Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-03-04
WHOLE NO. 1868.

1 Il
which was suspended a great huntin
| horn. Upon his head he wore
crown OF ripe ears of corn, and clu.
tiers of purple grapes, In his hand h
carried bright sickle. To him wa
assigned in high-fown phrase, the dr
ties of gathering the crops and gatl
ering the fruits, and making thing
plentiful and comfortable generally
Toward the close of the address t
Autumn, Spring and Summer left tn
audience and went behind the curtain
At the end of the charge to Autumn
he retired, and 184s INDUCED in
brief soliloquy TO the effect that sh,
hoped her reign might be crowned
with peace and plenty and progress
and that the world might be the WISE
and better for it.
"Then the four seasons came troop
ing out from behind the snow-cover
mountains. Winter and Spring tool
their stand at the right Oft their queen
and Simmer and Autumn at her left.
The whole party advanced to the the
front OF the stage and sang with will.
There's good time coming, bsys
Wait little longer"
"Then the curtain closed and the
Major was left alone.
cit did not take long for the actors
to divest themselves and the room OF
all signs of the late dramatic perform
ance.
"The sleeping arrangements were
next discussed. The players all per-
emptorily refused to occupy Captain
Merrick's sleeping room, and insisted
upon camping in the large front room.
They told the Major that they were
we'll provided with means for making
themselves comfortable, and almost
compelled him to retire to the Cap
tain's bedroom, where he was soon
sound asleep.
at was past eleven o'clock the next
morning when the Major awoke.
The fumes of his long debauch no
longer arose to muddle his brain; but
his head seemed to be swollen, as he
afterward said, at least seventy-five
per cent. and his mouth tasted like a
crater of a burnt.out volcano He
had terrible rheumatism in his hair,
and general sense of weakness and
worthlessness which / despair of des-
cribing to gentlemen who have never
felt the like. The events of the past
eight days, and particularly those of
the last night, came to mind more like
a troubled dream than a truthful
memory. Some trivial circumstances
not worth remembering were imprint
ed with startling distinctness upon his
memory. AS to other matters of far
more Importance he felt distressing
uncertainty and dimness of recollec-
ton. He remembered the Bango
Quintet Club-that he was the MEM
Der who shouted G in spelling out the
noted animals name, but he could not
recall the names of all the members of
the club. He remembered his resolve
to come to Captain Merrick's cabin,
but could recall no part of the trip
there prior to his finding himself
among the mineral holes. As to the
actors and actresses who had been
with him at the cabin be had a con-
nected chain of facts in his mind; but
the facts seemed to have happened
years before, so dim and shadowy
were they in his memory. He was
sensible of having felt strong par
TALLY for the sprightly little brunette
Jennie, but it came to him now like
one of the transient fancies of his
school boy days.
''There he lay, hating and despis-
ing himself, and trying to get things
Strengthened out in his mind, fully
two hours, when Captain Merrick
came III upon him and asked him
what allied him.
'The Major, who was little asham-
ed of being caught in bed in the mid.
die Of the day, groaned, and said that
he felt miserable.
"What seems to be the trouble?"
said the Captain.
go nothing in particular and every
thing in general, said the Major. l
have been blind staving drunk pretty
much all the time since Christmas,
and I'm all bunged up. I'd sell my
self for an old fiint-lock gun and cheat
somebody at that if I had a chance.
wish some fellow would take me out
and kick me to Chicago and back
again"
"The Captain made no comment
upon those confessions, but went
about kindling fires and getting din
ner.
"When dinner was ready, the Cap
tain asked the Major if he felt able to
get up and eat something. The Ma
jor, who was by that time heartily
tired Of the bed, said it would do him
good, got up and dressed, and ate like
a tamished Indian rather than a sick
man. After dinner be told the Cap
tain, as well as he could, what / have
been telling you. When he came to
the theatrical people and their per-
formances, the Captain looked serious.
At the end ofthe story he said:
"EMajor, think this yarn about
the actors and actresses must be a
dream.
That's what l thought myself
when | woke up to-day said the Ma
ior But 1t couldn't have been a
dream, for it all happened before |
went to bed, and going to bed is
part of it. My recollection of the
whole thing is dim and dreamlike,
that's fact. 1t all seems to have
happened ages ago. But it is no
dream. | am satisfied of that
what sort of a rig did they come
in?' said the Captain How many
horses and wagons did they have?
They must of needed two double
teams for so many passengers and so
much baggage. Where did they keep
their horses while they were here?'
"'Blamed if | saw or heard of any
horses or wagons, said the Major,
scratching his head with puzzled air.