Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 12, Decatur, Adams County, 3 January 1895 — Page 7

CHAPTER IX—Continued. Granny did not see many old friends' Indeed, she only recognized here and there a lace among the walkers and riders, who now began to lounge along in either side th" line, peeping in a' the carriage windows, and making a halt now and again when hailed by their occupants. Cecil Raymond had promised to look ' up his grandmother and cousin, and 1 cheer and chat with them during this weary waiting time but they saw nothing of him, though Geraldine kept a look out with an eagerness at which she was herself surprised. She had -een Cecil only the evening before, an 1 he was coming to Mount street after their return from the palace, so why should she care a oat meeting him again in the.interval? She did not know that she was experiencing, e en in the midst of her splendor, a touch of that forlornness Which only thos can understand who, having been brought up in a confined and limitei sphere where every oh ect has been irolu childhood famil ar. are •ud ‘enlv transported into avast, seething, restless mass of human beings. The past so tuigbt had almost made Geraldine imagine that she had outlived the fee.ing The first shock had been got over: she had keen up and down Bond street and Regent street, and had fancied herself at home in sundry resorts of fashion: but this pageant, so completely and entirely unlike anything she had ever before been a wit- i . aess of, threw her back again. Such endless numners of tine folks, fine equipages, tine everything! Such wonderfully beautiful young faces; such proud old patrician ones: such tovely children! Somehow or other, as she gazed, another lace and figure, one she had known once, came back upon her so vividly that she almost started now and again, so suro was she that the heal or profile of which she had caught a glimpse among the crowd must have been that of Bellenden. Tuis happened more than once. It was, it could bo but most foolish of fancies, and she was annoyed with herself that wha’ must perforce only be the cold ashes of an oid association should have had the power to stir the blood in her little finger: but she could not help it. she thought she would have liked to see him, and would have liked him to see her -and that was all. As for Cecil, he was watched for more eagerly than he had ever been before, and even granny was annoyed by the inattention since it would have been pleasant to have had their man to talk to as other people had. The carriage in front an 1 the carriage behim: had each a little group surrounding its win lows, and Cecil, who should have saved his grandmother from the ignominy of being altogether unsought and unattended, was nowhere to be seen. He had made a mistake, as was fully and satisfactorily explained afterwards when the explanation did no good to any one , but, in the meantime, the ladies had nobody. Once inside the palace gates, however, and rushing up the broaa staircase and through the great vacant rooms, granny forgot everything else in the exhilaration of discovering and pointing out to Geraldine their good fortune in being early’ enough to secure chairs in the very front row of the only room in which chairs at al) were to be had. It was quickly filled, and then granny uade her young charge note the crush, the heat, and the discomfort of those who, shut back by the inflexible barrier, now poured faster and faster into the great saloon behind, till it looked a mere surging mass of heads and plumes. Furthermore, granny explained that the ante-chamber in front, at present empty, who e recesses she and Geraldine could view at their ease, although they’ in their turn were debarred from entering therein, would presently be full of the happy people who possessed the coveted entree—the right of entrance by a special door, and of priority of presentation and that as these assembled, it would be an amusing little pantomime to watch them tripping hither and thither, greeting each other, and displaying their finery—“ And looking at us. my dear, as they’ would at inferior things,” proceeded the old lady, nodding her head merrily. “They are not in reality any very great people at all-principally o cials and their wives —although, of course, thero are a few noteworthy folks among them, such as the ambassadors and foreign princes, but they think a great deni Os 1 hemselves on the.-e days. My Auqt Catherine, your great aunt, had the entree: and 1 remember so well what a point she made of never ordering her carriage on Court days before 2 o'clock. A little piece of bravado, my dear. She liked the neighbo s to see, that was all.” So the old lady prattled bn. By-and-by she had another pleasure. As the assembled groups settled themselves down, and had time to look around and take note of their surroundings, one after another came up from behind, pleased to recognize an otfl friend or a ;uaint,ance in the handsome. stately form which sat so erect in front of all, and with whom the lovely girl at her side was so evidently asso dated. Then it would bo all joyful greetings, an 1 renewal of old ties, and eager inquiries. g What had she been about all these years? Taking charge of her orphan grandchild. What had brought her back into the world? Whereupon the orphan grand,s child would be presented with an air S that unmistakably meant. ‘‘Here is excuse sufficient lor everything.” Perhaps granny had never been

hanpier in her life than during that i hour. She was quick enough to note the effect in every instance, and to have, moreover, a shrewd suspicion as ' to the cause of the various differences ! in the reception of her intelligence. If it chanced, for instance, that the recipient were the luckless chaperon of half a do en plain ana portionless damsels, could she forbear to look upon Geraldine, beautiful, wealthy, fortunate, without a momentary envy? If, again, a troublesome boy, son. nephew, or thriftless young cousin had to be provided for, would not envy he exchanged for covetness? And it was only if the stranger were abo c. all such considerations, and freed fro a all such encumbering remembrances, that there would follow the impartial and dispassionate avowal. ‘She is a great I beauty. Do let me congrats ate you!' whereat the old ladv would beam I again. The time of waiting did not seen to nor long at all: while even Geraldine nad so much to see and notice and mark i icr her own reflection afterwards, that she was quite taken by surprise at last i when the st r began within the antei chamber and ere many minutes had passed it had thinned so fast that their own barrier was withdrawn, and she found herself being greatly but irresistib y urged forward. “Keep by me, love: keep bv me,"' whispered her grandmother with superfluous caution, for the two could hardly have pa ted company if they would: and in toe excitement of the moment Geraldine had no time to feel bashful or nervous ere she found herself moving on in single file i bse behind granny, and aware that some one else was equally close beh nd her. Beneath an arched doorwav in front, it seemed io her that within every few seconds a halt was made, causing a series of jerks to the fair procession, and the first idea that occurred to her inexperienced mind was that at this point the great event of the day took place: but. drawing nearer, the notion was dispelled. No: the gorgeous, pea-cock-like trains were only being spread >eneath that doorway, ana a sea of neads all at once became visible beyond, while a monotonous voice rose ever and again, as one and another passed in and was lost to view. But what was it, then, that attracted every eye, and turned every head, as each fair creature sailed along over the polished floor towards that goal beyond? Alack-aday! it was but a mirror: and the merry-hearted little Jerry of old all at once sprang to life again within the bosom of the elegant debutante, and she hud enough ado not to laugh outright at the canning little trait of human nature. Tne laugh, however, had to be postponed to a more convenient season for now granny was making her grand, old-fashioned curtesy, and taking her lull time over it, ere she was hurried along by the unsympathizing officials, who would scarce permit her to make a reverent exit in what she con-idered a seemly manner and next it was Geraldine’s own turn. it was said that the Queen smiled upon her. Perhaps Her Gracious Majesty had heard something of the young girl’s story and remembered it. for it is well known how conscientiously the presentation lists are scanned and inquired into in tne highest quarter; but. at any rate, many others looked, and noticed, and whispered, to one another that day. Jerry might very well have had her young head turned, had she given heed to it all. She did not. She was full of the fun of the thing when she got home at five o clo k, very full of how this one had looked, and how she could have wished for another view oi her Sovereign, and had been so confused and anxious at the supreme moment that, indeed, she could scarcely say she had had a distinct view at all; but with the sprightly chatter there was no word that was not pleasant to hearken to natural, lovable. innocent. The Raymond girls, the lit tie 1 and Alicia of old, were in the drawingroom. waiting, all impatience to hear how Geraldine had fared, to see how she looked, and next, to tell of their own presentation days, to compare ex- . perienoes, or note alterations. They had not a word to say against their cousin afterwards. She had been neither elated nor self-important, nor self-conscious she had been just her own self : and even her Aunt Charlotte owned that Geraldine was wonderfully little spoilt, all things considered. What Cecil had thought he kept to himself. He had also been in waiting, full of explanations and apologies, which, as we have said, fell now somewhat flat. It had been the new which had upset his calculations. His grandmother had omitted to tell him either about them, or her smart new carriage, and never having seen the full dress livery of the Campbells before, he had forgotten that it would be sure to be in use on the present occasion. “But I heard you had been there all right,” he concluded. “I met a man who had seen you. Your old friend, Bellenden, Geraldine. Oddly enough, I-tumbled across him to-day. though we had not met for ages.” “Indeed!” said his grandmother, somewhat coldly. “Wo did not see - him, nor any one we knew while outside, did we. Geraldine’” "He saw you, however,” replied Ce- • cil. intercepting his co sin's reply. ■ “He was on horseback, and could not get near enough to catch yo r eye; but he had a good look at you. ana said 1 he should have known Geraldine anywhere.” “She is a good deal changed nevertheless,” said Geraldine's grandmother. still reserved and stately, and the tone in which the remark was made conveyed this: “If any person now thinks to find in my granddaughter an unsophisticated, impulsive . child, to be safely talked nonsense to and : -layed with, that person is very much mistaken.” Meanwhile the subject of discourse had affected in the prettiest manner possible to hear nothing of it. To Cecil s opening sentence she had, indeed, accorded the proper tribute of attention, since he had directly appealed to her: but presently she. had found herself obliged to turn aside, and found a seat for her Aunt Charlotte and answer her inquiries, and show her the lace upon her train and on her bodice, and neither Cecil nor his grandmother had suppesed she had caught a woid of their collojuy.

Os course she had. and It had been mui’.c in her ears. She now just cared enough about ’ the me:: ory of Bellenden, on e so deeply, p-is -ionately > eloved to re ioice that he bad witne sed her hour of tri- I umph. and had not shared it. sue wanted no more of him. He had seen her. and seen her as she could not help knowing, at her radiant best, and i.ad been compelled to behold only from afar, unable even to claim recognition. What booted it to reason out the matter? She would not stop to beth nk herself that this view of it was scarcely a plaiu and matter-of-fact one, that there had in reality been no possible reason why Bellenden should not have made his way to her side had ne taken the pains to do so. No. no, no: it had been the omen of the fut re in store for both. She should be seated aloft on her throne of youth and beauty, with all the world at her feet and he he who had despised and deserted her should be the outcast who could not even draw near to bask in the sunlight of her presence. It was a pretty little vista, was it not? CHAPTER X GERALDINE BEGINS TO PAY BACK. In London liuw easy we visit, and meet, Gay pl attire's the tneme. ami swet. -miles a e our (real, Our moi Hing’s a round of good-humored delixht. And we rattle. In comfort, to pleasure at night.' The presentation day had been a Thur-day. Cecil Ravmond declined to lunch in Moun' street on the following Sunday as he had done on the two previous ones, alleging an engagement; and it presently transpired that the engagement was to breakfast with Sir Frederick at his club, a'ter which he proposed bringing Bellenden to call on his grandmother and cousin. From the speaker's manner it was evident that a few civil words from a iuati with whom it Was creditable to lie on good terms, had undone all the past; and the way in which he referred to Bellenden and quoted Bellenden during the next five minutes recalled the old time when no one had stood on a higher pinnacle in his good graces. The very air with which he made his [ further proposition showed that he felt ’ secure of its being accepted. Now. poor old granny did not alto- i gether like this: and for two reasons ! would fain that nothing of the kind I had been suggested. She wished to I have nothing further to do with the ‘ guest who she could but feel had been ungrateful and neglectful, and she had old-fashioned views on the subject of Sunday afternoon calls. Cecil was himself of course welcome; but she would have preferred his not beginning to bring friends with him. As for Geraldine, the word “bringing” was enough for her. A man that required to be "brought!” A man. who, even after knowing that his former friends and ho-tesses were within a few streets of him, could not of himself step across the way. as it were, but required to be “brought!” An indignant sense of this was on the verge of escaping, when she, however. recollected herself: and recol- : lee’ed as Cecil's face told her, only just I in time. Yes, her cousin was certainly on the watch—actually looking out to see whether any traces of the old flame remained. Foolish, absurd boy. Did he not know her better than that? Did he imagine that because he could be won over by the first soft sentence she was to be equally poor-spirited.’ She burned with shame for him. How easily he had pardoned every- | thing: how pleased he now looked to sit and chatter there about his friend, and his friend's club, and his Sunday I breakfast! Granny was gently demurring to the Sunday breakfast, well knowing what it meant: and Cecil, ever readv to conciliate, was explaining and excusing, and, moreover, assuring the old lady that it was not his habit to accept such invitations, that he did so, in 'act, very seldom indeed, but that he had not liked to refuse on the ' present occasion, in case it might have ! looked as if she would understan 1 as 1 if some resentment were still harbored I which should be alike beneath a Raymond and a Campbell. “We must take the world a- we find j it,” the young man was philosophically arguing, “we should simply make ourI selves ridiculous if we appeared to ! have thought so much of a trifle. Bellenden is a careless fellow, and after he had left us he had so much to do aim to think of that we passed out of his memory. But he meant no harm, and he was as friendly as possible to Ime to-day. You would not have me appear uncharitable, as well as unsophisticated.’” he wound up. [TO BE CONTINUED.] American Stories. Robert Barr, the “Luke Sharp” of The Detroit Free Press, and the dignified associate editor of a London magazine, says that Americans have all the ideas, but Englishmen have all the finish. He says that the American who goes to London must guard his stories, if he ever expects to use them, as they will be taken out of his mouth and made into copy before he knows it. Over here a literary man tries all of ! his ideas upon his friends before he thinks of printing them on paper. They are polished by being knocked about. Hopkinson Smith made up “Col. ; Carter of Cartersville” out of stories he had been telling for ten years. An I American would as soon have thought of stealing his spoons as his stories to make money out of. But in England they are not so squeamish. Mr. Barr says th .t an American author came to him one day and said: “Well, Barr, I’ve told you that yarn of i mine that I meant to work into a novel ! once too often. One of the men you introduced me to has justbroughtit out in a magazine.”—Philadelphia PressPerfectly Fresh. Milk frozen solid in cans is now’ sold in France. It has been discovered that milk can be kept perfectly fresh in a frozen condition for miro than a month. It is frozen by weans of an ordinary ice-making machine, and dispatched by road, rail, or Steamer to its destination. The customer who purchases the frozen milk has simply to j thaw it when it is required for use.

WASHINGTON RELICS. MEMENTOES RECENTLY GIVEN TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. Among Them Is a Complete Set of Papers, Documents and Household Accounts in the Handwriting of the Father of His Country. [Special Washington Letter.] The memory of George Washington is dear to the hearts of his country-1 men. The steamboats plying the 1 Potomac always toll their bells as ; they pass Mount Vernon, and the excursion steamers not only toll their bells, but their bands of music slow-1 ly play “America,’’ or sweetly waft 1 across the water the notes of that' beautiful Sunday-school hymn, ‘ Safe in the Arms of Jesus.” Every article which ever belonged to Washington is highly prized as a relic, and the government has expended considerable money in the purchase of household goods and personal property of the “Father of His Country.” Fortunately, however. the men and women who have come in possession of valuable relics A VIEW OF MOUNT VERNON. have donated many of them to the , government, for public exhibition at ; the Smithsonian institution. The j old homestead at Mount Vernon is j kept in practically the same condition it was when the great patriot and his widow passed away from the scenes of eartli Recently a clump of trees which had grown tail and umbrageous has been trimmed down so that a good view of Mount Vernon can be obtained from the river. The ladies in charge of the historic and sacred place keep it in excellent rei pair and make it attractive. Every i visitor carries away with him form ! the place a pleasant memory. Fifty thousand people have visited Mount Vernon during the present year. The mementoes of Washington are regarded as of such importance that they are given an entire section of one of the halls of the National museum, where they are kept in one collection. Th6 entire list could not well be accurately described in detail, save in a large volume. Everything, from an old-time miniature of Washington to his revolutionarj’ war medicine chest. are grouped together. One of the later exhibits added to the collection by donation is a complete lot of papers and documents which were kept by Washington, nearly all of them being autographic ! work. These papers are the properI ty of Lawrence Washington, who generously made the donation with the I proviso that they should be exhibited in his name. Bushrod Washington, the nephew of George Washington, after the death of his distinguished uncle, received all of the i papers which had belonged to the I general. Bushrod Washington was I an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. He hsd no descendants, andjwhen he died the papers went, by his will, to his brother, Corbin Washington, the greatgrandfather of Lawrence, who has recently offered them for exhibition lin the museum. Ever since the death of Corbin Washington, these i papers were stored away in obscurity, and have recently, for the first time, been brought before the public. They are regarded by those in charge of the collection as one of the most valuable parts of the Gen. Washington exhibit, and are kept in separate cases One of the valued treasures of the collection is the will of John Washington, George Washington’s greatgrandfather, who, with his brother Lawrence, came to this country from England. He was a man of considerable wealth and large landed possessions. and owned many boats and large sailing vessels. In the early days of the settlement of America, John Washington and Nicholas Spencer brought to this country a large j number of settlers, providing pasI gage for them on their own ships. In I compensation for their services they ' received 5,000 acres of Virginia land from Lord Culpeper. This laud all bordered on the Potomac River and included Mount Vernon, which afterI wards became the home and last resting place of the Father of his Country. The original deed of this tract of land is among the papers, and thero is also a memorandum as to the nature of the document indorsed on the back by George Washington. This indorsement is as follows: “ Thos. Culpeper’s patent to Col, N. Spencer and Lt. Col. John Washington for s,oooacres of land.” This deed is ancient, as is shown by the date which it bears, March 1, 1674. Before the land came into the hands of the Washingtons a survey of it was made on the order of Lord Culpeper. A copy of this order is among the papers in this collection. There are also numerous deeds, dated from that time on, relating to transfers and re-surveys after the Washington family had control of it. There is a deed from William Harri-

son. an ancestor f tx-I’n-sident Benjamin Harris n. transferring 200 acres of woodland in the year 1708 From 1690 to a century later are other deeds recording transfers to and from prominent Virginia gentlemen. George Washington was not only a successful soldier and a superior executive, but it can be said that he was a fairly good artist. He earl}’ learned to make his own sketches of; surveys of land and afterwards drew maps and plans of battle. When he retired to private life at Mount Vernon he found it pleasant work around about the estate and make plans for improvements which he could make. Included in the Lawrence Washington collection are quite a number of maps of Mount Vernon and adjacent lands, some of them representing the I’otoma" river These maps were all drawn by George Washington and t ho lettering was put on by his own hand. To show how artistically and aptly he handled the pen there is a deed from William Whiting to George Washington of 200 acres of land in Stafford county This is executed in Washington s handwriting and is a fine specimen of work. There is another deed, dated 1617, by which the “Right Honorable Catherine, Lady Fairfax, sole proprietor of the’northern neck of Virginia,*' conveys 162 acres in Stafford county to Sampson Darrell. This land afterwards went to George Washington. A document which has attracted a great deal of attention is one concerning negro slaves which belonged to Major Lawrence Washington. This document bearing date of November 20, 1773, is signed by Richard Henry Lee, to which lie adds an apology for not returning the paper sooner. The following letter, dated October 23, 1776, was written by Martha Washington to the General’s private secretary, Lund Washington : ‘Sir: please to give to Milly Posey the: sum of five pounds, Virginia money. lam your most humble servt. Martha Washington.” On December 23. 1778, Washington’s mother wrote , the following letter to Lund Wash-I ington : “Dear Sir: Gest as I had wrote to you not to send the cash by the overseer Col. Bassett came in and delivered the forty pounds cash to ;me from you. I am, dear sir, your i most humble servant, Mary Washington.” Os course, there are a number of letters and orders which were connected with the calling out of the militia at the beginning of the ' revolution. Among these there is ' indorsed by Washington a printed ' ' order addressed to his brother direct- I ing him to call out the militia of I Stafford County, the date being Aug. i 20, 1776. The order reads: “You j must be particularly careful to procure good powder horns and shot , bags, with as much powder, lead and flints as you can.” There are at present only a small number of the Washington family seals extant, and about the only perfect one remaining is that attached to the will of Lawrence Washington, the older brother of John Washington, great-grandfather of George Washington. The design for the American flag was taken from the stars and stripes of this seal It is a well-known fact that Washington was always thrifty and hud minute methods of bookkeeping. I i The accounts kept by him, in good- ' sized blank books, are in the collecI tion at the museum, containing the | j record of the receipts and expendi- : I tures for provisions for the estate for : I every day of the month. In his own j handwriting there is a minute ac- ' ! count of the property and chattels at! Mount Vernon, from which it up- | pears that there were 216 negroes— ; | sixty-four of them men, and sixty- ‘ two women. While he was president , of the United States, George Wash- , : ington kept an expense book which is now very interesting. Visitors to Mount Vernon have seen an ancient I harpsichord; and in this account I book it appears that Washington ' paid $13.50 for ' freight on the harpsichord for Miss Nellie Custis,” his . ; stepdaughter. From this it is fair | to infer that it was not a modern I politician, but George Washington who originally “paid the freight” in j this country. His stepdaughter cost I \ I’ORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON. the old man considerable money, but 1 he was rich and could afford to settle the bills. In his expense book there are numerous items showing amounts paid for music lessons for Miss Nellie Custis on that harpsichord. He also paid for lessons in embroidery for the young lady. Either George Washington was an epicure, or his wife, Martha, was a dainty housekeeper; for, although they had slaves galore, they paid S3O per month for a cook. He must have I been a French cook, but his name is | not given. Mrs. Washington must : have been very particular about her I household and family linen, for, in- ■ stead of having her washing done by a slave, she paid $12.50 per month for a washerwoman. Her husband I has so declared in his expense book, j There is a prevaling opinion among

students of the history of the ' times that Martha Washington was the real manager and boss of the hou- hold, and that George Washing! n was allowed to issue very few orders at home. Smith D. Frv. REIGN OF THE BICYCLE. The Passion for the Wheel Not Likely to Die Out. What may be called, not improperly. the bicycle passion has full possession of several leading countries of the world. England and France, notably those parts of them in and about London and Paris, have been so given over to it for some time that a large proportion of their population come and go on their errands of business or pleasure “on a wheel.” Americans who have recently traveled abroad have been astonished at the general use of the bicycle there, and have been still more astonished, on returning to their own country during the last year, to discover what headwaj’ the passion has made here. It is said to be a conservative estimate by competent authorities that during Hie year now closing a quarter of a million bicycles have been sold in this country, and that the number of riders approaches a million. There are said to be over 50,00!i in New York and its neighborhood, and fully half that number in and about Boston. The latter city caught the passion from Europe some time before New York did, and has a larger proportion of its population, male and female, regularly devoted to it. Observers of the phenomenon are wondering whether it is merely a passing whim, or whether it “lias come to stay”; whether those who hav; taken it up will continue it after tiie novelty has worn off, or whether they will drop it for the next new fad that sha.ll come along. There are many reasons for thinking that its stay will be permanent. Undoubtedly many of those who take it up because of its vogue will tire of it after a while, but these will not constitute a large proportion of the whole number. The great body of riders find in the bicycle a new pleasure in life, a means for seeing more of the world, a sonree of better health through open-air exercise, a bond of comradeship, a method of rapid locomotion either for business or pleasure, and many other enjoyments and advantages which they will not relinquish. The bicycle has, in fact, become a necessary part of modern life, and , could not be abandoned without t.urn- , ing the social progress of the world i backward. Few who have used it for a i tour through the country would j think for a moment of giving it up and returning to pedestrianism in- ! stead. Aside from the exhilarating joy of riding, which every bicycle devotee will assure you is the nearest approach to flying at present possible to man, there is the opportunity of seeing a constantly changing landscape. The bicycle is indeed the great leveler. It puts the poor man on a level with the rich, enabling him to “sing the song of the open road” as freely as the millionaire, and to widen his knowledge by visiting the regions near to or far from his home, observing how other men live. He could not afford a railway journey and 80I journ in these places, and he could I not walk through them without tirI ing sufficiently to destroy in a measure the pleasure which he sought. But he can ride through twenty, : thirty, fifty even seventy miles of j country in a day without serious faI tigue, and with no expense save his : hoard and lodging. To thousands of i men and women the longing of years I to travel a little as soon as they could : afford it is thus gratified, virtually | without limit; for a “little journej’ I in the world” can be made on every recuring holiday or vacation.—[The Century. His Arm Failed Him Twice. ——— A N. Auburn (Me.)hunter.who is a I crack shot, tells the following story i about himself: He says that while | out hunting the other day he came I upon a tine large deer, not over two I rods away. He attempted to raise i his rifle to his shoulder, but his arm became suddenly paralyzed. At that moment it would have been as much of an impossibility to lift a feather as a thousand weight of iron. All he could do was to stand there and watch the deer disappear in the distance. Then his arm resumed-its normal condition and he started on the trail again. After a while he camo upon the deer a second time, the game being less than twenty i rods away. Again the hunter attempted to raise his rifle to his shoulI der. and again his arm refused to ! serve him. Ho gave up and wont I home. This man is a veteran hunter, and he says that he never had any trouble of this kind before. “If it had been a gray squirrel,” said he upon his return, ''l could have shot I its head off without half trying.” Insomnia as a Commodity. Brooklyn has a lawyer who underi stands his business. In a bill for I services which he presented to a I client was one item for “lying awake nights and thinking over the case.” This is the first case on record, we j believe of a man trying to convert I insomnia into coin of the realm. If i this lawyer succeeds in selling hie I sleeplessness at the rate asked, there will probably be a rush of insomniacs to court to compel employers to pay ■ them for the time spent in bed. wondering whether they were going to lose their jobs or not—for by the , slightest use of metonomy it can be j made to appear that the employees were ‘'lying awake nights, thinking of their employers' business ’