The National tribune., 1880-01-01
Rheumatism Movement Cure.

bee was sure cure for rheumatism and citing several re-
makabe instances in which people had been perfectly
cured by this abrupt remedy.
lie read the article several times and pondered over it,
lie understood that the stingng must be done cienti
caly and thoroughly The bee he understood the
tcle, to be gpped by the and set down upon
the rheumatic joint and held there until it stung itself
stngess He had some misgyings about the matter He
knew it would hurt. He hardly thought could be any
than the rheumatism, and it had been many
years since he stung by bee that he had almost for
gotten what it felt like He had however, general feel
ing that it would hurt But desperate diseases
qure desperate remedies, and Mr. AIiddlerb willing
to undergo any amount of suffering if it would his
rheumatism.
For the small of dime he contrac ed with Mas
Mdderib for limited supply of bees, hummng and
buzzng about in the air Mr.. Middlerb did not
know how to get them he felt however that he could
safely depend upon the instincts and methods boyhood
He know il there any way in heaven earth where
by the shyest bee that lifted twohundred pound
man off the clover could be induced to enter wide
mouthed glass bottle, his son knew that way.
Mr. NJ. did tell his what he wanted those bees
for and the boy off his mission with his head
full of astonishment that it fairly whlled Evening
brings all home and the last rays of the declining fell
upon Master Mdderib with short wide-mouthed bottle
comfortably populated with hot l-natured bees and Mr.
Midderb and dime The dime and little bottle changed
hands Mr. Midderb put the bottle in his coat pocket
and went into the house cycling everybody he met very
suspcously though he had made up his mind to sting
death the first person who said bee TO him He
ded his guilty secret to of the family He hid his
his bedroom and he looked them just before
putting them away he half wished the experience
safely He wished the imprisoned bees did not look
so hot and cross With exquisite care he submerged the
bottle in basin of water and let few drops in the
heated inmates to cool them oft.
At the ea-tabe he had great fright Miss Niddlerib
in the artless simplicity of her nature, said
81 smell bees. How the odor brings up---
But her father glanced at her. and said with superhu
GUS harshness and execIable grammar
Hush up You don't smell nothing.
Whereupon Mrs Mdderib asked him if he had eaten
anything that disagreed with him, and Miss ddlerb
'Why Par and Master AIiddlerib smiled as he won
dered
Bedtime at last and the night was warm and sultry
Under various false pretenses, Mr.. Mdderib stroed
about the house until everybody bed and then
he sought his room. He tprned the night-lamp down
until its feeble ray shone dimly dcath-light.
/ Mr. Middlerib disrobed sowly-very slowly When at
last he was ready TO 90 numbering into his peaceful couch
he heaved profound sigh, full of apprehension and
grief that Mrs Mddlerib who was awakened by it, said
if gave him much pain to come to bed perhaps he
had better sit up all night Mr. Middlerb checked
other sigh, but said nothing and crept into bed After
lying still few moments he reached out and got his bot
. tie OF bees.
1t was an easy thing do pick bee out of the
bottle with his fingers and not get into trouble The first
bee Mr. Mddlerb got little brown honey-bee that
would not weigh half an ounce if they picked him by
the ears if you lifted him by the leg would weigh
as much as the last end ola bay mule. Mr. Middlerb
WHAT'S the matter with you?" seepiy asked his
wife.
1t was hard for Mr. Mddlerb to say he only felt hot
but he did it, He didn't have to lie about either He
did feel very hot indeed About S6 all and 1912
the end of his thumb He reversed the bee and pressed
the warke terminus of it firmly against his rheumatic
knee.
1t didn't hurt so badly as he thought it would
Then Mr.. Mddlerib remembered that when the honey
bee stabs human foe it generally leaves its harpoon IN
the wound and the invalid knew that the only thing that
this bee had to sting with doing its work at the
end of his thumb
! He reached his arm out from under the sheet and
dropped this disabled of rheumatism lniment the
carpet Then after second of blank wonder, he began
feel around for the bottle and wished he knew what he
: did with it,
e In the meantime strange things had been going
When he caught hold of the first bee Mr. Midderb, for
reasons drew in such haste that for the time he
forgot all about the bottle and remedial contents and
left it lying uncoked in the bed between himself and
his innocent wife, In the darkness there had been a
quiet but general emigration from that bottle The bees,
p their wings clogged in the water Mr. Mddienb had
poured upon them to cool and tranquilize them were
crawling aimlessly about the sheet While Mr. Mid
at derb feeling ound for it, his suddenly
of thrilled and his heart frozen by Wild piercing
es from his WIFE
ne ''Murder p she screamed Murder Oh help me
r. Help help ~
er Mr.. Mdderib sat bolt upright in bed His hair stood