Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-25
A NIGHT IN COLUMBIA.


simply rs warning to any of my readers
against leaving the beaten paths of every
/ day life and virtue.
VIII Purvis is my dearest friend; so
/ cially he is a solicitors 5 clerk in north
county town which shall be called Blank
/ For the same obvious reasons the name
/ have given him is not TO be found in his
certificate of birth. My own name is
well, NUrval Shepherd, and am in the
/ principal bank in the town.
/ don't remember how it first arose.
! know we We're very busy in our respect
i've callings, and dare not on any account
ask for a holiday; but that was not all |
am afraid must confess that what gave
rise to our adventure was NOW | look
back upon it, most contemplate spirit
of bravado, fostered by the taunts and
chafT of select circle Of feather Drained
friends. At any rate we pledged our
selves to see all that could be seen Of the
colonial exhibition in London between
that present day, Tuesday, and the fol-
lowing Thursday, without leaving our
work, for single hour. OF course it was
understood that we must try and see it by
night.
| had not been in London for years,
and Will had never been there in his life
On Wednesday could always leave at
4, and on that particular "Wednesday,
Will had to leave the office at 3, to see a
client at some distance, and bring his in
structions 10 the office the next day. He
arranged to hurry over this, and then
take the train on from the village where
his client lived to the first stopping sta
tion of the London express. Here l was
TO pick him up.
At few minutes past ). therefore,
that Wednesday afternoon was speeding
south with two return tickets to London
in my pocket, two small dark lanterns
and a good supply of matches.
At N Will turned up all right, and
in the widest of spirits. He had sue
ceeded in his negotiations, and was GER
tain to be highly praised by his firm
1t was after s O'Clock when we were
rattling across London, and S:35 O'Clock
when we passed through the turnstiles at
the Albert hall, the ticket collector rails
ing his eyebrows when we paid at that
hour five shillings for admttance.
Suddenly the whole gardens outside,
hitherto lighted only by the silvery
moon, burst into blaze of lamps, twink
ling like colored glow-worms from
ing the whole buildings, clusters Of lamps
in the air and the ground everywhere,
dazzling and brilliant in the extreme. But
why speak of that which all know must
hurry on. At 9:45 clock we had finished
an excellent cup of tea, pocketed a couple
Of rolls. and sailed out into the grounds,
feeling like giants refreshed.
The crowd was still very dense, and we
10 linint,lt4- In,
along to the main block of buildings across
the gardens. At the entrance, where
the crowd was streaming in, on their way
out OF the exhibition, | suppose, we were
rather discouraged by the apparition Of
burly policeman and sharp looking
official labeled "colind' on his cap, who
was making terrible havoc of the cigars
allowing no lights to pass.
"Norval," whispered Will, I don't
like the look Of that man. hope we may
get out of this all right. / rather wish
we hadn't come up
The smiling faces of the girls behind
the refreshment counter, however, soon
reassured us in spite of their hideOus
dress, evidently the original costume of
the now extinct" female ebeefeater-black
shaded with yellow, like wasps.
Only five minutes more, and we should
be locked in. We walked along at hap
hazard and got among a lot of huge Cana
dian threshing machines.
Here we are, NOrval. Up you 60"
said VIII, darting between two Of them.
followed in an instant. Not soul
was within sight. In moment we had
into the hopper of one of the
largest. Two minutes after, all the
lights went ont like one man, and the
scene was changed. Instead of the cheer
fully illuminated galleries and corridors.
we were in ghostland. The fantastic
shapes of these huge machines stood out
in weird outline in the moonlight, while
an artistic arrangement of the saucepans
and frying pans shone like FURNISHED sill
yer on the wall.
Rather an awkward place this, when
the machinery is in motion, Normal" "
"Yes, I'm afraid you and | would
come out all chaff, / replied, in a whis-
per.
Excepting my corn, Normal. which
I'll thank you not TO stand on" said
Will, dryly. How long do we stop heres'
I'VE needn't stay here at all and we
must keep a sharp lookout" said. and
steer clear Of the night watchmen."
We crept down and peered along the
shed All was silent, so we stepped out
like two tabbies, pretending to admire
the frying pans, but really shaking in
our shoes. We were not afraid, only
little cold.
We grew more hardened after awhile
At the bottom of the room the moon was
shining full on a hideOus mannikin,
life size, with only one eye, that gave me
a fresh attack of the shudders. Long
galleries stretched to right and left in
patches of silvery light and somber
shade. And the beating of our own
hearts was the only sound we heard; and
we didn't hear that-we felt it, The
fact is, we were in highly nervous state
with the tea We had had, and not only
felt increasingly shy of the watchmen,
but also of the things in the rooms, so
and distorted by the moonlight
"What in the world is that, Norvals'
said Will, in a stage whisper, Clutching
my arm. Its like huge graSshOpper."
Certainly the creature, which was at
least three feet high, looked as If it was
just going to spring.
If it is a colonial grasshopper it's
dead" said, bravely. "COme on, Will. D."
And / marched up to the hideous insect,
which developed into new-fangled ma
chine for learning TO swim. Another
fright pleasantly disposed of. One of the
most lively effects, and which rewarded
us for all our fright, was the view Of the
street OF Old London by moonlight 1t
was the real thing. You could just
imagine you were taking a moonlight
stroll along Cheapside during the plague,
all was so still and deserted. The gates
me forcibly of one at Constance,
with John Huss' house hard by.
We were just walking through it when
we heard n football approaching. We
pushed open low door and crouched in
side behind counter, while through the
gateway and away down the street we
had just come up, with a swinging glass
lantern and stick in his hand, and soft
folt hat on his head, passed one of the
night watchmen.
We felt agitated, we couldn't tell why,
at the sight of this being, and became
more 50 when the first thing that met us
on entering the Indian house opposite
was ghaStly female figure in red point