The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-08-20
Going to Sleep In tho Day Coach.

In the day Car. but he was weary all
the same and had to sleep. So he
slowed away his valise and prepared to
slumber. 3 III
He made very elaborate preparations,
several times, before he could get things
fixed to suit him.
First he just thrust his feet out half
way across the aisle and pillowed his
weary head on the window sill, That
was Very comfortable. But In minute
or two q woman walked down the aisle
and fell over his feet and screamed !;
then a child came along and fell over
the feet and cried; then iaman came
along, stumbled over the feet and swore,
and Just as Mr.. Dinkleman was begin
ming to hope the procession was all by,
the brakeman came rushing along, he
stumbled over the projecting feet, made
ono short, unreyised remark, turned up
and gave the neares foot . kick that
made every lost soul aboard that car
draw in his breath and shudder and
shrek " aoa-ou-ow!" and then he said
to MIR. Dinkleman: "Now hold out the
other one.' go ~ -
But Mr.. Dinkleman said, nothing.
He could only hold that foot'up by the
ankle, hold It high in the air with both
hands, while he swayed back and forth,
held his mouth wide open and wished
for a broken bridge, an open switch, or
an accident policy.
Then when the cessation of his agony
allowed him, to feel sleepy again, he
buckled himself ZIP into the shape of the
letter N, with his knees braced against
the back OF the seat in front of him. his
feet hanging down, his body erect, and
his head dropping over the back of the
seat. But both his feet got sound
asleep long before he did, and when he
stood up he fell down and all the pas
scngers shook their heads, the men
laughed sardonical laughs, the women
said, ''what q shame; such nice, re-
spectacle looking man, too," and the
man on the wOod.box unfeelingly said
s'too much BOOZE" And his hat fell
off into . seat behind him and the man
on that seat put his feet in it and spit all
over it before Mr.. Dinkleman could find
it. = Clearly that was no way to sleep.
: Then he .curled up in his seat like a
dog on rug, with his knees drawn up
to his chin, his head on the window sill
and his feet braced against the end Of
the seat, In about twenty minutes he
woke up with more aches in his legs and
body than he had hairs on his head. He
was so sore and stiff that it was ten min
sutes before he could bend his elbows
enough toiget his hands In his pockets to
get his ticket, and the conductor got tired
waiting for him at last, and said sternly,
''get off at the next station" and Mr..
Dinkelman could hear the passengers
saving 'sdcadbeat'' and "got the
bounce" and "served him right Evi'
IDENTITY, no man could sleep very long in
that posture and get home with any
kind Of q reputation. w..
Then he tried to sit straight up and
hold his head up by clasping bis hands
behind it, but when his hands gave way
his head fell back with snap that came
so near breaking his neck he hasn't got
oyerityst, and one" of the passengers
asked him if he did that for fun or Just
because he liked it. Then he leaned his
head down on the back of the seat be.
fore him and dozed until he woke up
with crease in his forehead like the
brand of Cain. Then he lay down with
his head pilowed on the arm of the seat,
and the first man that walked down the
aisle jammed his head half way down
into his neck, and made him feel that
lite was . mockery. Then he sat up in
thu sestfacing the aisle, put his feet up,
on the arm of the seat, leaned his head
against the window, and broke the glass
the first time the car lurched. Thirty
cents aud cold in the head for that.
b Having thus sampled allthe positions
he could think of be spent therest Of the
night trying chem, sometimes separate
ly, and sometimes altogether, and when
1t last he got-to Burlington his hair was
gray, his eyes were wild, he had to be
carried to his home on stretcher,. and
the doctors put him in mustard -plaste,
case right away, where he has lain eye1
since. And if you don't believe it, try
an all-night ride in day coach yourself
some me.-Bsrlington Havkeys.