Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-03-15
1ales aud Sketfhes.
E.rrxc Snow CURE FOR RHEUMATIsM
ACCORDING TO THE GROCERYMAN-

AccORDISG TO THE GROCERfAAS-
There. now, what is your lip hanging
down that way for?" said the grocery
man to the bad boy as he came in with an
express;on on his face of sorrow. such as
the oroceryman had not seen there before.
brace up now and have some style about
YOU. What's the matter ?" -,
Nothing the matter with me-" said
the bow. as he looked around the grocery
to ace If he couldn't find something that
would taste good to a sick boy. am all
bunky. but nv chum has got the rheuma-
tiz"
We'll. that don't hurt you, does it ?"
said the groceryman. with one OF his
heartless expressions. ''You don't want
To grunt until YOU are hurt yourself.
There is time enough for you to be limp
ing around when YOU get sick yourself.
| don't believe in worrying when anybody
else is sick"
well, you heartless old cuss you.
You never had a chum, did you? If you
ever had chum that you loved. that had
stood by you in all kinds OF weather. who
would work his finger-nails off for you.
and 90 without eating and sleeping 70
make you happy, you could never Talk
that way. My chum is just as tender as a
woman. though he was strong as giant
before the rheumatic struck him and
now ne is as weak as little tiny baby,
and we have to handle him just as though
he was eggs Every bone, and muscle.
and drop of blood. and piece OF skin
about his body is just like mas neural.
gia, and sometimes they all ache at once,
and then they take turns aching, my
chum lays there and takes it as calmly
as though he was at a picnic. and never
orumbles He smiles his great big old
fashioned smile when he sees me looking
over the foot-board of his bed and when
go up and put my hand on his face, and
wipe the perspiration off his forehead, the
tears came rolling down his cheeks, and
he tries to raise his he'll less hand to shake
mine, but. he can't, and be says, Hello.
old pard. and then he shuts his eyes and
the rheumatic commences where it LETT off
and goes to grinding him up again. Gosh,
if could pull off my shirt and things and
get into his bed and take his place, and
let the rheumatic get in its work on me
tor day, while my chum might 60 out
and slide down hill or kick over few bar
rels, and feel bully for while, | would
enjoy it. But you can't change works with
fellow that has got rheumatic. Never
had it did you?"
mo, never had it," said the grocery
man, "but had brother in-law who had
it once, but he cured himself eating snow"
80. get out" said the boy. "Since my
chum has had rheumatic every old crank
has told me a new cure for it, and l think
| will try some new remedy on him, but
when 90 to his room and see the good
doctor who has been brought up amongst
rheumatic, and tell him of the new rem
edy have heard of, and he tells me it is
all nonsense. that settles it. The idea Of
curing rheumatic eating snow! Say,
isn't it queer about catching rheumatic !?
1t is like a lottery. Forty fellows may have
the same chance to draw a rheumatic prize
and only one gets it sawed off onto
him. Now, me and my chum were both
in the same drift of air and both had a
right to catch the rheumatic. All | got
was wind on my stomach, and | slode
down hill head first. on my sled, and the
rheumatic has all blewed away from me.
Nv chum went riding in company and
he got it. Sliding down hin knocks rheu-
matiz better than eating snow. Say, |
would like to run this world for about a
month BY gosh, would arrange it so
nobody but the mean people would be
sick 1t seems too bad to have these
painful diseases strike the best people in
the world. don't it? If | had the running
of things, rheumatic should never attack
such a good fellow "a my chum. | would
have it lay for the thieves. and sand
baggers. and murderers, and highway
/ 4 e., II IL L.,
that never do any good nowhow, and
keep its claws off of folks that never did
any harm. and always had kind word
for everybody But the diseases seem to
have their traps set for the best peo-
pie. and the thieves and burglars
are the healthiest of the lot. If
things were run right rheumatic ought to
be detective that would catch horse
| thief. Just as he was stealing the horse.
and make him drop the halter and send
| for doctor. If was bossing rheuma-
tiz would have it paralyze the arm of
the man about to commit murder or whip
his wife, and lay him out colder than a
wedge. 1 would have rheumatic act as a
reformatory agent instead of going around
careless and picking on to throughbreads
| would have it watch the mean man,
when he is going to do something mean and
take hold of him and give his muscles a
twist and then let up, and if he kept on.
take him by the neck and double him up
and make him yell. But must 90 and do
my chum's chores for his ma and then 90
sit up with him. 1t is singular how nv
chum knows when am coming, and how
the pain begins to go away when I am
there. think it would do YOU good to
| love some one. old man-some one that
was sick sometimes, to whom your pres
ence would be sort of heaven. If YOU
loved anybody SO that the touch of your
hand would drive away pain, and the light
of your eve would seem like benedic-
ton. and you could cheer YOUR friend bv
your light football on the carpet. and drive
away nervousness by the sound of your
voice. and cause happiness to take the
place of misery when you were around,
you would not be half as mean as you are
now. and you wouldn't go off in the dark
and hate yourself as you do now. What
you got in this ranch that would taste good
to teller that hain't got no appetite p
"Oh, don't know" said the grocery
man. "unless You try some of those dried
apples. dried by steam
THAT is a specimen of the way you
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