The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1891-08-15
MR.. AND MRS. 3 User.
The Head Of the House Be mes a Phil
anthropiSt, with Unexpeqd Results.

ner table, Mr.. Bower queriedl
Mrs Bowser, whet havqyou done for
charity this failf'
II have sent about 500 firth Of money
and clothing to our poor~+1atiyes in Ne
braska"
"Humphi | said charity y
well, if you meanlow JaAy old tramps
have fed, how many eggals' baskets have
filled and how many qart&s | have handed
out to frauds | can a1veryou that they are
very few What has sarted you ON the sub
ject of charity all at der
"All at onceg The sp ject has always been
of the deepest INTEREST," me- have always
felt sorry because | hado little TO given
We said no more abos it, but took meas
ures to discover what h%as upto. He owned
a lot with an old, dilapidted and untenanted
house on it. He wl@ inknding to give this
house to any one who void tear it down or
remove it, but HUMANITARIAN advanced
brighter idea. He also dned an old house,
but it was occupied by fod or five families.
He could get no rent, disi led the notoriety
of ejecting them, and so hesuggested to Mr..
Bowser that our old shantybe put in repair
for the reception of some psor and worthy
people he knew Of Mr.. Bovser fell into the
trap. He bought lumber, bred carpenters
and had paid out $500 befor the house was
habitable. He tried so keelit all from me,
but kept posted on the wobS, nevertheless.
When everything was read four families
swarmed into the house and hessed Mr.. Bow
ser. When he came home thatnight his heart
was full and after little skirnishing around
he said:
MRS. Bowser, something happened today
to melt my heart"
Eyes What was itfn
81 let four poor families move into our old
house over there, rent free, and you ought to
have heard them asking Heaven to bless me
1t made me feel like woman-lke child
/ wish / was rich enough to help ten thou
sand poor folks"
"Well, | hope they will appreciate what
you have done"
"Why, of course they will Any one of
them would crawl on his hands and knees for
me.n
'But will they be satisfied with what YOU
have already doneP'
'There you gol If you had your way
about it, you'd lock the doors and burn 'em
all upl Satisfied OF course they will be
and are-more than satn-
The bell rang, and the girl said it was a
man to see MIR. Bowser He went to the
door, and the caller said:
Had a deuce of a time to find you, old
chap, but I've finally hit it. Say do YOU
know my wife feels imposed upong You give
that Clark family the best rooms in the
house, and they are no better than we are.
III do my best to coax the old woman to be-
have herself, however, but you will have to
come down with some tin. | want IS for
grub and fuel !"
Mr.. Bowser gave it to him and hurried
him out of the house. | pretended NOT to
have noticed anything, but he continued to
look anxious until bedtime. We were Just
through breakfast next morning when a
woman came to the door and inquired for
Mr.. Bowser. As he went INTO the hall she
said:
unfortunate A4a "a tH fam nhf @' the ard
my good woman, w,saople4
"A good deal, sir Only iond ,,unstock for
four families to get water at, and there's
rats in your old shanty, sir-ratsI And do
you know we have no wood to burn2 Think
of Christian man expecting people to get
along this weather without woodn
He gave her some money and hurried off,
and they gave him rest for two or three
days. Then two women, who had evidently
been pulling hair all the way over, reached
our house as Mr. Bowser came up. They
wanted something settled. They wanted it
settled then and there. They didn't care so
much about the absence of a door plate. but.
as one of them demanded:
1--WE want to know, sir, who owns them
front door steps, and whose children have
the right to knock out the window glassg'
don't know how he settled it. When he
came in he looked so uncomfortable that
did not ask any questions Next day there
was man to see him, and on the day fol-
lowing a woman came to make compl amt.
and for six weeks hardly a day passed that
some of his free tenants did not show up on
one excuse or another. The last one came
from whole family husband, wife and
five children. We We're in bed when they
came. They pulled the bell until Mr.. Bow
ser raised a window and asked what was
wanted.
I'VE want you to come downl' replied the
man.
And give an account of yourselflm added
the woman.
Mr.. Bowser went down. They gave him
fits about the water, the stairs, the front
gate, the woodshed, the cellar and the cell
ings. They wanted all the other families
turned out, the street paved, the house paint
ed and the rooms papered. They were out Of
meat, potatoes, wood and -four. He argued
and discussed, and finally told them to 60 to
the county house. At this they all jumped
for him, and nothing but a strong door saved
him from violence
WAS it some one who wanted the doctorT'
| asked as he came up stairs.
Mrs. Bowser, do you hear meF' he replied
as he struck an attitude under the dim gas
light.
al do"
"Then let me warn you that this has gone
far enoughi am doue with charity If you
ever get me into another such scrape youth
hear from my lawyer as soon as | can file
bill"