The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-22
THAT MICRORE.

suddenly one afternoon, about four
O'Clock, Mr.. Wallace Brett became aware
that the vague, indeflnable annoyance
that had been troubling him all day was
developing into headache. There are
headaches and headaches. Some of them
will give quarter, hold parley, and capt.
ulate upon remOnstrances. These belong
to one class, Mr.. Wallace Brett's belong
ed to the other 1t occupied the space
above his eyes, behind his ears, and pene-
trated all the medullary substances of
the cerebtum and oblongata. 1t did not
like well-regulated headaches, end even
here, but continued its triumphant course
along the spinalis, causing Mr.. Brett to
regret that he possessed vertrebra,
every one of whose thirty-three bones
panied him worse than a jumping tooth
ache
Mr.. Brett closed the ledger, into which
he had been transferring entries from the
journal, and leaned his head upon his
hand.
Something ran down his back that felt
like the sensation he had when Mrs.
Brett, in the morning, requested him to
get up and light the kitchen fire.
Then the silence of the office was
broken by two A-chous! followed so
rapidly by a shrill succession of repeti-
lions, that the AS dropped off and left
them chou chous!
There was a giggling among the clerks
in the other room at the bookkeeper's
expense. "Bretts gettin' there" said
one to another.
Mr.. Brett sat for a half longer, alter
nately sneezing and hold his head; then
he got into his overcoat and started for
home.
But while he waited at a corner for the
tardy street-car, he began to imagine that
his head was an anvil, and Longfellow's
village blacksmith was hammering it
with a sledge. Something about "chest-
nuts" kept going over and over in his
mind, and he couldn't get it right.
81 believe I'm going crazy" thought
Mr.. Brett. Visions of stright-jackets
and padded cells foated before his men
tai optics, and not altogether pleasing.
'I'll take time by the forelock,"
thought he, land stop in and consult Dr..
KnOw-nothing."
DR.. -knothing was holding levee
of men, women, and children. and all of
themwere emlrking "A-chou A-chOur'
With impartial handhe was dealing out
quinine capsules, right and left, and re-
commenting them all to take "a good,
stiff dose of whiskey, from three to six
times a day"
''If it makes you see double so much
the better" said he "'twil show that
the remedy is taking hold. Whiskey's
like ptomaine; it kills the microbe.
These here microbes, l was reading last
night, are bigger'n Jersey mosquitoes,
and carry trunks with 'em. Need sight
of KILN"
This borrowed witticism was met with
a roar of laughter. When Mr.. Wallace
Brett got a chance to be heard, he clear
ed his throat, and said in deprecating
way. - uCNCl Nlllhhi DOCJOl' IhC
truth is, Pm opposed toit. signed the
the pledge years ago, and I'm uncOm-
promising"
Eyes, yes, understand! That's all
right. I'm temperance man myself. But
you have to fight the devil with fire, you
know, and microbes with poison. Easy
enough to drop it off when you get better.
Easy enough to drop off yourself, ell, if
you don't use it?''
Mr. Wallace Brett was good Method
list and a Christian. He knew that all
men are mortal, and must "drop Off
sooner or later. But he preferred that in
his case it should be later. He had a
dear wife and two lovely children. He
was paying for his snug little home in
lnstallments. Carrie and the boys need
ed him, it was very evident, and it
wouldn't do to take any risks.
"A pint-bottle and do it justice"
shouted the doctor after him as he went
out at the door.
Mr.. Brett was glad that the clerk at |
the drug7stQre Where he stopped was a
strspH a a didnt know him, when |
he I'1a called for pint of their
facility old rye" He thought, |
A ipetcilious spiTk about
mao 2dfNh as he timidly-
IS
it was only the way
aRNn's mushphe was
measuring out pint
Equality ef-rye" all
-, ID An wsS New hASo bust
,tted az Anotbht feel that in deal
inSof hi tommodity to what,
withouei MAS & dying community, he
was something of cross between mis-.
sionary and an angel.
Mr.. Wallace Brett went home and ex-
planned the situation to his wife, as he
entered, by declaring, "A-chou! A-CHoU!
A-CH-O-Uw
He took the capsules out of his pocket
and put them on the table. Then with
some misgiving, he produced the flask,
and repeated the doctors advice.
Mrs Rrett obinctad Mr. Rrott ,o;1 L. |