Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1869-05-06
A TERRIBLE BEDFELLOW.


ernb,e curiosity His face indicated a
man of not over thirty years neriod at
which men seem voun2-hut his hair was
as white as fresh fallen snow One sell
! dom sees, even on the heads Of the oldest
men. hair Of such Immaculate whi.eness
/ He sat bv nv side in a car of the Great
/ Western Railway in Ca1aia, ana was
/ looking ont Of the window Suddenly
turning his had he caught me in the
| was ashamed was about to say words
Of anologv, when he quietly remarked =
Don't mention it sir am used to 1t. !"
/ The frankne % this observation pleased
me. and in very little whi'e we were
convcrsing on terms Of familiar acquaint-
ances ship. and before long he told me the
whole story
! II was a soldier in The army Of 1ndia, "
he said "anA az is often the case with
the sol1irrs 7 was too fond Of liquor
One dav 7 got drunk. AMI Vas shut up in
the black hole for It. [ slumpHd down
upon the foor Of the dungeon and was
inst dropnin 10 slcen when felt cold
sh pc erwin across nv right hand, "a
It Law stretched out above my heal on the
fDor. I know at once what 1t was-a
snake o. course. my frat impulse was
to draw away my hand hut knowing g
that If I dil 90. the poisonous reptile
would nrohahlv strike its ftng1 into me-.
Law still with my heat bea;ing in my
breast like triphammer. Of course,
nv fright soherod me in instantly | real
ine all my peril in is fullest extent. 0,
how | lemente1 the horr that first touch
ed the lquor. In every glass of liquor
there IL a serpent bat it does not come
to everybody in III, shape it did to me -
With n slow undulating motion. the r p
tile dra gel its crrclsS across my fac.
inch by inch. a1i crept down over my
breast, AID thruzt its head inSid, my
iqckct. As falt the hid sHrapjng
of the Shiny oly over my cheeks it was
only by mo7t tremendous effort that |
sue eadel in restraining myself from vel
linz loully with m;ngle terror and dis
gust. At last I felt the tail wiggling
down toward my chin; but imagine what
{ 1t At my heart. if you cln imagine it,
as | realized that the dreadful creature
hal c5jlci it|clf up Ter my jacket as
lay, and had seemingly gone to sleep, for
it WIS as sill Is dtath. Evidently, II
had no idea that was human creature;
If it had it woul not have actel in that
way All snakes are cowtrd.y, aud they
will not approach laau unless to strik
him in self-defcncc.
Three hours I lay there with thai
drca lful wi ght in my bosom AMI each
minute wis an hour to me-like a year
seemed to have live, 4 ll'etlma in thai
BRET space Every incident of life pas
sed through my memory as thy say i
the case with the drowning maa.
thought o. my mother away IN old Eng
land, my happy home By the Avon, my
Mary, the girl loved and never expect
ed 10 see them more For no matter how
long bore this. felt that it must end
III death at last I lay "a rigli as a
corpse. scarcely daring even to breathe
and all the while nv b east was gTowng
colder. whera the snake WAS lying against
It, with noshing but thin cotton shir'
between my skin aud it. | knew thlt II
stirred it worli strike, but could not
| bear this much longer Even If | sue
ccede in lying still until the gu rd crm.,
expected his opening the door and com
, ing in. would be my deathwlrrant al
the same FIR no doubt the reptile wonld
Sc. that | WAS \ man as soon as the light
was let in at the door. At last | heart
footsteps approaching. There was rat
tie at the lock. 1t was the guard. II
opened the door The snake-a cobra d
cabclia. now saw-darted up its hug,
hooded heal. with the hideouS ring;
around its eyes, as if about to strike
shut nv eyes and murmureia a prayer
Then it g,iied away with a swift motion
ani disappeared in the darkness. | stag
red to my feet. an fell >woonins in the
arms Of the guard For weeks after.
vas very sick. and when was able TO B,
about, found my hai7 as white As yol
now ses it. | have not touched a DROP
of liqu3r since.