Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-06-17
BOWSER IN GREAT ALARM.
Badly Frightened by the Microbes and
Bacteria.

Badly Frightened by the Microbes and
Bacteria.
HE COMES HOME TO Do HEROIC WORK TO
SAVE HIS LIFE From THE RspAcIoUs
PEsTs-HE FILLS HIS HOUSE WITH
D!sINFECTANTs AND OF COURSE THE
Coop MRS. BowsER Is VERY MUCH
AMUSED OVER His ALARM.
I'M. Quad in the Wor!d.l
"What's the matter and what have you
got there?" queried Mrs. B,wsar as he
came homs tae other day half az houl
ahead of his usual time. and bsing loaded
down with heavy purchase CT scmethlpg
"Doo'5 asz lne any questioas uow!' he
replied, an he dropped his hat and sq1iFi'i-
ed out of his o7ercoat.
"Is anything wrong-are yoi sick?' sne
anxiously demanded.
"Don't say word, net word-and
don't bother me for ten minutesl hope
Pm in time to avert the danger!'
She turned pale and fell-upno the sofa,
and he hurriedly broke the string securing
the package, seized the three quart bottles
which comprised its contents and rushed
up stairs. down the back stairs, down into
the basement and up again. A strange,
disagreeable odor followed hm as he hus-
tied around, and by the time ta had return
ed to the sitting room Mrs. B ,Iser had re
coversd sufficiently to ask:
"Mr. Bowser, what on earth are you do
ing and what in the name Of goodness is
that stuff"
"What have been doing? Saving our
lives, Mrs. Bowser-saving the life OF every
one under this roof"
"But II didn't know cur lives were in
danger"
sOf course not. If the house was on
fire from top to bottom and the firemen
pitching our furniture out of the windows
you might possibly realize the fact, but it
has never struck you that death silently
turks in every room in this house."
elbow you tslk, Mr.. BowseI What has
been the danger hanging over us2'
"Microbes, Mrs. BowserF' be whispered.
as he sat down and wiped his heated face.
Microbes and bscteria-mllions of 'emp
SIT can't bep' she replied.
"Can't it? You've lived in New York
two weeks been out as far as Broadway
once, and you think you know all about it!
1 knew, of course, but having 80 many
other things to zee to this one slipped my
mind until to day."
"But what causes that terrible odor?"
"Nothing terrible about it as see. On
the contrary, I rather like it. 1t is the
odor of disinfectants, Mrs. Bowser-the
odor of something which has no doubt saw
ed our lives"
"How?"
'By killing eff the microbes and bacte-
ria, which would soon have entered our s5s-
TENS aud produced terrible illness, if not
DEATH"
"Well, suppose you know best" she
said, as she opened window to let yard
or two Of the carbolic smell dodge out.
''Certainly do, certainly. AL husbands
do. Mrs Bowser, let me draw you pic
ture of a microbe. You can then realizs
the danger which has menaced US.
He drew the insect, and as she surveyed
it in surprise and disgust. he continued:
''Nics thing to have about forty of those
birds cantering around through your sys-
TEN, eh?"
"Where do they come from?'
"SeWer. gaa. BY this time to EorEow the
house would have been swarning with
them and nothing on earth could have saw
ed US from typhoid fever or diph:heria. If
the miorobe was the only thing to look out
for shouldn't have been so anxious, but
there is the bacteria"
"What's that?"
"Here is picture of him. Comes In the
same way, and his mission is to eat out the
lungs. 1t is calculated that 2. 900 of them
will eat out the strongest mans lungs in
Sand they wers in this house?" she ask.
ed.
Fright here, in this house.
sand ready to be absorbed into our sys
temp"
''Not only ready, but anxious"
"You aie sure you do1't mean cook
reaches? saw two under the kitchen
sink yesterday, and was going to ask you
to get some powdered borax."
''Mrs. Bowser!' be began, as he stood
up, "are you growing soft in ths top of
your head? Do 1 know Bengal tiger
from woodchuckp'
'I-I suppose So"
"But don't koow microbe or bac.
terra from cockroach?" he Murdered.
'But never heard you speak Of them
before, and LIP
''Do you imagine that l or any other
husband sits down and tells his wife all he
knowsW he shouted. "Because l haven't
told you that jack rabbits legs have three
joints is that any reason why I haven't
known it for forty yearsF'
'.Bnt this is medical science, isn't it?"
she softly protested.
"And suppose it isl Do yo1 suppose I've
gone sloshing around all these years with
nothing but recipe for making softsoap in
my head?'
Sbn x7os oilo-1t opI of kr;A
down the room few times he halted before
her and continued:
ga wife isn't expected to know these
things, Of course, but I'll be accounted
pretty husband and father and member of
a scientific club if didn't know all about
microbes and bacteria"
s'But that picture of a bacteria looks like
a lobster,i she persisted.
''Lobster! Looks like lobster, does ii?
Very well, Mrs. Bowser, this discussion
will end right here. It is plain enough that
you haven't the necessary knowledge to ap-
preciate it."
''But don't you''---
''Never you mind, Mrs. Bowse;! Let it
drop right here. Is supper readfr'
The odor was SO strong in the dining
room that the butter tasted of it, aud after
snppec the cook called Mrs. Bowser into
the kitchen to ask:
SIS it going to be Ike this all the timer"
''Oh, no. Mr.. Bowser had to kill off tho
microbes and bacteria, you see.''
"Wbat's them?''
"I'll have him come oft and explain"
"No need of it, ma am, for my bundle is
all made up, and Pm going. A. man who
would drag dead cats through his own
house would cheat poor girl out of her
wages az thu end of month. Microbes
and bacteria, ehf l don't believe it! Let
him show them to me up in the Geological
gardensP'
When Mrs. B,wser told Mr.. Bowser
what had occurred he bristled up, got red
in the face and exclaimed:
81 see how it is; couldn't carry your
point with me, and SO you went ont a..d
upset the grill Mrs. Bowser, you are tread
ing on dangerous ground-very dangerous.
A husband may be worm, bat if that
worm is stepped on too often he turns!"
What's the use of feeling lapguid,
dr.ll nd