San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-22
AFTER y O'CLOCK.
THE eREWsoMENESs OF THE VOICES
OF THE NIGHT.


tween the Graveyard Hour and the
First Faint Indications of the Early
Morning.
Night in great city is an impressive and
awesome time, filled with strange and, to the
uninitiated, unintelligible sounds, strange
sights and strange deeds There is peculiar,
indescribable sense of something mysterious
in the air; the atmosphere rests in folds upon
the city, and is heavy and almost palpable to
the touch; the sounds are acoustic etchings,
the sharp outlines blurred and dimmed, but
the meaning and expression impressively
clear, distinct and mellow. Values and per-
spectives are either entirely lost or gro
tesquely distorted. Soft airs, unnatural and
gruesomely cool, steal in their currents
round the corners, with suggestion OF damp
vaults or still. black waters in their breath.
BAYING THE MOON.
It is still The silence is heavy and oppres-
sive, yet seems unnatural All sorts OF gro
tesque thoughts obtrude themselves in dis
connected and senseless confusion. A quick
football startles the ear and echoes sharply
back from the tall brick walls. You watch
intently till a form is vaguely outlined in
the black shadow of the opposite wall, and
feel intensely disappointed because the eye
fails to make it out distinctly, and the imagi-
nation Immediately busies itself in framing
all kinds of suggestions regarding him,
which are suddenly broken off by the sharp
barking of dog. The barking continues.
The animal is baying the moon because-be-
cause he is dog and has to. But why did
Providence implant such an absurd, useless
and totally irrelevant necessity in a dogs
economy9 This question begins to assume an
overwhelming and vital Importance, when
it is driven from the mind by a sharp
rattle far off up the street. What is
that? The vehicle approaches, a curiosity
is keenly alert. 1t approaches rapidly, and
passes with din that irritates every nerve
in the body 1t is only light carriage, con-
tanning a tired man, who is Fastening home
to bed. Gradually the sounds die away, but
moment later the silence is again deSecrated
by heavy voices in maudlin dispute
party of roiSterers are leaving a saloon.
They stop on the corner and engage in long,
aimleSs and heated discussion over the most
trivial subject, but finally break up, with
shouts and proteStationS of mutual regard,
and the last car rolls slowly up the street
with two or three passengers whose slumbers
are rudedy broken by their noisy entrance.
A cool breeze steals up from the river, and
light, scarcely visible opaline mist floats
over the streets like vail. Strange, half
articulate sounds issue from the bosom of
the night that mysteriously whisper Of wierd
deeds, yet leave the story half untold and
stir the imagination to wild flights.
Far down the river the deep, full notes of
O cta NUhi Ia rio in
that rolls slowly along the sodden air. Up
neighboring street an owl car bell family
jingles, and a moment later the clocks in
neighboring church towers de iberately strike
the wee, sma' hour. Again there is the
sound of hurrying wheels far down the
street, and soon the faint strokes Of agong
are heard. Ali fire The sound increases,
and then swells louder with a sudden burst
and there is fash of light and long train
of bright sparks trail out moment on the
air, and the engine has passed. There is no
second sound and the noise dies away. It is
growing very late and the silence becomes
deeper. The moon rides high and her pol
ished beams play strange tricks with familiar
objects.
BLIND, CHILDISH TERROR.
Suddenly q startling impression-it is
nothing more-one OF those strange, impal-
pable, noiseless voices Of the night-chills
the blood. A cool breeze springs up, and
dies away again. Ahi what was that's There
is a shudder in the air, and the silence is in
tense. What is It'll Every nerve is strained
to highest tension. The breath is stopped
Objects before distinct and unimpreSsive
take on weird and threatening shape What
is that strange, ill-defined shape to the right?
Surely it was not there before. See! 1t
moved! No-yes-ah, then it moved! 1t is
approaChing-nO, it recedes. Again that
awful impression Of something. A grizzly
| phantom seems clutching at ones back. The
| flesh creeps. A scream rises to the lips, but
dies unuttered. There is a wild desire to fee,
| but the body is chained to the spot Inc tye
| chances warily around, but not a muscle
| moves. On would give years to turn sud-
denly around and confront the nameIess
| specter standing there, but could not do it,
were a life at stake. Reason is summoned to
| the rescue, but for time it cannot combat
| the blind, childish terror that has seized the
soul; but tie effort is healthy one and the
struggle to exert theEfaclltes and control
the mind abstract the thoughts from the ex-
y