The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-10
NOISES OF COUNTRY NIGHT KEEP
CITY MAN SEEKING REST
WIDE AWAKE

The man who rad recently Moved in
to the country sat down beside me in
the crowded train and gazed at me with
haggard eyes. I saw that he was anx-
ious to confde IN some one, and so
asked IL he was well
..WeH?" he replied. No, I am as III
as I can be without being an inmate OF
a hospital with a special nurse, an or
Derby and two physicians in attend
ance."
what is the natter" I inquired.
throwing as much sympathy into my
voice as I could in so Unsympathetic an
atmosphere.
Insomnia replied the man gloornily;
also plain sleeplessness- It's been go
ing on FOR week now. or. to be accu-
rate. ever since moved into the coun-
trv. I went to the country for my
health. YOU know" he added with a
feeble smile.
I unuttered something in the way n
coincidence. but the man was so steepe9
in woe that he paid no attention. IN
deed. I doubt II he even knew was
near. for his paint was more ike
soIiIoquy than anything erse-
I was born in a city-a large city
Chicago. to be exact" he said i first
saw the light IN the very heart OF the
residential section OF that metropolis,
with trolley cars passing the ioor, and
cabs. and coal carts, and all the other
vehicles known at that period l lived
: there until 7 moved 10 Washington, and
/ in washington / lived near the end Of
a car line. where all day long l heard
the jangIing OF gongs-
My Office was in a great building ana
situated where the banging OF the
elevator doors was constant accom-
pauiment 20 my thoughts
| This spring my nerves seemed rathSr
] 10 go 10 pieces. and my physician al
! vised me 70 spend the summer a.
/ Mace in the country. He specihed the
/ real country. not some SUBURBAN P5aSs
l which is neither one thing nor the OtheI
/ and like most mOngrels. unpleasant.
] We'll 1 followed his advice. which Is
/ always a foolish thing 70 90, ana sue
ceeded In securing q pa g2e - ~
i Wtlds. I suppose you can IoIssee ~
/ result. being a woman, aad InereIOLe
{ uupIeasautly intuitive- on yes NJ
\ DJOIey has said IL all before, and mucl
| better than I could, possibly -SN1 vel
] when / read his screed against me coun'
4 try / Thought IL was merely the eNaB'
l eerafi0n % the humOrist- / know now
1 that il was all true, and more
I wife and ! sat on the front porch o.
/ the farmhouse md breathed in the odol
4 Of the fresa-mOwn hay. Isn't II love
/ ly2' asked my wife And then she
] grasped by hand, for there was POND
4 nearby. ard at that moment all the
{ frogs in It set up a sudden cry OF Knee
/ deep, knee deep. Ny wife put her head
| on my shoulder It's dreadfully lone
! some isn't ltg she asked with a cater
! IN her voice
/ Y replied that il was. and then Z
I cricket AT our feet tat least they told
/ me il was a cricket had never heard
! enc before and n I had a hearth witt
one on IL I would burn the building
/ began % scream
1T grew darker and darker and ar
/ owl commenced 20 boot. and a whip
I uOor-wiu. which seemed to have nest
/ and a large family in a tree right h7
/ our window. gave his melancholy cr1
q until I thought l should so crazy ar
. not q rich man. but 7 would have give-
/ az least 8 90 10 have heard the whistle
4 OF q locomotive. Or the banging OF III
II car seat. or the slamminE OF an elevator
{ door. at that moment
THE creatures kept u7 their deafe0
I ing noise until dawn, and at dawn. fol
/ some reason. all the dogs on the farm