The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-06-20
A Dream and a Sleep.

1 Emile Gerard and | sat smoking in the
+ dark The curtains were drawn the
] fire srlouldered to its death the sound
of passing wheels broke but infrequently
! upon the silence of the room. 1t was
near dawn-winter dawn-and still We
had no thought of separating
Emile and Gerard had come in at two
o clock in the morning, and when such a
thing happened, we generally saw the
daylight before we shook hands again.
We had turned over many subjects, and
had had two or three bitter arguments !;
for Emile and Gerard always fought with
buttons of
At length Gerard yawned. Emile
caught the arms of his easy chair, sat
upright, and looked fixedly into Gerard 5
face
. Gerard" he said, ''you have yawn-
ed"
Nodoubt, answered Gerard. "What
of that? You have been to sleep for a
quarter Of an hour. You have been
asleep"
Hear him !" cried Emile, appealing,
as it were. to the four millions Of sleep
ers surrounding him. He says | slept J
He has the audacity to seek Justification
Of his offence in a crime created by his
Imagination for me. Marx" he asked
turning to me, "have | slept?'
I" Beyond the fact that you sat very
still and kept your eyes closed, there is
no circumstantial evidence against you,
[ replied.
"There" exclaimed Emile, " Hear
Independent testimony? But against you
there is irrefutable proof. You yawned.
We heard you. You are beneath con-
tempt. You are creature Of sensation
and emotion, wholly destitute of refec-
ton or of self-supplied stimulant. Bah
you are like woman"
{" Emile" | interposed, "you are I'M
gallant"
" But, Mark" he pleaded, Gerard
is a beast"
g You are over the bounds, protested
Gerard.
& Not of truth" asserted Emile.
| " OF civilized conversation. The word
beast is not in my blue book applied to
man.
3" No." Iagreed, 81 never saw it."
" Then" cried Gerard in triumph,
" Emile pays the penalty"
90 But, as l live" pleaded Emile, 81
have no story to tell for forfeit. As
live, am a squeezed orange"
4 " Lemon" muttered Gerard, as he
lit his pipe.
! " Lemon is over the bounds?" inquired
Emile, clasping his hands and turning
imploring eyes upon me.
/ i" No. Lemon is within the limits
Go on with a story, Emile"
He made pathetic gesture and fell
back in his chair.
''They, or rather he, said | was asleep,
he whispered in voice Of stage "aside,
''and | wasn't. / was only thinking.
Thinking of the past. Thinking of my
+ first night in London. What night i
was, to be sure" Then with animation
Did l ever tell you of my first night in
LOndonY
No"
Ono"
g will"
''I had just completed my twenty
fifth year when first set foot in Londor,
| had come partly to see the place, AMI
partly to meet a relative of mine whom
we expected to arrive from India any
day of the week. As you know, Mark,
| have always been a quiet, curious, duh
fellow, taking little interest in the ordin-
airy amusements provided for the general
public, and having no appreciation Of
what is called fun. So that, instead Of
seeking a theatre, or some other brilliant
place of entertainment, l put on an over
coat, lit a cigar, and walked out about
nine o'clock.
There was a dense fog, and the al,
was damp and UNIV holesome. | happen
ed to be staying at a hotel so situated
that by the map took my bearings with
relation to Holborn. The gas lamps OF
the opposite side of the street were to b.
seen like balls of tow illuminated by a dull
glow. They were visible, but gave no
light. | was in large and very busy
street. Cabs, and carts, and omnibuse;
passed in an unbroken current. | be
came little depressed and COMPOUNDED
and meeting a quiet looking street which
seemed to lead into some silent. lake-likt
square, | turned down, and experienced
inexpressible relief from the mutfleC
muteness around.
g must have gone about a hundred
yards in straight line before l discov
cred there was no way of exit at the end
| crossed, and began walking back to
wards the head of the street. Before
had got half way, | reached turning t,
the left, aud for moment stood irresO
lutte as to which course l should take.
" As l was celebrating, / heard foot
steps approaching rapidly. drew lit
tie out of the way to let him pass but
as he went to the same side, he raj
against me rather forcibIy, and, trippin,
over raised stone in the kennel, fel
heavily to the ground. I helped him f
raise. He was not hurt; and when h
and | had exchanged apologies, he turne'
slowly down the street, and to the left
and walked with bent head and deliberat
sts SIM,
were, who was he +? and what had occs
stoned his haste? His manner and speec
were those OF gentleman and, 80 ia
as | could see, there was nothing in hi
appearance inconsistent with the pre-
sumption that he was one. What couI
make man of his class rush down by
+ street at such pace, and then, sudden
ly, upon receiving momentary CHECK
subside into shamhleg Had he CON
mitted some crime, and were the minis
tiers of justice upon his track?
81 listened, half expecting to hes
the clatter of feet in the chase. All wa
I dull in the street, and from beyond tn
: street the soand of traffic came feebl
0 and DULY, ike the muttefing OF water
9 distant cave.
I Mechanically turned into the ma
a row street the man had entered.
g could not relieve my mind of him. q
i chung to me like the vapor. But wins
was it that seemed SO strange about him