Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-09-27
Mr.. N0w0N'S HAT AND BOOTS

Mr.. N0W0N'S HAT AND BOOTS
Mr., Nowon was u prudent, middle
aged gentleman, who used to pick hi
way carefully through the streets whe'
hc went out, 50 that he might jostl
nobody bu. one rainy morning, being
in u hurry to catch tho Notlinghil
omnibus to the city, ho was so uniortu
nate rs to run with his umbrella
against u tall, lean man, whom III
showed OF the pavement into puddle
What happened then was dcstined tC
remain engraved rs the most remark
able episode in Mr.. Nowon's, unli
then, uncvcntful life,
Il beg your PARDON muttcred Mr.
Nowon, conirilely.
'Coniound you, answered tho tall
lean man, with an iniuratcd glance ai
his bcspattcrcd neither garments,
IL am really very sorry repeat
cd our prudent friend.
Instead of being satisfied with this
quite sufficient apology, the tall lean
man laid hold of Mr.. Nowon's collar
and cursed him-not u monosyllable
curse, mind you, but n long rolling
curse, in II great many sonorons peri
DDS, ard delivered with terrifying
amount OF action. The ill-mannercd
stranger clcnchcd his fist and shook il
under Mr.. Nowon's nose. There were
several people looking on, onl they
were amazed. Mr.. Nowon became
idiotic from surprise, ut least, when
the stranger pushed him away, tho
poor gentleman tottercd off with the
parting words Of the curse ringing in
his ears; Il curse you from head to
foot, yelled the tall, lean man. u
curse yon from your hat to your boots
included.
The punishment really exceeded the
offence, and Mr.. Nowon, us he climbed
into the bus, got some rough SYM
pathy from the conductor. i expect
that party is drunk, SIR to which MIR.
Nowon answered: Il am afraid that
he is not quite right in his head. Did
you hear him say that he cursed my
hat and boots?
That evening, when he returned to
his house at Nottinghill, Mr.. Nowon
was pensive. He had been pondering
all day on the lean mans elaborate
curse, and in relating the account Of it
to his lady-housekeeper, Mrs. Demitt,
he confessed that it had made him un-
comfortable. 1t so happened, how
ever, that Mrs. Demitt was just then
out of humor with Mr.. Nowon. A
staid widow of thirty-fve, still good
looking, she had till lately cherished
hopes that she might become her
masters wife; but Mr.. Nowon had
taken it into his middle-aged head to
fall in love with q certain Miss Jenny
Koy, chit of twenty, whose manners
were by no means so bashful as to
justify her patronymic. Wherefore
Mrs. Demitt was displeased, and
vouchsafed but little pity when she had
heard Mr.. Nowon's story.
i should be sorry to have been
cursed like that she answered coldly,
as she presided over the dinner table
Il have always found something I'M
pleasant result from curses.
Il wish you would not say that, Mrs.
Demitt,' exclaimed poor Mr. Nowon,
piteously, 'You know / am rather nerv'
ons, and-aud -
Il only said that / should not like to
be cursed, Mr.. Nowon.
'But you said that you had always
found unpleasantness result from curses
Myself, / rather believe
in thc old saying that curses come
home to roost.'
They may do that but they may
cause considerable mischief before
roesting time
i don't think this is kind of you
Mrs. Demitt,' replied Mr.. Nowon,
dolefully, and he male poor dinner
after that. Luckily, he had. been in
yited to tea at the Koys's house, ant
there he found all the comfort he want
ed. Jenny Koy laughed merrily ut th'
notion of his hat and boots being eurs
ed but seeing he was anxious, sh'