The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-13
B0WERY GIRL AND A PIPE.
How She Looked Through the
Opium Smoke.

Opium Smoke.
From the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.
Four young men waited in a little saloon
In Doyers street, in Chinatown. 1t was
midnight, and the place was indescribably
filthy and disquietng. A prlze-fghter was
there, given 10 terrible oaths. Through
the open door ferce-looking Cinnamon
passed stealthily by. A number of men at
the bar drank stolidly. In the adjoining
room a crowd of men and girls danced
heavy and graceless dance. The neighbor-
hood drunkard was there and grew so in
sulting to the brutal-looking bartender
that he was elected from the saloon. He
returned and was met by the contents of
a siphon, full in the face. He fell back
ward, and the door closed in front of him.
The prize-fighter laughed and admitted
that it wasn't bad. The bartender knew
that the pugilist could skin the cat" and
he was pleased.
The four young men from up town were
waiting for a man whom they had met In
the saloon. They wanted to smoke opium
in Chinatown, and had found it impossible
to bribe any Chinaman. The Celestials
were all sullenly suspicious, But the white
loafer, who knew the town, had promised
to get them smoke for S..
The young men had heard of dreams
and hasheesh and opium, and they wanted
to try the sensation about which so much
oriental poetry has been written, and SO
many occidental tales told.
The opium-procurer at last returned with
another man.
1--WE have found a place." he said, land
the stuff is ready. But only two of you
can go with us at time. So many to-
gether would make people afraid"
They took their way to a house only a
few doors distant from the saloon in Doy-
ers street, and went, two by two up the
narrow and rickety stairs, into a small
and poorly furnished room, lighted only
| by candle No word was spoken until the
door was closed. and then the visitors saw
a girl lying quietly on the bed. With
diminutive lamp apparatus before her she
was kneading and mixing a glutinous sub
stance. She smiled gently at the newcom-
ers and said that the smoke was not quite
ready.
While she proceeded calmly to get the
pipe and the dope ready one of the
| guides told about how he had smoked for
many years and gone through a cure.
There is no pleasure in opium. II is only
| that you must do it. You will get no fun
tonight. IL you smoked tomorrow and
| kept it up, even then you wouldn't like it,
| but you wouldn't stop. 1t would be bad
| when you didn't smoke, but it wouldn't be
good when you did. When you tried to
! stop you would be in hell. That girl
smokes all the time. She will never stop.
| She has gone too far
The girl understood all that was going
on. but her face remained impassive. II
| was expressive, but not sensitive. 1t ex-
pressed calm repose. There was something
very telling in the deep calm of her whole
being. She was pale but with move
! ments slow and languorous, a stow smile
| and a soft voice.
| The pipe was ready. The girl motioned
TO one of the men to lie down on the bed
by her side, to get at the handle of the
| long pipe more easily. Then she lit the
| pipe, started II with her own lips, and
passed it TO the figure stretched out at her
| side He took 1t and inhaled convulsive-
| ly. The girl looked at him with calm SUI
| periority. He was nervous and awkward
! Put your lips Closer" she said. Draw
| deep and long"
! In a moment the pipe was exhausted and
| another man took the place at the girls
! side He did 1t better. The girl thought
| he liked 1t, and smiled with some affec-
| ton Then the other two men took their
| turns, and the circle revolved again. There
was no effect, however. except a little dis-
illness.
The opium part of the episode was moth
Ing. The girl was everything. with the
| opium habit the calmness Of Oriental vol
righteousness had passed into her character
| She expected feared, or wanted nothing
Her nature was satiied and refined by
terrible habit.