The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-02-12
A NIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS.

A NIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS.
There we're two of us chatting and
smoking cigarettes at the corner OF
Canal and St. Charles streets in that
quaint and strange old city, New Or
leans-a city of never-ending charms
and queer phases of life and mysteries
witboutnumber; miniature Paris, with
its Jiiou theaters in the French quarter,
where the play is in French and the
English language is foreign tongue,
and where the men wear their hats and
the ladies sip absinthe and puff dainty
rings of cigarette smoke from pretty
mouths
Where shall we go tonight" Nor
Ian asked me.
"Grand Opera House." suggested.
"Arent you tired of Janauschek's
diamonds yetY'
Dwell, say the Varieties"
Nothing there but frescoing in the
lobby"
Academy"
"BahW
We smoked awhile in silence, and
finally decided to see Mile. Mathilde at
LIE Petit Theater Franchise, away down
on Chartres street. "lf Golson is in the
crowd" said Morlan, "we'll appropri-
ate him. Aha! there he is now. Col
son, come hither"
A number Of the young men had
crossed Canal street, and were passing
up ST. Charles toward Common, others
continuing their way along Canal to
Baronne. A handsome, small, delicate
student emerged from the crowd. He
had hands as white and small as a
woman's, long black hair, pale,
thoughtful face, and large, calm, ex-
pressive eyes. / was introduced to him,
and he grasped my hand warmly and
firmly.
"Have you anything to do tonight,
Golson?"
Anything to do? Oh, yes, some in
fernai thesis, | believe; but hang the
thesis-and by George! the dissection
too. Where are youg going"
"T0 La Petit Franchise, we were
thinking" :,
"Whatl the absinthe and the head
ache? Come with me to the college.
Ny little girl will do the tight-rooe
from the roof, and I'll introduce your
We turn up st. Charles street to
Common, down Common to baronne and
the college. Crowds were beginning to
gather at this point. We threaded our
way through the throng that pressed
against the railing around the college
ward, and entered a small door at the
side. We climbed four flights of dark,
diamal stairs, and stumbled at the turn
ines. We felt our way along a hall
pervaded by a sitting blackness and q
musty mel, from the dissectng-rooms
The LIGHT from the street below streamed
meagerly through window, and showed
us the dim outline of perpendicular
ladder near the extremity of the hall
Wa climbed the ladder and crawlet
through hole in the ceiling. Her
the darkness was intense. We fount
another close at hand, and by feelin!
for the rungs, gained the top an.
emerged upon steep roof covered witt
slate. We looked around. New Orlean
. Law at our feet in all the glory OF
, starry night. On the south we coul'
, trace the river winding in crescen
, form around the city, and rejecting tn
, colored lights from the shipping. Ava
, to the northeast could be seen the darI
hat surface Of the lake. To the soutl
, east lay the French Quarter, with II
| tall, old-fashioned houses and its nal
row streets. TO the westward Uppt
. Town stretched its wealth and grander
F.; over large area. Under our feet wi
} the glare from Canal, st. Charles, Cam
:, Common, Carondelet, Tchoupitoul
t and Baronne streets.
G a parapet about twelve inches hie
o was all that could have preserved
Il from the morgue, if the treachero'
n slate had broken, or the foot slipped
+ inch. Three persons were standing
t the gutter against the parapet
y these, two were rough looking men; Il
:, third was a woman in tights and sho
@ skirts, and covered with spangles NJ
3 stars and gold lace. The men were e
9 gagged with certain pulleys and cor
@ in drawing TO a greater tension the WI
cable that stretched from the parapet
It the college TO the building opposit
y The woman was standing in the sha
9 of the parapet, and looking down a
stractedly upon the thousands OF hum
beings who packed the street, and who
upturued faces, expressive OF anticll
- ton, she seemed to be studying atte
- lively.
,, Already here, Zoer asked Golse
= in his soft, smooth voice.
~ The woman started and turn
. quickly, an expression of intense hap
70 70 ness ghting up her face.
er 81 was looking for you below"
It said. al was afraid, but l am stro
le now. You don't think I'll fall do you
ID Certainly not. You are very fool
ne to ask such question"
n, He introduced US as his friends, a
g: she shook our hands pleasantly. )
had a rather agreeable face, though
could not zee distinctly, the only lig
j, being that of the stars and the fai
u u glow from the lamps and torches belo
CO In any event she had pleasant vol
10 and that was sufficient. She also "
ID small, and delicate and young. A sha
10. was thrown oyer her bare shoulders a