30 WHAT DO FOLKS LAUGH AT ? 



table, — all were in hysterics, even " The World*"; I looked into the 

 glass, my own face laughed at me. " Bah !" I sighed, " this will never 

 do." I went to bed, and although the pillow, as I lay my weary head, 

 enveloped in five silk niglit- caps, upon it, exuded a giggling growl, 

 which penetrated tjirough their downy folds ; I at length got to sleep, 

 how I cannot tell. This state of passive happiness was not long to last ; 

 I awoke and looked at my time-piece, it was just four. — I had forgotten 

 the fever of yesterday, and was quietly again courting the dews of sleep 

 to fall upon my eye-lids ; when, horror of horrors, I was aroused by a 

 he, he, he ! issuing from the next room ; — like lightning the frightful 

 sound scathed my heart — I trembled for a moment in the bed ; when 

 again, he, he, he ! ha, ha, ha ! came in smothered accents up the stone 

 stairs, from the apartment below. " Fire and furies," I exclaimed, as I 

 jumped from the couch, " I will catch the demon now !" I threw on my 

 dressing gown, and ruslicd down stairs. The perspiration hung in great 

 drops upon my night-capped brow, I quivered in all my joints, so great 

 was my anxiety to fathom the mystery, which not content with taking 

 possession of my mind by day, must, like some gloomy spectre, yawn its 

 death-laugh even o'er my pillow. " Infernal demon," I ejaculated, as I 

 pushed against the parlour door, " I have you now;" it flew open with 

 a terrible crash — a sound like that which we are told shall be heard 

 when the sky will crackle together as a lawyer's scroll, or mortgage 

 deed — but, above it all, I could distinguish the everlasting grinning. 

 My taper was out, I stumbled into the room spluttering forth in my rage, 

 " Fiends ! what do you laugh at ?" the fresh morning breeze played 

 across my cheek, the window was wide open, and by the grey dawning 

 light I could discern — nothing — nothing but my table in a recumbent 

 position upon the carpet, minus two legs, a loss indeed, although they 

 were but wooden ones ; and around it slept, in elegant confusion, the 

 empty bottles of my best champagne ; and my Dresden china in rather 

 more pieces than even a dealer would recommend. The noise and cries 

 of my poor shepherds and shepherdesses, broken thus rudely from their 

 cups, and the hollow sound of the fallen marines, soon brought the in- 

 mates of the house to my assistance. It was unanimously agreed, that 

 there had been thieves — midnight robbers ! think of that ; for, of my 

 plate, excepting a few broken ones, could be found — nothing ! Per- 

 ceiving the means of making a rich repast, these " nice," hopeful young 

 gentlemen had set down in my room to enjoy themselves, and tickled by 

 some strange fancy, had burst out into the merriment that aroused me 

 from my dreams; — hearing me astir above them, they Jiad placed the 

 table loaded with bottles, &c. against the door to retard my progress 

 until they could eflect a a escape. Alas ! why they laughed could be 

 told — nothing ! 



In a few days, I left town on a trip round the coast, in order to loosen 

 from my mind its shackling thoughts ; or, by picking the apple from the 

 tree of knowledge, to give judgment in the yet untold cause — Laughter 

 V. Sir Charles Markland. As I love now and then to see a little unso- 

 phisticated vulgarity, by way of procuring fresh food for my i)hilosophy 

 (philosophy can't stomach salt junk), my intention was to commence my 



* "Tlie World," a Poem in 6 Books, lately published, 



