The National tribune., 1882-05-06

the wheel" as the notice read; | watched
the engine while the paddle-wheels made
one hundred and twenty-five revolutions
l walked twice the length of the vessel IN
the upper cabins; and then 1 went to bed
/ am very moderate in my smoking. My
nephew confesses to nine or ten cigars day
but pretends that so much tobacco does not
hurt him | don't believe it, 1t is just as
easy to become incorporate in smoking as
in drinking. l never exceed three cigars
day, aud make it a rule never to smoke IN
the morning.
think have limited that I INDUCED toe
freely in lobster salad. When l reached my
state-room the boat was rolling and pitching
good deal, and the door lock and the water
Jug were rattlng like the bones of an
Ethiopian serenader. 1t occurred to me that
| needed some corrective for the sake OF
digestion. Now, for the last ten years | have
never travelled without rather large flask,
with leather outside and old cognac within
l know the brandy is good, because | bought
ii in As, and knew where it came from, and
although never drink it at home, occasions
do sometimes arise when / am away when
it becomes useful fOrsanitary purposes. My
wife jokes me about the size Of the flask,
but do not mind that in the least; / always
carry it, and judged that one of the occa-
sions had now arisen when it was proper to
use ii. | turned out what | considered q
moderate dose-it is to be observed that |
took it simply as medicine-drank it off,
speedily experienced a warming and COM
Portable sensation under the waistband,
screwed the top on the flask, placed it on the
washstand, and made preparations for re-
firing.
1 do not know to this day, although |
confess am old enough, why they call these
little boxes "state-roOmso think that ship
builders ideas of lying in state must be DIFF
one above the other, and had no light except
the rather dim rays which came in through
scroll work at the top from the cabin, and a
lamp near by outside. Opposite the berths
were the door in one corner and the I'M
movable waShStand in the other One stool
completed the furniture, and there was room
enough left for me to take off my overcoat,
and by due caution to avoid bruising my
elbows. My preparations for retiring were
simply to remove my boots and take off my
coat and waistcoat, and hang them up. |
also stuck my pocket-knite hard into the
door, or rather between it and the post, and
thereby stopped its rattling in some measure
/ mentally concluded that the upper berth
looked rather lighter and less dismal of the
two, and climbed into it, after had examined
the life-preServers on the shelf at the foot.
They were like two long empty tin preserve
cans lashed together, and | was glad to see
them there, although | had not the remotest
idea of how they ought to be worn. The
sheets of the berth suggested the influenza,
but there were blankets enough, and |
presently composed myself to sleep, although
the motion Of the boat set rattling every
thing which was loose.
! have found that 1 usually wake up at
least once an hour on a steamer, and this is
true when | am travelling on the
Sound toward Boston, and feel that | shall
be left by the train when the boat arrives,
if l sleep too sound. The first nap | had
that night lasted about fifty minutes, as near
as / could Judge by consulting my watch
when | awOke / had bad dream, and
found myself lying with my arms over my
head. ] do not remember now what |
dreamed about, but l attributed it to the
salad; and turning over, with my face
toward the front Of the BERTH | presently
dropped off again into a doze. In awaking
again, l became conscious of an unusually
loud crash OF the panels and lock, and what
ever it was, which kept up the continual
Tattling and banging which annoyed me.
The effect was to make me quite wide awake
in an instant, and as | lay there, looking
through the lace curtain toward the wash
stand, or, rather, the iarring pitcher on it,
which was all | could see from my position,
the neck and upper half Of my flask slowly
and nOisele.sly rose into my line of vision.
l was sufficiently awake to see the flask very
clearly as it gradually appeared, but l sup
pose my faculties were not quite enough
aroused to reason about it, Certainly | was
not in the least startled at the moment, and
| lay there few seconds arguing with my
self as to whether the flask had actually
risen into sight, or whether it was an optical
delusion, caused in some way by the motion
of the boat. In the process of reasoning
about this phenomenon, rose on my elbow,
and leaning forward, looked about the state
room. A glance showed me that everything
was as had left it. Ny flask stood bolt
upright On the washstand, as if it was q
sentinel in guard over the pitcher, and was
in exactly the same place where / had left
it. My coats and waistcoats were hanging
on the hooks, my watch and money I had
on my person, my knife was still sticking
between the door and its posts, and not even
my bo0ts-I always wear boots-had toppled
over; they still leaned against the wall in
an attitude suggesting mild inebriation.
even went to the length of leaning over far
enough to take good steady look into the
berth underneath Inc, but there was nothing
there, and the sheets and pillow were as
near unruflled as maritime sheets and pillows
ever are. pushed back the lace curtain so
as to give me an uninterrupted view of nay
flask, and looked at my watch. 1t was ten
minutes past midnight There was nobody
stirring in the cabin outside, ard no noise
except that caused by the motion of the
steamer.