it blows none the worse
for that" shuddered as saw him take
out my handkerchief, and use it on that
cherished organ of mine.
"Yes, dare say now you feel the cold
a little l did at first; but it's nothing
when you are used to it. find your body
hot 6asv, fhon
customed to wear but it won't be for
long I 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 little careful how you
| throw your arms about 80 much as you
did just now, for my body is of more
delicate construction than yours and, be-
| ing 80 thin in substance, am afraid you
will scag it under the armpits. You will
observe, ladies and gentlemen" he went
on in lecturers style, "that if I take
lighted Vesuvian and insertit in the cornea
of the patients eye, he will feel no pain"
Saying this, my dreadful companion pro-
ceeded to illustrate his remark 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" I tried to take
the pipe; it dropped through my vapory
| fingers He placed it in my mouth
| 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 equals that OF most
of your City Boards. There is stock of
bodies kept on purpose for smokers, so
that, if you want pipe, you must 60 into
one of the bodies to enjoy it. But, If you
will believe me, the supply is 90 notorious
ly insufficient to meet the demand, that
there is no chance whatever for 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 smokel Why, sir, the incom-
petence of our Board is positively wooden.
can only explain the reason why we put
up with such gross Encouragement in the
other world, because we have become 80
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 habit which the
directors cannot, however, but character
ize as pernicious and Injurious Under
this new act obtained your body"
"You never had my consent, iend !" l
cried. -r
.sIt is vulgar to call names. my friend"
the ghost replied, smoothing my mustache
with my fingers; "but you are trifiing.
asked you to change places with me, and
you agreed, as you must be well aware.
But, dear me, here we are 1t Chichester ;
however, must finish my pipe-thlnk OF
two years, and not q blessed draw, my
friendp
The train was pulling up. My COM
panlon leaned out of window, putting fast
"Plenty of time to change bodies" he
said; 1T 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