Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-09-27

looked touched aud gave him a iev
kinds words Of commiseratlon, upoI
which Mr., Nowon fairly whimpered
was he really going to shrink up an'
become gradually smaller I'LL there wa
nothing Of him left What would HI.
partners IN tho city say if one morning
he appeared Ut tho Office looking nc
bigger than u child five years old,
Mr., Nowon did not 60 to the clt,
that day, Ile stayed 1T home and
moped aud on the day following h'
did the same. lle was shrinking more
than ever, aud soon foil seriously H.
Mrs, Demltt nursed him, and her man
nor was kindness Itself, Tho poor
patient reproached himself for having
been unjust to her before, aud derived
much comfort from her by her
hopeful talk and her assurance that II
no became ever so small she would
cling faithfully to him,
You're good soul he murmured
gratefully, hut you have not told any
one Of all this, have your
oh, no, ccalaialy not, for you told
me not To do So,
No, | don't waut il TO be known.-'
II will be time enough when they order
my coffin
'Colnnl Don't talk ike that, said
Mrs. Demi,t, soothingly. 1T may be
years before you BECOME quite pigmy,
for you are not lcssening at great
rate.
But Mr.. Nowon shook his head
IIc was persuaded that he was dccrcas.
ing daily by an inch in statue and five
ounces in weight for Mrs. Dcmitt had
twice measured and weighed him (in
the kitchen scalcs) and had been OBJ
ligcd to confess the such was the ex-
tent of his falling off. The unhappy
man charmed his leisure by mental
calculations rs to the time IL would
take to reduce him to nothing. Mean
while, Mrs. Demitt kept all visitors
from his door, suppressed his letters,
and begun to throw out dcmure hints
that she could not with propriety re-
main much longer under his roof, un-
less she stayed there with higher
title than that of housckeepcr.
In fact, matters were fast tending to
bring about n marriage between Mr..
Nowon and Mrs. Demitt, and it look
cd rs if this amiablc lady's ambition
was just on the point of realization,
when one morning (Mrs. d. being out
shopping), Mr.. Nowon sat by his
parlor window in dressing-gown and
cotton night-cap, and saw tall, lean
man walk past his house. He knew
him at once. 1t was the tall man who
had cursed him. Starting up at once
Mr.. Nowon, in fearful agitation scamp
cred out of the house, and overtaking
the stranger, accosted him in voice
of awful supplication, night-cap in
hand:
'Oh, sir, whoever you are, remove
your curse from nc. IL really did
not moan to push you into the puddle.
/ shall d-die soon if this goes on.
Curse ?puddle!' echoed the stranger,
looking with astonishment at the in
valid figure before him; and he broke
abruptly into good-humored laugh
He did not look very diabolical man.
Il beg your PARDON he said. i
thought you understood l was joking.
The truth IS | am an actor, and was
going to rehearse IA part in which that
long-winded curse occurs-it's in Il
farcc-so I thought | would just give
you the benefit of it; but it was all in
fun-pure fun, | assure YOU
.Fun? fun, sir?' calculated Mr.. No
won, in borken voice. why, my hat
and boots have shruuk to the size OF
dolls, and l myself am shrinking to a
shadow ut the rate of one inch and five
ounces day
Mr.. Nowon was 80 over come that
the actor, thinking him crazed Gan
opinion in which some bystanderS
.joined), led him back, kindly, into the
house. But there Mr.. Nowon retain
ed him, and related the whole OF his
grevious story, after which he again
implored the actor to remove his curse
This the actor did, heaping, with per-
feet gravity, great many blessings on
Mr.. Nowon's head; but when he had
discharged his duty, he said: 'lf l
were you, Mr.. Nowon, would search
your housckeeper's room. 1t seems to
me that she has been playing with
you. -
what, Mrs. Domitt? impossible ]