The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-07-17


afraid you will scag it under the armpits
You will observe, ladies and gentlemen,
he went on in lecturers style. "that i
I take lighted Vesuvian, and insert |
in the corner Of the patients eye, he viii
feel no pain" Saying this. my dreadful
companion proceeded to illustrate hi
remark by making dive at my shad
owy eye with burning match | fel
no pain as the match bur aed i'll my head
certainly.
You will allow, after all you see, tina
my shape has its advantages" the G hos
proceeded; " but it also has its disadvan
tages. Try the pipe now" l tried te
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 lla'
brought me here tonight. A great smo
ker all my life, doing my six pipes
day regularly, have been defunct these
two years-and during all that time
haven't had smoke! not a blessed
draw. l miss my 'bacco dreadful!
There is pro, ision made for smokers
down with us, you will understand; but
We are governed by a Board of Directors
whose incapacty quite equals that Of
most of your City Bo; rds. There is q
stock of bodies kept on purpose for smo
kcrs, so that, if you want pipe. you
must 60 into one of the bodies to enjoy
it. But, if you will believe ME, the sup
ply il SO notoriously insufficient to meet
the demand, that there is no chance
whatever for a new ghost to get a smoke
When I entered the society. all the bod
les were out in use and booked for three
years in advance. My name has been
down on the books for two years, anc
there is no likelihood OF my getting q
body allotted me under another twelve
month Fance two years without q
smoke! Why, sir. the incompetence Of
our Board is positively wooden. | can
only explain the reason why we put ur
with such gross mismanagement in the
other world, because we have become SO
use to it III this. Our constitutions, how.
ever, are being undermined to that ex'
tent, 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 in indulging in
| habit which the directors cannot, how
ever, but characterize as pernicious and
injurious. Under this new act obtain.
ed your BODY
'You never had my consent, fend!!'
cried.
1T is vulgar to call names my friend, D
the ghost replied, smoothing my NOUS
tache with his fingers; "but you are
triAing. / asked you to change places
with me, and you agreed, as you must
be we'll aware. But, dear me, here we
are at Chichester; however, | must fin
ish my pipe-thing of two years. and not
blessed draw, my friend"!
The train was pulling up. Ny com
panion leaned out Of the window, putting
fast and furious.
PLENTY of time to change bodies y
be said; ait shall be done in all instant,
as soon as tie train stops" And he con-
tinued leaning out, aud whiting away
great clouds Of smoke, till We came to
the platform. He huriedly knocked out
the ashes of the tobacco OH the door.rail
as the guard cried: "Change here
change here; all change here, if'you
please" -
A sudden glow of warmth seemed to
pass over me as rubbed my eyes, and
found to my great delight my own
smooth hands against my very own un'
wrinkled cheek, ! looked up for my
companion-he was gone l was alone
in the carriage.
| was greatly surprised, when l got
on the platform, at being asked for my
card by a very oficious person; still more
so, ON receiving magistrates summons
in the morning. The of6ciouss person
deposed that he was the Secretary of the
Anti- Tobacco Alliance, and applied fol
conviction against the undersigned
under one of the bylaws of the company
for smoking in q railway carriage, the
| property Of the d. Eff. G. Company
contrary to their regulations. He de-
elared to have seen ME (oniy think! -
me leaning out OF the carriage as it can't
to Chichester Station, smoking meer
schaum pipe. The guard gave evidence
that the carriage certainly smelled very
strongly of tobacco on arriving at Cbei
chester, and that was the only first
class passenger. A meerschaum pipe
answering the oficious persons descrip
ton, was found on my person. Case wal
clear. Fined forty shillipgs and costs
Nay, more; the case of smoking in arail
way carriage has been gibbetted at al
the stations ON the line, where / am hung
up as caution and warning to the Brit
ish Public, in a solemn black frame, Will
my name and address, and the amour
| of penalty enforced, at full length.
| 1t would have been useless to attemp
to dispute the case before the magistrates
It is something to have set ones righ
with the public. ~a -s-., .a-.s
| 8.5SES fJ ->>-~--~-<~@s~s~-~--~~--- ~-f .
The P;cayune thinks that Cinnamon viii
not work well in gangs, and that they wil
not therefore prove as serviceable on oa
plantations Us is expected. This in an er
ror. II is the mode ofworking to whicl
they are accustomed in their naive country
The laborers are an attached to some asso
citation, which is directed by its chief AM
head man, who makes all the contracts AM
regulations to control the body of which b
Lis the head. This organization ID perfect
and has become m essential part Of thel
social and industrial organization. TIL