The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1882-05-10
NIGHT IN THE COUNTY, IN MAY.

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1t is q popular belief that great
stiffness pervades the country at
night. Like most popular beliefs,
this one is i'll founded. In reality,
the country is full of noises at night
queer, out Of the way noises, many
of them, that do not readily admit
of an explanation. In the autumn
when all manner of odd little insects
talk to each other the night long,
sleep sometimes is difficult, and even
IN these comparatively still nights
in May people who lie awake find
that they have great deal to listen.
Mrs. Radcliffe and dealers iu
ghosts generally have been accus
toned te make cock crow the sig
nal for their ghosts 10 pack up and
leave. thus imply ing that cock crow
and day light cnme about the same
time in the morning. Now it is
true that the cocks do crow Justify
just little before sunrise, but they
also crow at intervals all through
the night. Country people believe
firmly that they crow at the stroke
Of each hour between sunset and
dawn. They seem to be signaling
each other. The monarch of one
roost lifts up his voice, not clearly
as in the daytime, but, in a drowsy
fashion, showing how sleepy he is,
and announces that all is we'll; from
somewhere, not very far of, comes
q Re: ssuring ,esoonse, and to this
.kewise comes an answer-and the
answers continue to cone in, grow
ing fainter and fainter as they pro.
coed from more and more distant
roosts, until the last that is heard
is mere whispered sound that
floats alo:g on the gentle night wind
from some far outlying farm. Vesy
likely the Growing Of the cocks dis
turbs the cows, and then they also
take part in breaking the stiffness
Of the night. Close proximity to q.
COW whose. calf has been taken from /
her is not desirable at night. Her,
poor heart is nearly broken aad She
means continuously. 1t is impossia-
BILE to avoid being depressed by her
grief, and the noise she makes is.
vexatious.- But the lowing at inter-
walls of cow who has nothing on
her mind and just lows because she
happens to feel it is not displeasing.
Cows have very sweet voices, full Of
q pathetic melancholy. When soft
tened by distance their lowing is a,
gentle sound that seems part of the
night itself and harmonizes with ST.
lence. 1t is probable that horses.
have bad dreams, otherwise their
carvings on at night are not easy to
account for.
Among all domesticated animals
they are the most tenderly cared for.
Their beds are regularly made for
them, and TREY always are sure of a.
dry roof over their heads. Gene
rally speaking they sleep soundly,.
but every now and then through the.
night there will come from the barn
q broadside of hollow sounds sug-.
costing thunder-the horses are,
stamping upon the floor or kicking
against the sides of their stalls.
City bred people hearing this. sort
of noise for the first time start up
alarmed, under the impression that
burglars are using battering ram
against the back door. The noise
seldom lasts long. Perhaps horses
have something on their consciences
that they are trying to shake of by
stamping and kicking-much of a
piece with Jonah's fleeing into Tar
shish. Dogs, of course, bark at q
great rate at night. Like the cocks
they answer each other-holding an
mated conversations with friends
half q mile or more away. There is
nothing especially interesting to hu.
man beings in these dog talks,
though the dogs evidently find in
them q world of entertainment; they
are devoid of all romance, and are
not melodious. Cats are very quiet
In the country at night. Only at
rare intervals, two or three times
during a summer perhaps, does the
noise Of cat-6ght obtrud itself
upon the silence of the night. When
there is a moon the cats frolic de-.
|lightedly in the moonlight; skylark.
ing after leaves blowing about the
gravel paths, jumping over each
other and themselves generally. It
would be sweet boon to humanity
could town cats be taught to aban-
don sinful howlings and take 10
these pastoral ways Of innocence.
Look HERE, LADIEs.-Mr. "Big"
Heyman has just received all he
new STYLES of slinners and lnw rno.