The Washington times., 1908-07-10
NOISES OF COUNTRY NIGHT KEEP
CITY MAN SEEKING REST
WIDE AWAKE.

The man who had recently moved in
10 the country sat down beside me in
the crowded train and gazed at me with
haggard eyes. 7 saw that he was anx-
ious to confide In some one. and so i
ASKED II he was well.
Weu?" he replied. mo, I am as I'll
as 1 can be without being an inmate OF
a hospital with special nurse, an or
Derby and ,7vo physicians in attend
ance."
What IS TIE matter?" I inquired,
throwing as mich sympathy into my
voice as ( coIii IN so unsympathetic an
atmosphere.
Insomnia. replied the man gloomily;
'also plain sleepIessness. It's been go
ing on for a week now, or, 70 be aecu-
rate. ever since moved into the coun-
try. I went 20 the country for my
health. you know" he added with
feeble smile.
I muttered something in the way OF
coincidence. but the man was so STEPPED
in woe that be paid no attention. In
deed, I doubt II he even knew I was
near, for his plant was more like a
soliIOquy than anything s15e.
q
Chicago, to be exact" he said. Il first
saw the light in the very heart OF the
residential section of that metropolis,
with trolIe~ cars passing the door, and
cabs. and coal carts, and al the other
vehicles known at that period. I lived
there until 1 moved to Washington, and
in washington I lived near the end OF
a car line, where AL day long 1 heard
the jangling OF gongs-
My office was in a great building and
situated where the banging OF the
elevator doors was constant accom-
paniment TO my thoughts.
This spring my nerves seemed ralher
70 20 10 pieces. and my physician ad-
vised me 20 spend the summer al
Mace in the country be specified the
real country, not some SUBURBAN pace
which is neither one thing nor the otner,
and Ike most mOngrels, unpleasant
We'll, / followed mis- advice. which Is
always a foolish thing 10 DO, ana sue
ceeded IN securing place almost N me
Wilds- ! suppose you can tOresee the
result being q woman, and therefore
uupIeasantly intulJiVe- on yes M
Dooley has said Il all be fore. and much
better than I could, Possibly-1d yet
when / read his screed against the coun-
try / thought IL was merely the eXag-
geratlon Of ths humOrist / know now
that u was all true, and more
wife and / sat on the front porch OF
the farmhouse and breatled IN the OdoT
OF the fresh-mown hay. Isn't II love
lyT'' asked my wife. And then she
Erasped by hand. Tor there was pond
nearby. and at that moment all the
frogs in IL set up a sudden cry Of Knee
deep, knee deep My wife put her bead
on my shoulder It's dreadfulry lone
some. isn't it2' she asked with a catch
in her voice.
II replied that II was. and then a
cricket at our feet lat least they told
me IL was q cricket had never heard
enc before, and II / had a hearth with
one on IL I would burn the builCing)
began 10 scream
1T grew darker and darker and an
owl CONNER ced 20 boot and a whip
poJr-wiO u hiCh seemed 70 have a nest
and d large family IN a tree right by
our window. gave his melancholy cry
until thought i should 60 crazy I am
not a rich man but 1 would have given
az least s., 900 10 have heard the whistle
Of q locomotive, or the banging OF the
car seat. or the slamming Of an elevator
door at that moment
The creatures kept up their deafen-
ing noise until dawn, and at dawn. for
some reason, ell the dogs on the farm