Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-05-30
a Few Reflections Upon Night,

Jt wNs night. A policeman awakes
with = sndden start and moves around
the corner, having u secret fear at his
heart that he had slept through all night,
all NEXT day, and far into tomorrow
night 1t is a night in great city.
Tho poker and faro rooms are in full
blast. 10000 loafers are holding down
strect corners, and here and there an
Intoxicated alderman can be seen maxi
ing his way to a policy shop or q gather
ing u the pavement ring. Under cover
OF darkness. first manufactured over
6,0O0 years ago. the hotel beat lowers
his dads from the fourth story window;
and N who have dead-head tickets s.art
for the opera house; hundreds Of young
menssit out to spark; reporters look
forward to fires, robberies and murders,
and church choirs meet to reheaise and
wrAnxle and lay up clubs for eacl, other.
rTif night in the country. The stock
- ben fed. the squeal of the pig 10
htlsbSd, and the tired horse munches at
his earn and wonders why his master
y thfap pNihsa many c0bs without . kernel
On thcu1. The watch dog sits 1t the
gate, perfectly willing to chew up any OF
the neighbors for cent, and withic the
farm house all is serene, or would Oe II
John Henry could find the grease for his
boots, Mary Ann could find her novel,
the old man discover the hiding place of
the boot-jack, and the mother solve the
mystery Of how some Of her ncighbor
managed to get dress costing two shil-
lings per yard while she had nothing but
calico.
| IT'S night on the ocean. The proud
steamer sails gallantly on, the captain
snoring IN his berth. the mates playing
euchre, the lookouts asleep, and every
4 thing in readiness to swear, in case OF
collision, that it was all the other ves-
sells fault. Nothing is heard but the
J 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 ought
to be shot to death with Goldfish balls.
The sportive dolphin gambols away his
hard earnings. the whale rolls over for
another nap, and the business like sls.rk
follows in the wake to pick up any OPP
portunities which may tumble over
board.
| 'Tis night on the prairie. The red
men gather about the camp fire to count
the scalps they have taken within the
last week. and to grumble at the govern
ment for not furnishing them port wine
and repeating rifles The white hunter
and trapper curls himself up to wonder
/ where he can find old bones for break
fast, and to realize what fool he has
made of himself. and the gaunt wolf
shoulders his empty stomach and sets
out in search of something to make life
worth living for.
Night grows apace. In the city the
weary wife takes her place in the hall
with club in hand. In the country the
old folks fall into bed aweary with the
work of the day, and the young people
spark and chew popcorn. On the ocean
! the sea sickers continue to grow worse,
and the songs of the mermaids fall fiat.
On the prairie the Indians finally decide
i to make war in the spring, the hunter
? falls asleep to dream Of eating his boots
/ for dinner. and the wolf meets wildcat
and offers to toss up to see which shalt
cat the other -E9chan,c.