American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-05-17
A GOOD NIGHTS REST.

It is perfectly true that am the cow
ardliest coward that ever drew a palpi-
tating breath. wouldn't for the world
have it known, and only tell it in the
strictest sort of confidence, for where
people are poorest they are apt to be
proudest. In my day-dreams 1 am al
ways doing the most heroic actions, and
aak no favors of any; but let night
come, and am the abject slave of the
next person that can answer for a COM
panion. You can imagine, then, wheth-
or it was well with me or not when Reu-
ben came in and proclaimed that he
was obliged to run over to New York
in half an hour from that time, and he
might be detained for several days, and
SO would take his handbag; and he
might leave for home next noon-he
hoped he should.
"And what is to become of meP" /
cried.
I" Your" said Reuben. "Why, you'll
60 to the matinee, and you'll dine with
Cousin Teresa, and as you are always
complaining of my waking you up too
early in the morning, you'll 60 to sleep
and get good nights rest"
ga good nights rest!" But there
was no time for argument; the carriage
was at the door, and time, tide, and the
train wait for no man. Reuben kissed
me and was gone. And II was very
much provoked. Such an utter disre-
gard of my welfare, such total indif-
ference to my comfort, when he knewI
had never slept alone in my life, when
he knew what night of terror it would
be tome, when he knew what my horror
of the dark was, and all my fear of
thieves, of fire, of rats! It was mighty
cool good-by kiss I gave him was
sorry I had given him any at all. /
wished was at home with all the null
titudinous household there, the dogs,
and cats, and birds, and servants, and
burglar-alarms. But it was useless
wishing; here was in this great board
ing-house, in the drawing-room on the
first-docr, using the back -parlor for our
bedroom, and with windows opening to
the ground in front and rear, the rooms
over rs empty, the bells ringing out in
regions where at night there were none
to attend, and with nobody to hear me
far or near should l scream myself
hoarse. Well, it was not very cheer
full outlook; and what aggravated it all
was that the street itself was a lonely
one, and my bedroom windows opened
on little area connected with a dark
back alley haunted by singular sort of
beggaxs that came out only after dark,
like the reaches and beetles of the hu-
man race, and the gate of the area open
ing on the alley was fastened by nothing
but q chip.
Well, went to the matinee, and be-
cause such things always come together
coincidently, the play was laid with
scenes shifting from costly villas to
thieves quarters; and I dined with
Cousin Teresa, who sent me home after
q four hours recital of the burglarious
experiences Of all her guests. You can
imagine that when 1 entered my parlors
and turned up the gas in the front room,
! was ready to see vile wretch in every
9 hadow.
The first thing did was to look be-
hind all the doors and under the piano.
even lifted the lid of the piano, for l
never feel at all sure that burglar may
not have taken out the works and put
himself in their place. 1 gave every
curtain q lift and a shake thrust Reuben's
cane under the sofas and lounges, and
into the dark corners, and under the
bed, which stood in a partly curtained
alcove, and on which had thrown my
polonaise and skirts whsn l went out in
q hurry; but I was determined not to
be frightened by those things. Having
then explored the inside of the big ward
robe and the bureau drawers by the
light from the front room-there was no
gas in that room, and either the house
maid or the rats had borrowed my can
die and kept it, telt as sure as a
doubtful person could that there was
nobody hiding in the rooms, and so