Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-07-30
"Gimme a Lub Powdah!n

An aged and dilapidated looking
negro shuffled into downtown drug
store the other day, says the Detroit
journal. leaned nervously against the
soda-water fountain, and calculated in
trembling tones the one word:
.Bossin
"What can do for you?" inquired
the druggist, politely.
The dilapidated negro glanced hur-
riedly about the store.
BOSS, ! wants fi-cents with OBJ luh
powdahsr'
Love powders! What'n blazes d'you
want with love powdersp"
Colonel, wants dem powdahs fo'
my ole 'ooman. She's done gone back
on me an l wants ter make her Tub me
again. OATS so, Colonel-true's yo'
lib
Cant put up any love powders for
less'n fifty cents, !" replied the drug
gist
The dilapidated negro hesitated.
Slowly his hand descended into his
trousers pocket and slowly it returned.
Between the fingers was bright half
dollar. The negro gazed upon the coin
wistfully.
"Gness it'll hab ter go,n he sighed.
Then he threw the coin upon the coun-
ter. The druggist picked it up.
Tank yo', boss! tank yo', sahr'
said the negro, as he shuffied off with
the little package the druggist had Civ
en- him.
What was in that powderpn asked
a spectator.
"Magnesia and white sugar. Won't
hurt the old woman" replied the clerk,
carelessly.
Have 'em often?"
81 should say so. Quite astonishing.
Coming all the time Most of them are
Ignorant, but some look quite intelli-
gent and well off in the world. All OF
them are ugly, and most past the hey
day of youth. Some, like this fellow.
want to regain vanished marital affec-
ton. / usually say i don't keep them.
Saves the trouble of explaining.
thought just now that 80 cents would
frighten that old bum, but it didn't.
Superstition strong, you know, and
this's mighty old one. Nearly as old
as ghosts, reckon. In those old times
it wasn't white sugar or magnesia they
used. Oh, no! Those old alchemists
used to have strong, powerful, and
dangerous potions. They called them
'philters, which means, Il love- Oh
course they didn't excite love. Some
times they cause death, sometimes in
sanity, but the superstition has STAYED
right with us. / recollect one day a
nicely dressed, intelligent-looking wo-
man, who might have been a prosper
GUS farmers wife, dropped into my
store and asked my assistant for a love
powder. The clerk laughed at her and
said there was no such thing. Then
she asked for me and was shown into
the Office. MIR. Dash, said she, my
husband seems to have lost all consid-
Grafton for me. He stays away from
home and drinks fearfully. He loved
me once, and now want you to give
me something that will win back his re-
gard. OF course, told her / could do
nothing, but she insisted. i know
there are such things, she said. They
may be expensive, but must have
one Well, | retired and put up some
harmless powders. These / gave her
with directions TO administer one each
day in the husbands tea. You must
be very kind, cautioned her. Make
the house as pleasant as possible, and,
above all things, never say a cross
word One cross word would spoil ev-
erything.' She offered me money, but
told her to wait till the medicine act
ed. About month afterward my as
sistant came into the office.
your love woman's outside. Wants
to see you, he laughed.
"Well, sir, S soon as | set eyes on
that womans face l knew the husband
had come out all right and such proved
to be the case. Whether it was the
white sugar or the wife's kindness that
did it needn't say. / suppose it's
those occasional chances that keep the
superstition alive. Chances will hap
pen, you know"