The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-02-28
JOHN SMITH, DYSPEP.
TIC.

1t makes no difference If John Smith
was born with indigestion. acquired
Indigestion or had indigestion thrust
upon him. he was what the world calls
n dyspeptc.
The widow Jamlson had told more
than once how Mr. Smith. when he
came first to her clearinghouse, wore
only n stlff, bristln-like mustachc. and
did not then appear with the iron. gray
side whlskers which distinguished
him. and which he literally kept trim.
med 10 hair. She told, too. how her
Feelings had been hurt when first her
Oldest boarder began To grow the Wills
kers. IL was some time after he camc
To her house, Il year or more. perhaps.
She had got so she thought she under.
stood him pretty we'll At any rate.
she knew just how brown he wanted
his apples baked and Just what apple
he preferred to have baked. She knew
too. that he would eat only the pruncs
that were distinguished for their
plumpncss after they had been stcwcd.
She knew just how he wanted his
Dread toasted, and she knew, too, that
he would not eat the toast II he knew
the bread was less than two days old
She knew how rare he wanted his
roast beef, and what part of il he pre-.
ferred. And she had ground indelib!y
In her memory the only kind of oat-
meal lie would eat, how long he wanted
II cooked, how warm the milk must be
hn taftf vsit 3 10
Jer "f seconds which his eggs must ~
ana Now fresh they must be.
Sre understood further how he want.
ed iis knife and fork and his NAPKIN
placed on the table. He had told her
that 1t was better to have the knives
and forks lie north and south because
of the electrical influences at work all
the time, and she remembered It. Mrs.
Jamlson never considered him a crank;
she said only-hc was much younger
than she-that che suffered so much
from dyspcpsy." So she humOrcd him
In all his whims, and pleased him. as
she thought: for he had told her In q
burst of good feeling one Christmas
morning that lie had never enjoyed
such good cooking anywhere as he hal
at her boarding-housc And that
Christmas Day seemed morc merry TO
her than any other And If she had
told 1t all she would have confessed
that his few words had made her more
happy than anything she had heard
since the dear. good man Jnmlson had
died ana left her 10 make her way in
the world as we'll as she might. But
the impression which Mr.. Smith had
created nj the time did not last long.
He began TO grow the whiSkcrs, the
widow had told her intmatcs, and she
had asked him why He snapped out
To her that he was growing them b..
cause his looking glass which he con.
suited daily, had told him that he was
getting thinner, and he wanted 10 hide
that fact from his friends and fellow.
employees in the office.
And really" Mrs. JamiSon had d.,
clarcd, and always in tone of sorrow
"he was Gittin' fattcr all the time. II
course, he Wus never what yu'd really
call fat, but he wuSn't thin then
though he was thinner when he first
came TO my house. felt dreadful cut
mp about it,"
In the mental distress caused by that
Incident Mrs. Jain!Son actually got oue
of the baked apples too brown, anI
strange as 1t may appear, Kept the
cggs in the water MI OF twelve second,
too long. both OF which lnpscs yynre
discovered on the instant by Mr.
Smith.
That night he Informed Mrs. Jnmi
son that he would be compelled /,
leave her house, that he could not ro
main longer In her establishment ana
sacrifice himself as Il martyr 10 Dnl
coohing. He took longer 10 say IL thar
that and scizcd the opportunity tc
point out In just what way the olfpnSrs
had been committed. lie had saved
the baked apples and the eggs anL
during the course of his remarks, pro
duccd them rs evidence of what he
termed in his own mind the "vicious
carclcssncss or worse" OF his board
ing mistress.
On that occasion Mrs. Jamison was
so taken abarE AT first that she hardly
knew what TO say in reply 10 his an
nounccmcnt She tried TO speak, hun
could net, she could feel the breath
passing through her throat, but she
could make no sound Her agitatilG
was eStycme, Sh, put one hand TO III
back OF her head and felt OF hei
swilun III orusr W see IL IL Wac ioosa