The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-15
THE MAGIC BOTTLE.

THE MAGIC BOTTLE.
How Daniel sla.tery and tho Village of
Lackabeg Were Upset by 1t.
''The ignorance of the average pea
SAINT in ireland in regard to simple
remedies to alleviate pain is dense as q
Newfoundland fog, " said resident of
this city, who has recently returned
from trip through the southern and
western portions of the Emerald isle.
.'The common ills of humanity he
continued, 'such as slight fevers,
colds, rheumatic twinges and head
aches are borne with the stoicism of the
North American Indian. In some
cases a physician has never entered
the matched cottage, even in times of
tirest stress. I had been suffering Sc
verely from catarrhal headache. To re-
lieve it bought small heart shaped
bottle of green glass, with plated sill
yer top, containing concentrated am
monia. | used it very carefully, for
the preparation was strong. While
seated in my hotel before turf fire
taking sniff now and then of the am
monia and experiencing the usual re.
lief, a brawny peasant named Daniel
Slattery, from the hamlet of Lacka-
beg, came in. At sight Of the bottle
his curiosity was aroused. Said he:
That's quare little bottle We hav' +,
sirl'
"'Oh, it is common in America l
replied.
Daniel with an accent of surprise.
'Fwhat good is it1
g 1T will alleviate headache.
'Usha, is that thrue2 Shure and if
We were aim me, sir, l hav' the head
ache meself2
what kind of a headache is ita
Nervous2
"'Divil's the wan ONE knows fwhat
kind of headache it, sir; but shure
as nails is nails l hav' it right under
me hair.
''The truth was in all probability
Daniel had never had the headache in
his life. His object was to get hold Of
the little bottle. All the time the con-
versation was going on he had been
looking longingly at it, and his fingers
were itching to get possession OF 1t.
To prolong his suspense, and also to
give him an exaggerated idea of the
curative powers of the contents of the
bottle, took dainty sniff at it, and
then showed signs of lively satisfac-
ton. Daniel sat on nettles. He squirnl-
ed with ardent desire to handle the
bottle, and yet his sense of politeness
restrained him from making direct
request for it. 1t was as good as a play
to watch him. At last he became
reused to such pitch of desire that
his scruples melted like butter III the
tropics. He blushed like school girl,
stammered, and then, with an apollo
getic smile, blurtcd out:
Akin yeer pardon, sir; but w'u'd
We Civ me thriile of a schmell o the
weeny bottle, till | sec wu'd 1t make
me feel any betther!"
II handed him the bottle and he re-
ceived it with dainty touch, asst it had
been fragile flower. lie held it up
to the light, and looked through the
green glass at its contents.
g 'Faix, he exclaimed, "thc sthuif
in the bottle is granen
He unscrewed the silvered top and
twirled it around on the end of one OF
his calloused fingers. When he had
amused himself for few minutes like
a child with n new toy, he seized the
bottle between his thumb and fore
finger, raised it TO his nostrils, and
drew in a long breath. There was al
most vacuum in the room after that
Inhalation. He was seated when he
made it. The effect was electrical. lie
gasped like a dying Goldfish, and rose
TO II standing posture; The tears ran
from his eyes. The shock was SO Sc
we're tina. his hairalmost stood on end.
He tried to speak, but for nearly a
minute could only utter broken sem
fences. As he slowly recovered he
raised his right hand as if about TO
strike me. Then he resumed his seat
with a bewildered look and exclaimed:
'Begorra, sir, it cured me intoire-
''By the time he had fully recovered
an idea occurred to him, for his face
frightened perceptibly Suddenly he
jumped to his feet and ran out of the
door, with the bottle in his hand. lie
started for his home in Lackabeg,
three miles away, as fast as his three
mile-an-hour donkey could pull the
cart. The subsequent proceedings were
related by neighbor of Slatterys
few days later thus:
That's quare bottle We are afther
givin' Daniel Slattery, sir. He's afther
playin' tlricks wild it all over Lacka-
beg. OWLS the stroke O work ded
he do these three days, sir, but go
around curin' headaches wild it. There
is meier house, sir, but Dan wint IN.
II have cure" says he, for livery
mortal pain in yeer body" says he,
sober like praist. ''All We hav' to do
is to sniff the little quarc bottle and
the pain is gone from ye like steam
from the kettle" Well, sir, he had
thin fallin' down wild the fright he
eev them, til he came to Michael
O'Brien. Michael was that Jared and
frekened by the shmell he got that he
let the bottle fall on the hearthstone
and it bruk Until thousand pieces.
And such mournin' as there was IN
Iackabeg bekase the bottle was bruk
We niver heerd before, sir. Faix livery
wan of O'Brien's family was on their
two knees on the fure pickin' up little
bits O. the broken glass. Ye haven't
another wan O. the little bottles, hav'
We, sirl' New York Sun.
Mans Flattery of Woman.