Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-10-13

the top of my skull, and poured in cold
water. All, yesi there It all was, plain
enough, mixing with and thinning down my
brains, so that my head felt-so light, so
ETHEREAL. Yes, II was water, certainly; but
the water had suddenly vapored, as in the
experiments in our chemical lectures-not
from heat, but from cold aud my head
was now, ss It were, filled with gas, and
fast becoming balloon, swelling out rap
idly, and distinguishing.
Yes, there was no doubt about II, and /
was slightly alarmed, but perfectly help
less. My feet had certainly left the ground,
and was going up-up-up, ill found
that IL was only In imagination; for though
my heels had left the ground, II was only
for few seconds, and 1 was now lying
fat, with my head resting on one Of the
gnarled roots of an elm tree-one of the
half-dozen in a clump, which.had evidently
fallen into a high state of delight, and were
waltzing round and round me in the most
ludicrous fashion.
Then the fence over which had clam
bered began its tricks-now rising, now
falling, as IL to crush me, until the palings
nearly touched my nose, and then rising
again to bend over in the other direction.
The feeling of coolness that had felt In
my head now began to steal all down my
back, and along my legs and arms, till it
reached the extremites, when, like some
heavy gas, it began 10 flow back again,
inch by inch, TO my spinal marrow, and
then slowly along ii to my head.
Next my heart began to flutter in a strange
way, just as IL 1t bad been suddenly en-
dowed with pair OF doves wings and was
| trying to fly out Of my breast; and all the
| time the sensation of lghtness went on in
creasing, until seemed to be lifted up and
dropped down again and again, till took
tightly hold of an old piece of root with
one hand, wondering the while what was
coming next.
And the cigar7 All, that was sticking
still between two of my fingers. 1t had
| gone out, and 1t didn't matter. 1 did not
want to light 1t again, for felt as If had
had enough, especially when at the end of
a few moments there came the sensation of
having just swallowed a small powder in
teaspoonful of jam and not liking il at all.
| Ughi That was the most dreadful part
| OF tho whole affair, worse even than the
throb, throb, throb that came now in my
head, just as il drops of molten lead were
falling from one temple TO the other, ard
then being forced back again.
believed groaned just then, and Won
dered whether was going TO die. know
1 mentally declared that the cheroot must
have been a horribly bad one, and recall
cd the fact that I had often heard men say
that isome cigars were so bad that they
could not smoke them, and this must have
been one of the bad ones.
"rll never buy another of that fellow" 1
said to myself.
And then I yawned frighfully, and ut
tered another groan.
AT last fresh thought entered my mind.
This was not the effects of the cigar, but oil
ndigestion-thoso hard, suety pudding,
which we had for dinner.
"Perhaps," 1 thought, "a few Whit,
might do me good"
1 sat up against the palings, and, with
hands trembling. and a cold perspiratiou
standing out all over my forehead, felt foi
the match box, struck light, and placing
the cigar emu DeLWeeu my lips, ureW and
pulled till 1t was once more well alight.
How strong it tasted this time, and how
hot and pungent seemed the smoked /
wouldn't 60 right either, but seemed 70
treat my mouth like an RECONSTRUCTED
chimney, and ran backward down my
throat, and made me choke; got up my
nose, and made me sneeZe into my eyes
till was half blinded; and then-oh ! how
l shuddered, and felt pale all over. 1 must
be going to die. / never felt so strange be-
fore-it was simply horrible; aud leaned
back against the palings, the cigar dropped
sidewse to the earth, and lay gaspiug for
air, faint and helpless; for that was very
very strong old cheroot, with a rankness In
its nature that should not even care 10
foster now.
How long remained there cannot tell
| it must have been an hour before 1 felt su f.
fciently recovered to sit up; and nearly
another before L climbed the fence, and
stood swaying on The other side, feeling SO
far from like freebooter, that imagined
i must have committed murder TO have
been in such state of horrible nervous
ness and dread. 1 remember casting away
the matchbox and sneaking in at the side
door and up to the dormitories, where 1
hastily crawled into bed, sinking soon af-
ter into strange vacuity-half stupor, bal
sleep-from which was awakened by q
shrill voice at my side, crying out
| lee, Oh. LULU JOueS, oiI, III MS Deu'
Then the figure of an usher doomed near
me, and series of questions began, 10 all
of which I responded with signs and the
plea of sick headache.
Then up came the house-keeper to feel
my pulse aud head, and declare me free
from fever.
"He'll have 10 see the doctor in The
morning." said the dame.
But / did not, for got up next morn
ing as well as any of my school chums
and 1 did not Try another cigar that ball.
Once Week.