Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-12-06
MY BedfelloU.

lntO country Town, ana curing court
week, once rode on horseback at the end
of weary day, passed in q continuous
mud hole, studded with stumps and orna-
mented with logs, that a benfghted coun-
try called o road. Night had already
closed in, and 1 was guided to the hotel by
a thousand and one boys of the place, and
a noise issuing from the bar room, no less
dlsagreeable. 1 found the landlord shut
up in corner pen dealing out liquid in
sanity to his customers. To my request
for supper and bed, he responded that j
could eat my fill, but there was not bed
unengaged or not occupied in the house.
!. persisted until the wretch informed me
that there was feller" in No, occu-
pying double bed, and I could troll in
there" if so minded.
It was dismal, but my only hope; so, af.
ter the evening indigestion, 1 climbed the
rough stairs to No. 6. l was told by the
landlord to walk in without knocking,
and did so.
1t was cherries room, without carpet
on the floor or curtains to shut out the
black night of the windows that seemed
to stare blindly in on one, and wink as the
candle flared in the wind. 1 found my
companion measuring off his dreams by
snores, and undressing "rolled in," as the
landlord had suggested. My stranger
turned over with something like growl
and a grunt, as crept to his side.
Tired as / was, / could not sleep. The
bed tick felt as if 1t were stuffed grasshop-
pers, and the pillows were of the sort to
slip up ones nose in the night, and be
sneezed out during the day. Besides this,
my bed-fellow snored abominably. 1t
sounded like giant trying to blow "Old
hundred " through q tin-horn, without
knowing exactly how. bore this inflic-
tion as long as could, and at last gave
my friend dig in the ribs, eXclaiming at
the same time:
+" / say
"Hlllo-ah-what is it ?n he asked in
! confused way.
al am sorry to disturb you, but think
1t my duty to inform you that l walk in
my sleep"
| "Well, walk"
"My Christian friend, am well aware
| that this is a free country, and If a man
wishes to walk in his sleep there is no con-
stitutional provision to prevent him. But
wish to remark that if do walk, you
had better not interfere with me-"
oh! walk; won't say word about
| it."
"Well don't. When addressed or inter-
fered with, L am apt to get furious. |
nearly Drained poor man with dog-iron
the other night
.. The deuce cue you did"
"Well, that's rather disagreeable. A fell
low might, under any impulse, blurt out
|
Better not"
NO. L should think not"
a long pause followed this. At last the
now wide-awake lodger asked abruptly:
| did you notice my hat on the fioor?" :.
| ~ believe did"
If you walk, you know, I'd rather YOU
wouldn't step in it,"
"I'll bear that in mind.r
After another pause he again asked:
| did you notice that door on the left -
II saw door on my left"
"Well, if you walk, I'd advise you not
to go ont there. 1t opens on porch, only
the porch hasn't been built, and it's TWEEN
ty feet down into the stable-yard."
81 don't believe L shall walk out of that
door"
Don't think would if 1 walked
much.n
1 suppose my inquisitive friend was
dropping into sleep, when he again
81 say, did you really brain man with
| q dOg-iron ?p
II tried pretty hard"
Then came in silence that was not
broken. After a little while 1 heard my
bedfellow creeping softly from the other
side of the bed. / could hear him feeling
about for his hat aud his clothes. Then !
had the satisfaction that the door had
closed softly on my retreating tormentor.
L rolled over and slept the sleep of inno-
| cence.
The next morning, on descending to
break fast, found an old friend seated at
the table. We had not met for years. AZ
| ter a cordial greeting, said:
care you stopping here?'
" have been trying but I am nearly
! dead. / slept on a bench in the bar room,
amid lot of drunken brutes, who sang
| Bingo for wagers of drink all night
could you get no bed ?n
Yes, | had double bed to myself,
when that stupid landlord sent up n crazy
fellow, who walked and struck out with
| dog-irons.'
Good heavens, Gillespie, was that you?"
"And hang you, Weston, you don't mean
| to say that yOu served me that trick?''
1t was a case that called for diplomatic
| explanation.
One of our citizens went to the ears to
see his daughter off. Securing her seat,
he passed out of the car, and went round
to her window to say parting word, as is
frequently done on such occasions. While