JOSIAH FOUND AT LAST! THE AWFUL FIRE AT DREAMLAND AND THE TERRIBLE SIGHTS I SAW THERE
I didn’t go out that evenin’, weariness and rumatiz both kep me to home a settin’ on that piazza. And in vain for me did the countless lights burn and blaze. The great tower that lighted up the deep breast of the Atlantic, for milds and milds, couldn’t light up my gloomy sperit.
Where wuz my Josiah? Where wuz the pardner of my youth? In vain did the melogious music blare out its loudest blares, it brought no bam to my sperit. I sot and looked on the countless hosts passin’ by as if they wuzn’t there, the man I loved wuz not among ’em. I sot there lost in mournful thought till the endless crowd gradually dispersed. The music ceased, the lights went out. The hand of Midnight let down her dark mantilly of repose, spangled with stars, Silence sot on the throne Noise had vacated. 296
The great City of Mirth wuz asleep. Only the Atlantic and Samantha seemed awake, the Ocean’s deep voice sounded out in the same ontranslated language it has from the creation, and will I spoze till there is no more sea. Ontranslated to most, but to me it thundered out, Swish!—Swosh!—Roar! Where is Josiah? Where is Josiah? Where? Where? Swish!—Swosh!—Roar!
I didn’t want to go to bed, but knowed I needed rest for another arjous day of Husband huntin’. I retired to bed but not to sleep. Anxiety and Grief lay on both sides on me and crowded me, and prodded me with their sharp elbows.
But I spoze I must have droze off, for all to once I wuz passin’ through a great silent city. Hours and hours I trod up and down broad stun highways, through endless parks and Pleasure Places, climbin’ interminable flights of marble stairs, walkin’ through immense picture galleries. Days and days went by, whilst I wuz conductin’ this quest through a deserted city, searchin’ for sunthin’ I couldn’t name. Till at last I lay wore out, on a couch, and Josiah wuz bendin’ over me. He had a small green hat sot rakishly on one side, a red neck-tie flashed out, a immense 297 cigar wuz in his mouth, out of which streamed a flame of fire. As he bent over me, and I see his dissolute linement and mean, I groaned out, “Oh Josiah, is it thus we meet?”
“We meet as Highlariers!” sez he gayly, and bent still closter, I spozed he wuz goin’ to kiss me. And so philosophical is my mind asleep or awake, I thought even then, the law couldn’t touch him for it if he did. But before his face met mine, that immense flaming cigar sot fire to the piller case. The flames riz up round me, the smoke entered my nostrils and nose.
I sprung up. Josiah had disappeared, but the smell of fire remained. I hurried to the winder. As I had last seen it all the great pleasure ground seemed fast asleep. Gone wuz the tread of the innumerable multitude. The music of the bands wuz hushed, the cries of the different venders and showmen, automobiles, wagons, the stiddy sound of machinery running the mechanical amusements, and the constant sound of footsteps and voices, that filled the day full, wuz all hushed. Even to the long onshapely animal house Night had brought silence. The hull place looked like a City of Dreams, only the eternal waves washin’ up on the beach, seemed to emphasize the silence. 298
But what wuz that I see over the dim ruffs? A slender spiral of flame shootin’ up through the shadows, and on Dreamland tower a rosy blush seemed to grow on its whiteness. As I watched the flame, it grew larger and larger, and my heart most stopped beatin’, for I knowed what a fire would mean in them unsubstantial buildin’s. And somewhere there under them flimsy ruffs was my Josiah!
The flame increased! Coney Island wuz afire! Made sensitive by anxiety, I had reconized the smoke borne to me on some vagrant breeze.