Morris tribune., 1905-07-15
Sleeping on the Train.

unless you are Chinaman and il
that case [ have nothing more t.
say; but [ take it that you are NJ
Ch'naman; you want to lie dowr
even while you sleep on the train
but where? In your seat? In your
seat it is. With z hours ride il
the dead of night, ahead of you, anc
no possible escape from the misery
that starts you in the face, you re-
solve to take things stoically and
make the most of it. With you,
head pillowed in your hand and the
rest OF your anatomy curled up tc
SUIT the dimensions of the space at
your command you lie down to
court sleep, and to your surprise
you find yourself resting comfort
ably-a quite regret that the night
will be altogether too short, steals
over you. You want to go to sleep
Immediately, but what an Internal
rattle those wheels make! The
trucks beneath your car seemed
possessed by ten thousand demons
sent to chase your sleep away. But
now your attention is drawn to the
hand you use as pillow-it isn't
quite comfortable. You try various
ways until you find a place for it
that is more convenient. What is the
matter with that hip--it feels as if a
ton of lead had been resting on it
you have to ease the pressure by
changing position and now you dis
cover that the sleep you have been
waiting for, has settled into your
right leg. You follow with consider
able interest the various stages at
tending the awakening of sleeping
limb"-frst there is that numbing
half paralytic sentation which robs
the muscles of all motive power, this
after awhile gives place to thousands
upon thousands upon thousands of
needle points thrust into your flesh
and worked up and down with
fendish rapidity and regularity, then
the needles commence to drop out
one after another and Pushes Of
heatand cold alternate for some time
until every part resumes its normal
function and everything becomes
quite along the Potomac. At this
point it flashes upon you that you
have chosen the wrong end of the
seat for the head so you resolve to
turn around before you finally go to
sleep. You stand up, stretch your
self, yawn, then curl upon the seat
again with your head the other way
and say to yourself: ''Now I lay me
down to sleep; but there is that
glazing light right above you, that
however can easily be remedied cover
your face with your hat. There you
are ready for dreamland, and slowly
you commence to drift while in
comes dame with all her bandboxes
and other chattels squeezing through
the aisle, brushing your hat clean on
the floor. With a smile of compass
ion on frail huma nifty, you pick up
your hat, readjust it on your face
and again you are ready for drift
in comes the greatest of
all public nuisances, the news agent,
yelling. "Apples, pears, peaches,
plums!' You jump up to admins
ter kick to the impudent rascal
you succeed in landing a kick at the
empty air, however, for the agent is,
by this time, at the other end of the
car, but you have made the discovery
that your left limb is now slowly
awakening from deep sleep and
again you go through that interesting
So far the goodness of
sleep has continually spurned your
wooing, but like true knight you
persist in your efforts only to learn
that sleep settles in your legs every
time, and that it is just as difficult
10 keep them awake as for you to go
10 sleep. But with the struggles
night wears on until outraged nature
finally reasserts herself and you
sink into deep slumber just 30
seconds before the brakeman calls
your station Western Guard.