Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-08-23
1alfs aud Sketfhes.
An Opium Den In Boston.
WHAT A GLOBE REPORTER SAW THERE
iContinuec from yesterday

iContinuer from yesterday
Il am sorry to saw it is said the guild.
THE poor creatures come, heaven knows
what for-whether they like it or only be-
cruise thew want 10 get into the worst posi-
bic society which they can find. Two or
three DAYS ago the attention of an officer
on this route was attracted 10 a crowd which
had gathered in the street few doors
above here. opposite the window which
opened into another opium joint. He
soon discovered what the cause of the
crowd was Two girls were inside smok
ing opium. He went in and made the
heather pull down the curtain, and the
croud dispersed.
II suppose his authority ended there?.
"Of cousse An officer has no more
right in one Of these places than he has in
mans private house. New York has
law against Opium smoking. In Boston
il is no offence"
Hush" whispered the third member
of the party. The girl is waking up"
In tact she did appear to show signes Of
returning consciousness. II was hard
and painful awakening. Her small white
hands opened and closed convulsively,
and she seemed to draw her breath with
distress and difficulty.
THE AWAKENING.
She Enclosed her eyes at last with
vacant, CLASSY stare, which recognized
nothing. shut them again tightly and
suddenly, opened them once more and
sprang into sitting posture. She grasped
the post which supported the couch above
her with an energy that made it shake,
and cried out in an agOnized voice:
stop it. tell YOU; stop it, The guide
put his hand on her arm TO wake her.
She c.utched him wildly and looked into
his face with an expression of fear and
horror
Don't kill me she pleaded 81 don't
want to die, Please don't kill me.
Please
She stopped short. She had risen to her
feet in her paroxysm. but now she slid
back upon the couch She felt mechanic
ally Of the post beside her and OF the mat
ting upon which she was sitting. She
looked up at the faces turned wonderingly
and pyingly upon her and seemed to be
suddenly stricken with shame. From the
first question she asked it was evidently
not her surroundings nor her situation
which had called this unusual sentiment
to the surface. She lifted her eyes as far
rs the coat-coIar Of the man who stood
in front of her and querried meekly:
"Was | making a fool OF MYSELF"
"No." said the guide; you appeared
to be dreaming -
We'll. was dreaming" said the girl.
Her hands wandered Immediately to her
head. "Oh, how dizzy am" She laid
herself back on the pillow for few min
utes and shut her eyes. There are two
types OF women of certain class. One
seems as if nature, in a dark and spitetul
humor, had designed her for her position.
The other is the child of circumstances
and when you look into her face the sad
possibility OF the might have BEEN i'm
presses YOU as strongly rs the woeful lis. -
This girl was of the latter class. The
girl who slept was of the former. The
chance of reformation in the one might
have been rs slight as it was in the other
but the coarse face and the delicate one
made their opposite impressions Just as
surely.
"ls it raining out yer?' she queried
rasing herself into a sitting posture again
I and breathing once more with every APP.
/ pearance OF difficulty and pain. She was
/ told that it was
Il must have breath of fresh air. " she
said, and I'm so dizzy. I'd leave Jennie
here for while and 60 out-f could -"
Il will help YOU, ." said the guide. He
helped her to rise and took her arm She
tottercd like child who had not vet
learned to walk The others. glad of an
excuse, followed, The passage from the
heated room and the full strength of the
opium smoke to the less highly impreg-
mated air of the peSsage-wav was a relief
The girl put out her hand and stayed
the arm which would have opened the
outer door, stop she exclaimed, in
choking voice, 1t catches me here, She
placed her hand upon her breast. Our
eyes had become so used to obscuritv that
we could dimlv see her do it. To their
surprise the rest of the party experienced
a similar necessity, and when at last she
permitted the door to be opened, the influx
OF the fresh air into the opium-charged
lungs caused dull feeling of pain, as if
a heavy weight had suddenly settled down
there
THE INTERVIEW.
I'VE shall get wet here. Suppose we
stand in the doorway" suggested the
leader of the expedition. \ few steps
brought the party to n sheltered place.
The girl was still weak and dizzy, breathed
hard. and leaned heavily on the arm of
her supporter.
Are you used to to" somebody
asked.
Not verv," she said. Jennie is.
She got me in"