The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-25
Mr.. AND MRS. BoWsER.
The Head of the House Gets on the Trail
of tho Deadly Microbe.

got there?" queried Mrs Bowser as he came
home the other day half an hour ahead of his
usual time, and being loaded down with a
heavy purchase of something.
Don't say a word-not aword, and don't
bother me for ten min,nsl hope I'm in
time TO avert the dangerl"
She turned pale and fell upon 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 oder followed him as ne
hustled around, and by the time ne had re-
turned to the sitting room Mrs. Bowser
had recovered sufficiently co 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 roofp'
But IL didn't know our lives were in
danger"
"Of course not. II the house was on fire
from top TO bottom and The firemen pitch
ing 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"
How you talk. Mr. Bowseri What has
been the danger hanging over usi"
Microbes Mrs. Bowserp he whispered,
as be sat down and wiped his heated face
Microbes and bacteria-millions of emp
1T can't ber' she replied
Cant It'll You've lived in New York
two weeks, been out as far as Broadway
once and you think you know all about
It'll knew, of course, but having 50 many
other things TO see TO this one slipped my
mind until today"
But what causes that terrible odor?"
Nothing terrible about it, as / see. On
the contrary, rather like it. 1t is the
odor of disinfectants, Mrs. Bowser-the
oder of something which has no doubt
saved our lives"
"How?"
"By killing off the microbes and bacteria,
which would soon have entered our sys-
TENS and produced terrible illness. if not
death"
well, l suppose you know best" she
said. as she opened window to let yard
or two of the carbolic smell dodge out.
Certainly do, certainly. All husbands
do. Mrs. Bowser, let me draw you pict-
IRE of microbe. You can then realize
the danger which menaced US"
He drew the insect and as she surveyed
it in surprise and disgust, he continued:
Nice thing to have about forty of those
birds cantering around through your sys-
TEN, eh?''
where do they come from2"
Sewer gas. By this time tomorrow the
house would have been swarming with
them, and nothing on earth could have
saved US from typhoid fever or diphtheria.
If the microbe was the only thing to look
out for l shouldn't have been so anxious,
but there is the bacteria"
whats that?"
"Here is picture of him. Comes in the
same way, and his mission is to eat out the
lungs. 1t is calculated that 1000 of them
will eat out the strongest mans lungs in
month"
"And they were in this housei" she
asked
Fright here, in this house"
And ready to be absorbed into our sys-
teusf"
Not only ready, but anxious"
you are sure you don't mean cock
reaches? l saw two under the kitchen sink
yesterday. and was going 10 ask you TO get
some powdered borax."
Mrs Bowser," he began, as he stood up,
"are you growing soft in the top of your
head? Do know a Bengal tiger from
woodchuck?"
IL suppose So"
but | don't know n micTobe or bacte-
ria from a cockroachs" he thundered.
But never heard you speak of them
before, and Up
"Do you imagine that or any other hus-
band sits down and tells his wife all he
knows?" he shouted Because l haven't
told you that jack rabbits legs have three
joints is tn any reason why / haven't
known 1t for ty years"
"BI this IS medical science, isn't 1T"
she softly protested.
And suppose it isl Do you suppose I've
gone sloshing around all these years with
nothing but a recipe for making soft soap
in my head"
She was silent, and after striding up and
down the room few times he halted be-
fore her and continued:
"a wife isn't expected TO know these
things, of course but I'll be accounted a
pretty husband and father and member Of
q scientific club if | didn't know all about
microbes and bacteria"
But that picture of bacteria looks like
a lobster" she persisted.
"LobsterI Looks like lobster, does it,
Very well, Mrs. Bowser, this discussion
viii end right here. 1t is plain enough
that you haven't the necessary knowledge
10 appreciate IT,"
''But don't you"-
Never you mind, Mrs. Bowseri Let It
drop right here. Is supper readyl"
The odor was 20 strong in the dining
room that the butter tasted OF it, and after
supper the COOK called Mrs. Bowser into
the kitchen TO ask:
us IL going TO be like this all the timer"
"Oh, no. Mr.. Bowser had 70 Kill of the
microbes and bacteria. you see"
What's themi"
I'm have him come out and explain"
NO need of IL, ma'am, for my bundle Is
all made up. and m going. 4 man who'll
drag dead cats through his own house
would cheat poor girl ont Of her wages
at the end Of a month Microbes and bsc-
terra, chr | don't believe 1T Let him show
them 10 me up IN the Geological gardeus."
When Mrs Bowser told Mr.. Bowser
what had occurred he bristled up, got red
n the face and exclaimed:
Il see how IL Is couldn't carry your
point with me and 50 you went oBt aud
upset the girl Mrs Bowser, you are
treading on dangerous Eroand-very dan
gerous. 4 husband may De a worn, b1t
II that worm b stepped on too often lie
tarnsP'-M Quad in New YORK World
The Chinese have a saying that Is