The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-02-28
AT THE PoMPADoUR HOUSE.
Bill Nye at . Hotel Where the Cook
Goes Early--A Stranger in a
Strange Land.
copyright, 1893. by Edgar ". Nye.l

AOAApduOuF mouse. lG Is q gOOQ house
but at 9 o'clock the cook goes home,
after locking up the dough-nuts, and
spends the night at his residence over
beyond the fair ground. This makes
it impracticable to get a good lunch at
IL o'clock at the house.
We have formed the habit of eating
at this hour, as we are not very hun.
cry at 6, and at half past 10 we are
quite fatigued with cur dramatic and
artistic program, Sc we have our bou-
quets and floral ~horseshoes sent to the
hotel and go out SIX FINISHING for a
late tea.
Last evening, the town being q small
one with a college in it, we found the
streets all dark, save here and there
where the soft light from some gilded
but sinful lager beer place seemed to
invite one.
Oh, it is a fearful thing to be on the
streets of a to Un, a stranger and hun
CRY, while all seems so dark and cold
except sin. All, think of it az you sit
by your own warm fire with children
clambering ver your knee! Think Of
it you who have never been hungry,
and yet you murmur at the rich,
warm pie!
Think of it, you who have never
gone forth in the darkness, not know
ing where the next meal was coming
from, while each door was locked and
even the great figure of the clothing
store statue taken inside where it is
warm. Then the rich rays shoot out
from the wicked lager beer place,
where you know that light and warmth
and a glad welcome await you.
1t was suggested that we go in here
and get a sausage and some altar of
limberger cheese. But, no. said,
as l recalled the vivid description of
John B. Cough and of the gay COM
pany sailing towards Niagara falls and
at last going over with an eternal
plunge, I've will not go in there. If
we take cheese now, we will some day
want something stronger"
So we toiled on till at last we came
to a confectionery place where six or
eight mad jewellers, who had come
from a distance by sleigh, were eating
oysters and caramels before going
home. Half of these were girls, who
cOnversed al at the same time, and the
other half wereyoungmen wholaughed
at what the girls said.
The saloon was used for ice cream in
simmer, and in winter canned oysters.
almost as large as lima beans, are
served with large circular pickles fresh
from the brIne-if one may use such a
seeming paradox. You can also get a
steak here for Is cents. l took one of
them, and when l got back to my
room I repaired my trunk with it..
We had some crackers, too, that had
been carefully looked over by other
people till they were all powdery and
seemed to have stood On the lunch
counter all day for davis to peck at, as
Shakespeare says.
The room was rich in decoration,
with a battle piece at one side Of the
room painted by some unknown man
and o KID by the housefy in the sum
mer time. The proprietor was q man
who had beena great scholar. He had
always taken and read The Crate FIRE
Companion and was reading it when
we came in. We spoke to him, and he
looked at us with dazed eyes, for he
was still watching the Indians scalping
some people who were on their way
through Death valley for a straw
ride.
We looked in the showcase for quite
awhile, admiring things. There were
all kinds of imperishable candies in
boxes. Some of the candies were cap
tured during the war.
It was hard, and had been felt Of by
people VIII had long since passed on to
their reward.
The young people were gay and full
of life. [ like that. 1t makes me feel
sometimes that again [ am a young
idiJt in a small way myself, as 1 used
to be before I had better opportunities.
Earl was n of the young men. He
was a young roue from the salons of
Paris, Ills, about nineteen years Of
age, and could pass tobacco or cigar
cite smoke, rather, entirely around
through the inside Of his head and out
at the nose without injuring the brain,
although the flavor of the smoke was
somewhat impaired.
Everything he said was withthe air OF
one who had seen ali of life, had tasted
every pleasure and only hoped to meet
with a dramatic death. He came very