The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-02-26
MRS. WlTHER'S EXPERIMENT.

MINNESOTA happens to be exces-
IVI sively cold in winter so cold, in
fact, that the inhabitants are frequently
unable to remember their own names.
In spite of her youth, beauty and gen.
eral excellence, Mrs Withers was pecu-
liarly susceptible to the influence of cold
weather and suffered agonies from cold
feet from the first of November to the
middle of April. The Baptist meeting
house was particularly cold place, and
it often happened that after the end of
the Sunday morning service Mr.. With
ers was compelled to carry his wife to
the stove and thaw her out before at
tempting to take her home.
During the recent cold snap in East
Bridgewater, Mrs. Withers suffer so
severely that she came to the determine
tion to try every remedy for cold feet
which any one might suggest to her.
On Saturday evening, December 10, Mr..
Withers being absent on visit to Chi
cago, his younger brother, bad young
man, holding the position of Teller in
the local bank, and noted for his fond
ness for sinful games of every descrip-
ton, called upon Mrs. Withers, and
when that admirable woman bewailed
the coldness of the Baptist meeting
house, told her that he had an infallible
recipe for keeping the feet warm in the
very coldest weather. He advised his
innocent sister-in-law to pour half
pint of Cayenne pepper, mixed with
two table-spoonsful of ground mustard,
into each of her stockings, just before
going to meeting, and assured her if she
would try this cheap and simple pre-
scription her feet would remain COM
fortably warm, even if she were to put
them under the table with those of Hon
Charles Francis Adams. Mrs. Withers
thanked the young man with guileless
gratitude that would have touched the
heart of brass monkey, and instantly
sent the servant to buy six pounds of
Cayenne pepper.
On the following morning, just before
the church bell rang she used the COM
bined pepper and mustard in accordance
with her brotherin in-law's instructions,
and walked to the Westinghouse without
any inconvenience from the cold. The
service began, and though at first Mrs.
Withers felt delightfully."- warm, she
showed signs of uneasiness long before
the minister gave out his text. Just
when that eloquent preacher was well
under way, he was stricken dumb with
horror at the unaccountable conduct of
Mrs. Withers, who suddenly began to
dance in the widest manner and to
shrek "Take them off" in the most
heartrending tones. 1t was too late in
| the season for snakes, and hence the
congregation jumped to the conclusion
that Mrs. Withers had gone mad The
deacons promptly hastened to her relief
but the more they tried to calm her the
more violently she danced. Finally she
broke loose from them, and.tearing off
her shoes and stockings fled barefooted
to the nearest house. While the con-
gregation watched her flight down the
aisle and wondered whether she could
break hole in the frozen river large
enough for drowning purposes, sudden
and unanimous desire to sneeze fell
upon them, and for the next ten min
utes the uproar was deafening. At the
end of that time the minister dismissed
his audience by an elaborate pantomime
and went home firmly convinced that
the days of demoniacal possession and
witchcraft had returned.