IHE TRAVELLER'S ORACLE 145 



on the Bed. The Traveller is tired and sleepy, dreams of 

 that Pleasure or that business which brought him from 

 Home, and the remotest thing from his mind is, that 

 from the very repose M^hich he fancies has refreshed him 

 he has received the Rheumatism.'^' 



To avoid these ills, "take your own Sheets, and promise 

 to pay a handsome consideration for the liberty of choos- 

 ing your Bed." Despite the lavish gratuity, it was more 

 than likely that the chambermaid would negleft to put 

 the warming-pan in the bed. In any case the traveller 

 was to try an infallible test given in the "Oracle"; 

 namely, to take a tumbler and place it in the bed and 

 leave it there for a few minutes. If when he removed it, 

 it showed the faintest trace of moisture there could be 

 no doubt about it — the bed was damp! 



When this was proved beyond doubt, he must instantly 

 rend the offending sheets from off the bed, and if he 

 was a careful traveller placing implicit reliance in the 

 "Oracle," to replace them with leather ones which he 

 carried about with him ready for such an emergency. 

 Otherwise, his only alternative was to sleep between the 

 blankets. 



If the glass stood the test, and the traveller sank 

 luxuriously into the sinless bed, he was by no means 

 allowed to sleep in peace. Scarcely had his head touched 

 the pillow when the dim spe6lres of whooping-cough, 

 measles, mumps, scarlet fever, and chicken-pox crowded 

 round him, and he started up shuddering at the re- 

 membrance of some words suddenly forced on his 



memory. Reference to the "Oracle" confirmed his 

 10 



