Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-07-27
THAT BOARDER.
He Was Literary Genius and
a Trife Eccentric.

We had one spare room when we
moved into new house on Fountain
square, and as our rent was high we
went into an immediate session of ways
and means to utilize it.
Let us take a lodger," said father.
"Or boarder," suggested Lou, who
was school teacher and supposed to
be practical.
mo woman" said mother al won't
have a woman puttering round doing
her washing and ironing by a gas stove
on the burner. If we take anybody it
must be a man.
sand one that is employed by the
day, " suggested Lou.
Wouldn't it do if he were employed
by the weekp" asked father
Il mean he must be out every day.
OF course he must be employed, Or he
couldn't pay his room-rent. Now, are
we to board him or uot?" queried Lou.
There arc advertisements in the
Sunday paper constantly for board in a
private family" l suggested.
'Hum~ answered Lou, tartly, chow
long will family be private after it
has boarder in i'll He will expect to
share in all our joys and sorrows and
give us hisin exchange. l would make
him a roomer."
1t wasn't SO easy, however, to get
roomers, as a majority Of our appli-
cants wanted to board, so we changed
our plans. and took the man who took
the room, to board
We had specified in our advertise
ment for roomer or boarder, that
references would be exchanged, and
we were firm on one point-our board
er must be Of good moral character,
and not given to the use of intoxicat-
ing liquors in any shape whatever We
were cold water prohibitionists OF
severe type, and touched not, tasted
not and handled not the wine, nor al
lowed any body else to do SO if we
could help it
Well, the man came, and he seemed
to be gentleman. both in manners,
appearance and character, but he look
ed as if he might be difficult to please,
or if he had dyspepsia and we soon
found out that he did have it in its
worst and most aggravated form.
The second night after his coming we
were sitting in the family parlor won
dering if our boarder would respect
our privacy, and keep to his own room
or join our charmed circle when a
sepulchral voice was heard over the
baluster:
Hot water! Oh, hot tw-a-t-e-rl
quick quiclp'
Mother hurried to the staircase.
"What is it, She inquired, sympathet-
ically.
Cramps" was tho simple word
passed from above.
The kitchen fire was out, and rather
than have the girl leave, mother made
it up herself and father took up
pitcher of boiling water and some
mustard, and soon the unearthly groans
subsidized and the household was quiet
the rest Of the night.
At breakfast the boarder stated that
he was victim to Indigestion. He
said he ate nothing for his breakfast
but four poached eggs on toast a slice
of bacon and a cup of chocolate Oat-
meal or brown mullins did not aoree
with him.
"Ive found out what his business
Isl ! announced triumphantly on the
second day of his stay with us; 'he's a
writer
"Oh, then he has writer's cramps"
said mother. II thought it WASH just
ordinary collie"
Writing isn't business; it's a pro-
fession,n said Lou, loftily.
We'll, then, he processes to write,
! said, lit is novel. and there is
character in it named Hannah.
That was the name of our girl, but as
the new boarder could hardly as yet be
aware Of her existence, we did not sup
pose she was the heroine.
Such aroom to keep in order I never
sawl On the second day new gas
stove was sent to Our number. 1t was
for our boarder
HE must be woman in disguise
.remRrked father.
Piano, gas and use OF bath includ-
cd !" quoted from our advertisement
Il wonder il the man intends to do
light housekeepingpp queried mother
We had never known much about
hnnrders. nor had We ever weighad