The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-03-28
A Few Reflections Upon Night.

It is night. A policeman awakes with
a sudden start and moves around the
corner, having q secret fear at his heart
that he had slept through all that night,
all next day, and far into tomorrow
night. It is night in a great city. The
poker and faro rooms are in full blast,
10000 loafers are holding down street
corners, and here and there an intoxi-
Gated Alderman can be seen making his
way to a policy shop or a gathering OF
the pavement ring. Under cover OF
darkness, first manufactured over 5000
years ago, the hotel beat'loWers his buds
from the fourth story window; all who
have dead head tickets start for the
opera houses; hundreds of young men
set out to spark; reporters look forward
to fires, robberies and murders, and
church choirs meet to rehearse and
wrangle and lay up clubs for each other.
TITS night in the country. The stock
has been fed, the squeal Of the pig IS
hushed, and the tired horse munches at
his corn and wonders why his master
throws in SO many cobs without a kernel
on them. The watch dog sits at the gate,
perfectly willing to chew up any OF the
neighbors for a cent, and within the
farm house all is serene, or would be It
John Henry could find the grease for
his boots, Mary Ann could find her
novel, the old nan discover the hiding
place of the boot jack, and the mother
solvefthe mystery of how some. of her
neighbors managed to get a dress cost
ing two shillings per yard while she had
nothing Lut calico.
IT'S night on the ocean. The proud
steamer sails calamity on and on, the
captain snoring in his berth, the mates
PLAYING eucher, the lookouts asleep, and
everything in readiness to swear, in case
Of collision, that it was all the other yes
I sells fault. Nothing is heard but the
/ steady beat of the propeller, the groans
of the immigrants, and the voices Of
men and women declaring that anybody
who plans an ocean voyage for pleasure
oughtto be shot to death with Goldfish
balls. The sportivo dolphin CANDLES
away his hard earnings, the whale rolls
g over for another nap, and the business
r like shark follows in the wake to picl
s up any opportunities which may tumble
! overheard.
: 'Tis night on the prairie. The rec
men gather about the camp fire to coun
the scalps they have taken within tn
Il last week, and to grumble at the govern
ment for not furnishing them port wine
and repeating rifles. The white hunte
and trapper curls himself up to wonde
where he can find old bones for break
fast, and to realize what a fool he Ia
y made of himself, and gauntWolf should
a. ers his empty stomach and sets out i
v search of something to make life wort
At living for.
Night grows apace. In the city tn
- weary wife takes her place in the ha
er with club in hand. In the country Tia
s old folks fall into bed aWeary with th
20 work Of the day, and the young peopl
spark and chew pop corn. On the ocea
= the sea-sickers continue to grow Wors
er and the songs of the mermaids fall fla
le On the prairie the Indians finally d
s. eide to make war in the spring, the hui
: ter falls asleep 10 dream OF eating h
- boots for dinner, and the wolf meets
~ wildcat and offers to toss up to see whie
shall eat the other.