The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-08-07
The Town at Night.

Ihere Is no SUBJECT so suggestive 10 us
as a town tired with the cares of the day,
resting on its night cap, and laying down
to pleasant dreams. Where late was bus
tie and gain-getting and ~overreaching, is
now solitude and quiet, awful that it is
so profound; a stiffness only broken by
some reveller staggering homeward full
of song. How many crimes are being
committed under cover of the darkness?
Into how many hearts has grief fallen
like a great stone and splashed tears to
eyes call unused to the melting mood"
How many have lain down in sorrow,
who shall wake to joy; how many have
sought their couch in gladness, who shall
open them on misery and woe u%nuttera-
BILE? Where are the busy crowds that
there jostled all day long? Shall the
rich daughter of fashion tomorrow crowd
her poorer sister into the gutter, forget
ting that one God made them both, that
the grave will claim each at last? In
dreams-sorrow's fairy-land-perhaps
the poorer is the happier girl tonight.
Silks, satins, laces, ribbons, flowers,
feathers and furs will not tend off the
heart-ache more than rags, and patches,
and tatters; nor is there always a more
constant attendance of the drowsy god
beside the silken couch than on the pal
let of straw, where poverty lays her tired
head and is made rich in dreams.
Here comes a boisterous party, making
night hideous with their crimes. Listen
to them! They are informing each other,
and the world in general, that there is
no disposition on their part to seek the
paternal roof until rosy-ingered Aurora
pins up the curtains of the night and lets
the daylight in upon the world, or, in
palmer terms that they "won't go home
till morning." These are the sons of re-
spectacle parents, sons of fathers who
little think their degenerate offspringare
spending health and money in these mid
night carousals. They are a gay lot, full
of whisky and devilment tonight, as
they will be of repentance and headache
tomorrow. Could these roofs be raised
that we might see all that's going on, we
should find cause for tears as well as
laughter. What receptions would be re-
vealed that are hidden in the broad and
garish day. In this house, for instance,
might we not hear pickering and quarrel
ing between those two, who, in society
they profess to be embodiments of per-
lection of welded bliss? In this house
lives in state an ancient maiden, whose
sense of propriety will not allow her to
close her eyes to any faults OF her neigh
bors; whose eyes pop out like codfishes,
with her prying into the affairs OF others;
who is so prim and precise, and whose
notions of modesty are so delicate, that
she will not allow a christian Observer"
in her dressing room, and whose table
legs are decently clad for fear of injury
to her delicate sensibilities; could we
but see, might we not find that the over
nice are not often practicers of their W
preaching? Perhaps not; perhaps not.
And the dreams that are pillowed around
us! Could one imagine all their f%ancies,
what a medley would be presented.
What joys, what sorrows, what doubts,
what tears. A funny ~salmagundi, truly!
But dreams are not alone confined to
night. Day has its dreams az well, and
happy are those who can for a time for
get life's cares in its dreams.
Many a night, when walking home
wearied and worn, tired of the everlast-
inp