Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-10-20

Bessie. My hand trembles and I
pale little as peruse it. 1t con-
tains the news of the approaching
nuptials of my cousin Basil and Kit
tie American. Well, we'll, Basil is
not devotee of the weed, and, take
him all in all, the boy will doubtless
make her a better husband than [
ever could have been.
| sit in the fast fading twilight,
enveloped in cloud of azure smoke,
and / soliloquize thus. as | study the
ever circllng rings:
"a pipe of tobacco is Il mans
greatest consolation, but can it ever
compensate for the loss of a fair wo-
mans hearth
A MINUTE IN A DARK CELL.
'SAnd suppose woman is unbear-
ably aggravating. kicks and shrieks,
etc. | suppose you put her in a
small, dark cell?' query. ''That
we do after all other measures are
tried in vain," replies my host.
swell, please put me in one and go
away for five minutes,' / requested.
On this | am led toward the cell
.'most politely" as is sung in Prin-
cess Ida. s'Please, Mr.. Jailer,
want new sensation; | want to
struggle and be forced in, and hear
the key click in the lock with a spite
full snap! else how can write of the
dark cell realistically
On this l proceed to throw my
arms about and behave otherwise in
the most rebellious manner. With a
quiet smile | am humored in my lit
tie ''crank," and in a second | find
my hands pinioned in a firm grip,
and l am pushed into the dark cell,
hearing the key click in the lock,
and over the one wee bar at the top
seeing the last of the light. / know
it was silly, but, overcome with ter
ror, l was speechless for one brief
second, and it seemed to me as if an
icy cold hand held my temples in a
cruel pressure. Then from my dumb
lips came piercing shrek, that ech-
oed throughout those deserted halls
with horrible distinctness. Five min
utes to wait 1t was hours before
they returned with the lanterns.
"Oh. DEAR" l groaned, will | be
here always? ''Have they forgotten
which one l am locked in?" / felt
that much longer of solitary confne-
ment would turn my brain, and be-
gan to gasp for breath. At last they
come; the gieam of the light increas-
es; the steps sound more distinctly
on my ear returning to release me.
1 hear the jailer's keys jingle with
joyful sounds of freedom from my
self-imposed torture, and the door
flies open. | cannot speak, and,
womanlike, choke down and sob in
stead.
At this my friend shows me his
watch. "How long have | been
there?" 1 faltered out. ssExactly
one minute" he replies. Sure
enough, this is true; yet in that one
minute all my life seemed to come uE
before my mental vision, just as it is
said ones life comes up to the drown.
| ing man or woman.
l am told that usually one dose ol
the dark cell suffices the culprit, anG
/ cannot Danish the impression thai
it is haunted with fiendish spirits.
know it was silly of me to be SO un
nerved, /, who have gone about Lon
don's slums, and know no fear Of
living thieves IN London's streets
met 1T uncanny hours. Well, cal
me sentimental if you like, for, al
the same, l solemnly assure you tha
I had rather die on the instant, bt
shot down in the twinkling of al
eve, than be locked and bolted fo
one night in the dark. cell at New
gate, with no more tangible terro
th9n those born of my terror-stricke,
apprehensions.
1t is such a little place, only big
enough to SIT ina little dark closet
in fact. Some inhuman mothers
shut up their refractory children in {
dark clothes-press as punishment
At all times / believe the woman wht
striks a child to be a human mon
ster, unfit to Eold the sacred office O
ssmother." After this / shall NOR
loathe the woman who shuts her mis-
chievous little child in a closet fo
five minutes, or even a minute, as
punishment, for / know now by ex
perience the awful fright entailed.
Oh, mothers don't terrify the lit
tie folks. Perhaps their vexing littl'
pranks are only an overflow of ami
NAL spirits. Learn to curb your owl
temper, and be gentle with the mites
Take the hot, fretful little girl il
your arms, undo the pinafore ant
wee frock, and, slipping her out o
the burdensome clothes, place he
in warm bath daintily perfumed