The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-14
NI1l!il EAGLE
A KIND HEARTED DRUGGIST.
Mark Twain Tells About His Experience
With a Borro~ ed Skeleton.

Mark Twain Tells About His Experience
With a Borrowed skeleton.
Mark Twain was present at the banquet
of the National Wholesale Druggists asso-
citation at its meeting in Washington, and
related the following story, given in Tho
Pharmaceutical Era:
About a thousand years ago, approx
mately, / was apprenticed as a printers
devil to learn the trade, in common with
three other boys of about my own age.
There came to the village a long legged
individual of about 10, from one of the
interior counties; fish-eyed, no express
sion, and without the suggestion of
smile-couldnt have smiled for salary.
We took him for n fool, and thought we
would try to scare him to death. We went
TO the village druggist and borrowed
skeleton. The skeleton didn't belong TO
the druggist, but he had imported it for
the village doctor, because the doctor
thought he would send away for it, having
some delicacy about using The price
of the skeleton at that time was $50.
We borrowed the skeleton about O'Clock
at night, and we got this man-Nicodemus
Dodge was his name-we got him down
town, out of the way, and then we put the
skeleton in his bed. He lived in little
one storied log cabin in the middle of a
vacant lot We left him TO get home by
himself. We enjoyed the result in the
light of anticipation, but by and by we be-
gan to drop into silence; the possible con-
sequences were proving upon us. Suppose
that it frightens him into madness, over
turns his reason and sends him screening
through the streets? We shall spend sleep
less nights the rest of our days. Every
body was afraid BY and by it was forced
TO the lips of one of US that we had better
20 at once and see what had happened.
Loaded down with crime we approached
that hut and peeped through the window.
That long legged critter was sitting on his
bed with hunk of gingerbread in his
hand, and between the bites he played
tune on a jew'sharp. There he sat per-
fectly happy, and all around him on the
bed were toys and jimcracks and striped
candy. The darned cuss! he had gone and
sold that skeleton for S. The druggists
fifty dollar skeleton was gone.
We went in tears to the druggist and eX-
planned the matter. We couldn't have raised
that $50 in $50 years. We were getting
board and clothing for the first year, cloth
ing and board for the second year, and both
of them for the third year; but the drug
gist forCave us on the spot, but he said be
would like US to let him have our skeletons
when we were done with them. There
couldn't be anything fairer than that; we
spouted our skeletons and went away COM
Portable. But from that time the drug
giot's prosperity ceased. That was one of
the most unfortunate speculations he ever
went into. After some years one of the
boys went and got drowned; that was one
skeleton gone, and / tell you the druggist
felt pretty badly about it. A few years after
another of the boys went up in balloon.
He was to get S. an hour for it, When he
gets back they will be owing him 81 OOO,-
300. The druggists property was decreas-
ing right along. After a few more years the
third boy tried an experiment to see if
dynamite charge would go. 1t went all
right They found some of him, perhaps
a vest pocl1etful; still it was enough to
show that some more of that estate had
gone.
The druggist was getting along in years,
and he commenced to correspond with me.
] have been the best correspondent he has
He is the sweetest natured man ever saw;
always mild and polite, and never wants
20 hurry me at all. Iget letter from him
every now and then, and he never refers to
my form as a skeleton; says, "Well, how
is it getting along-is il in good repair?'
/ got a night rate message from him re-
cently-said he was getting old and the
property was depreciating in value, and if
I could let him have a part of it now he
would give time on the balance. Think of
the graceful way in which he does every
thing-the generosity of it all. You can
not find "A finer character than that. 1t is
the gracious Characteristic of all druggists /
So. out Of my heart, ! wish you all pros
oerity and every happiness"