Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-16
MR.. BOwsER GETS THE GRIP.
1t Doubles Him Up in Spite OF His Enor.
nous Will Power.

| nous Will Power.
| NJ Quad in the New York World.
-Four or five weeks ago, when Mr.. Bowser
| came home one evening and found Mrs Bow
ser in bed, and was informed that it was a case
of grip, he blur.ed out:
Grip! And you have gone to bed and had
the doctor for a case of grip? Humphr'
but am awfully sickr' she replied
"Rats, Mrs. Bowser. You just imagine it!
This simply goes to prove what have often
asserted-that no person Of any strength Of
character has ever had the grip. It's Mandy.
PANTY thing, which even child three years
old ought to be ashamed Of"
You may have it before you get through"
IF 1 do-if 1 am silly enough to lay down
| with any such thing as that hope somebody
Will pound me to death with fence rail. 1
have the grip? l call doctor for such a
nonsensical thing as that? Not if my name is
Bowserr'
Mrs. Bowser was in bed three or four DAYS,
| ana Mr.. Bowser lost no opportunity TO talk
about her foolishness IN giving I'D to such a
| trifing ailment. He likewise remarked TO the
doctor that he thought it very foolish in the
medical fraternity to encourage the public in
| any such delusion.
You ii probably have it, and when IL comes
you,l change your opinion" CURLY replied the
doctor.
Il will. oh! There isn't enough grip in
North America to pull down one of my ears J
d really like to be attacked, Just to show YOU
how strength of will could throw it Off,
week ago, at 3 O'Clock one afternoon, Mrs
Bowser heard something fall against the front
door She called TO the girl to open it and see
whether 1t was a bag OF potatoes or a corn
shelter. 1t was neither. 1t was Mr.. Bowser-
not the Mr.. Bowser who had gone away in the
morning stepping high and carrying his chin
in the air. but the MIR. Bowser who had come
home sinking and shiverinS and all bumped
over until he didn't appear to be four feet
high. 1t was case of tho grip. As he sat in
his Office gayly whistling ''Old Black joe II
sudden SILVER shivered up his back. He looked
around to see who had flung it. but it was fol-
lowed by two more. He jumped up with feel
ing that all the ice thus far cut on the Hudson
had been loaded on his back whole drove
of shlvers and shakes and chllls kept valtZing
from his heels to his neck and back again. ana
there was a roaring in his head Us If he stood
on the brink of Niagara. A boy who came in
with telegram looked Mr.. Bowser over and
said
"Old man. you've got it, and got it bad! If
you've any home to go to you'd better skip. If
L never see you again then FAREWELL
Mr.. Bowser didn't stop to exercise any will
power TO throw it off. He got into his over
coat and made for home. The street car con-
ductor tried to console him by saving that he
would probably be out in four weeks. and a
woman on the car named over twenty-five of
her acquaintance who had been carried off in
week.
Heavens, Mr.. Bowser but what does this
mean!' demanded Mrs. Bowser, as he staggered
into the hail.
.Im-rm dead man. he gasped as she
pulled off his overcoat and helped him ON the
lounge in the back parlor.
''Have you got chill?''
Yves Get forty bed quilts to cover me
up"
'And doea your hack ache1r
"Does il? Great Scots, but don't believe
can live half an hour longer! It's a congestive
chill, suppose"
Its simply the grip, Mr.. Bowser. That's
exactly the way everybody is taken. Hadn't
you better exercise little will power?''
Mr.. Bowser looked at her reproachfully and
shivered and shook.
Curious how it took hold of a man of your
strength OF Character" she continued as she
got his shoes off.
Mr.. Bowser's chin began to culver in a suspi-
cious manner and she said no more on the
subject. He had been put to bed and was
grooming and shivering when the doctor
came in.
well, your ear has been pulled down, 1
see." remarked the doctor as he rubbed his
hands together in a cheerful way Have
you tried to throw it of by strength of
will?''
II suspect it's pneumonia" replied Mr.
Bowser.
"SAA, uoh t ~ RTlp-Iuot kip.
And I'm sick enough to dier'
"PShaw, man. you have got q mild attack
about as the babies have it. If you had it as
bad as your wife did l should feel very anxious
just keep quiet and take this medicine every
two hours
"How many weeks will be in the houseY'
Weeks! Why, you can go out tomorrow if
you feel like il. Petter get up alter supper and
walk around. It's wonder to me that such a
slight attack brought you home"
ATr
when the chill finally went off he was out of his
head most OF the time with the fever. During
Mrs. Bowser S sIckest night he had gone to bed
to sleep and snore and rest undisturDed by her
means. She had TO sit up with him, of course.
He wanted vichy water. lemonade, ice water.
ginger ale, pickles, tea, toast and a dozen other
things, and he seemed to take SOLID comfort in
keeping up grooming SO dOleful that it finally
stopped the clock.
The doctor returned in the morning to find
Mr.. Bowsers pulse jumping, his tongue COW
cred with fur and his throat almost raw, but he
expressed his grea. surprise that he had not
gone to the Office. He encouraged him to get
up and go down cellar and upstairs, but Mr..
DOwser stuck right to the bed.
doctor, don't think you realize how Sc
rious this case is" he groaned.
Il am sure L do. It's a very mild case of
that nambv-pamby epidemic called the grip. L
have five children in this neghborhood who
have it worse than you, but all are up and
playing with their dolls. Very curious that a
man of your stamina should give up. Keep on
with the medicine, however, and III send a
gargle."
For four days Mr.. Bowser gorgled and dosed
and doped and groaned. Mrs. Bowser had 10
attend him as ii he were baby. He had very
little to say during this interval He seemed
to fatten all out and loose his concelt Once
he even went SO far US to observe that If his
life was spared he would be an humble man in
future. On the fifth day, however, after get
ting ont to the gate ana back, his meekness
seemed to be disappearing, and on the six tn. as
he started for the office, he said
81 propose to visit two or three different
doctors today and find out what caused my
sickness"
why, it was grip, Of course replied Mrs.
Bowser.
Not much! There was a combination there.
ana know 1t, and 1t was mighty serious one
too. Nothing Oh earth but my determination
not to give way to it pulled me through.
Plenty q men in my situation would have
| turned up their toes, and plenty OF others
would have been in bed for months Grip.
Hump! Mrs. Bowser, you don't know me yet.
When knock under to grip I'll have the de-
| cency to go and drown myself Grip and brain
fever two widely different things and
! want you and that fool OF Q doctor to know it,
tool;
Habits of Salmon.
From the American Angler.
In their journey up the streams the first run