The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-09-07
keh actious on Night.

IT'S night. There are several rellec-
tons upon it. One of them is the moon.
Others are the stars, and from that cor
ner gin mill just to tho right of The sleep
Ing policeman, steal forth the faint rays
of a low test Kerosene oil lamp. The
policeman awakens slowly and rubs his
scarlet eyelids. He is in no particular
hurry. His time is going right on and
he knows 1.-THE unfortunate taxpayer,
who has Just been sand-bagged a block
away, and relieved OF his watch. pocket
book and couple of coupon lottery
tickets. knows it, or he will know it, pos
sibly, il he ever comes out of his COM
atOse condition and knows ANYTHING
again in this world.
1t is night in great city! The same
night. however, breaks out in spots and
runs for some distance over the edges
The poker and faro rooms are in full
blast. There is also a hot blast for the
full man due from the old lady when
the new fled@ed poker man ambles home
like the hOary-headcd sinner which he
is. Look up the street. DO you see
that old man. scantly clad and tottcr-
in" from side to side of the dizzy street?
Once ne was young and tender Us a
spring chicken. We mean. of course,
q chicken. When we say chicken we
mean chicken and not the beautiful ideal
of the hotel cook or the disgracefullv
crimpc,i landlady. Yes, once he was as
fresh rs buttercup; once he was new,
but he fell. lie was led astray, and fol-
lowed after false god with 9 little g. q
lump ut alum IN liz shirt front which
CLEANED like diamond, and Il smile
ike IN opened skyli"ht "A gambler
Oh. yes! Once he was rs pure rs the
beautiful snow. but tangle-fOot caught
him, and he. fell. From playing for
high stakes. like dollar a corner and
his wife's jewelry. he gradually sank
down TO shaking dice for the beer and
purloining thin and economical slices
of antique bologna from tha free lunch
counter,
His health is not good. lie is not
particularly troubled with indigestion.
The main trouble with HIM is to- ret hold
of something to digest. H. is now in
the twilight of life, in the sere and yell
low leaf, bankrupt in loye, business and
all REGULAR culinary arrangements. II
he gets too full tho sympathetic police
man will pull him In out of the malarial
dew. The small hoy and tho ,lecepid
old man should keep u sharp eye out
for the well-fed copper. Night police
men who will go whole blocks out Of
tho way to avoid catching up with the
stalwart burglar will spot poor blind
girl aud drag her along to the station
house amid the plaudits of admiring
throngs which are successfully worked
by pickpOckets under the "oly red sosea
of the OfiiciouS. bustling Qopeers with
big clubs anil diMlstiiee brains.
Ills aisht Ia tho city. The gas is bad
and constantly winking and blinking
up the sombre fiume of night. but the
corporation gas bill is good. 1t is hearty
and full-chested. 4 ga. bill Is TIE
eternity !, aeyer stops. The gas may
tlicker once In u while, get tired. weak
IN the back, and take a night or two off
and rest up. while the great city sleeps
in impenetrable gl9aN,, hnt the bill
faded and depleted, meyer sleeps, is al
ways in good, working order, healthy
and youthful, glad. happy aud as Alythe-
some as y skylark.
IA s9ber reality, the gas bill is about
the worst reflection in the world ON o
great city.-1eads SittiHgs.