The free press., 1895-08-29
Mr.. AND MRS. BOWSER.
Now There's u New Trouble in the
Family.


"Last night" said Mr. Bowser as he
looked up from his paper and broke u
silence which had lasted quarter or
an hour-"last night | heard our enid
moaning in his sleep, and noticed
that he looked pale and hollow-eyed
this morning. l suppose you KNOW
what ails him|
Nothing ails him. Mr.. Bowser--noth-
ing but too much play You can't find
healthier child in the whole town"
81 hope it is true, but / doubt it. Hav-
ing him under your eye every hour III
the day, you do not notice change as
do. This afternoon woman came
into the office selling u book on How
to Bring Up Children / had only to
glance at it to see that it was just what
you wanted 1t is full Of"
"Who wrote itr' sharply demanded
Mrs. Bowser.
"Ill show you the book. 1t tells all
about mumps, measles, chlckeh-poX,
and everything else likely to all child,
| and also prcscribes the cure. Let's see!
| It's by Annie Kathering White. Did
you ever hear of hery'
"Never, and don't want to! It's ten
! to one that she was never motner
and doesn't know Il case of mumps
| from falling off fence! For the lands
sake, don't get the idea that our child
wants dosing!'
"Our child may be all right, Mrs.
| Bowser, or he may be all wrong. 1t
won't hurt anything to read what the
woman says For instance, she gives
| the premonitory symptoms of measles,
| and says that mother"
"He had measles three months ago."
"FWell here's all about whooping-
cough. Twenty four hours before the
cough comes the patient is restless, the
tongue coated and the whites of the
eyes"
81 know all about that, and it will be
quite useless for you to 60 up to his
bed to see if the whites of his eyes have
turned blue or green. You have hardly
looked at him for three months past,
and now all of sudden you are great
ly worried over his conditions"
"Mrs. Bowser!' said Mr.. Bowser as
he stood up and flourished the book in
his hand, 'do you know that you are
talking to that child's father.'
"Of course l dor
"Then don't talk in that way! AS
that chid's father naturally love him.
| feel anxious about his health.
woman who has probably reared
dozen children of her own writes
book on how to treat children. | buy
it and bring it home to you to save
worry and doctors bills, and you take
it as a grievous insult. Here is what
the book says about mumps. | was
reading it on the car coming home,
and as near as can make out our boy
will be down with mumps before sun
rise tomorrow. 1t says that the pre-
monitory symp--"
"HOw many times do children have
the mumps?" quietly asked Mrs. Bow
ser.
"H-how many times? Why do you
ask?"
Because he had 'em six months ago!
Your natural anxiety about your off
spring should have made you remem-
Der the circumstances"
-e-s-um! Yes, do remember that
he had the mumps, or what you called
the mumps. ] suppose he has also had
the chicken-poxY"
"Certainly he has!'
"And the whooping cough?"
"Yes, when he was only eight months
old.s
"Mrs Bowser, when looked into that
| boys face this morning l was shocked
| I tell you his system is all out of gear,
| and he needs something to brace him
| up. AS near as | can make out from
| this book he has some ailment of his
| liver, and propose"
| you propose to give him some of
your dope!' she finished as he hesitated.
"My dope! You said dope, didn't
you! What do you mean by dope!'
II mean the barrel of stuff you have
bought and taken dose or two of and
then put away. If anything is wrong
with that child Wen call in a doctor"
| "Mrs. Bowser, If that child has
worms-if the seal of death has already
| been stamped"
But he has no worms!" she inter
rupted. "If anything ails the child he
is too healthy. If you want to take
400 different sorts of sarsaparillas, in
vigorators, tonics, cures and all that l
have no objections, but for mercy's
sake don't get fad about our chldY
Fad! fad!' he echoed. 'Then it's a
fad, is 1t, to discover the symptoms of
deadly disease and apply remedy
in time! AS the loving father of tnat
child it is not only my duty but my
privilege to look him over and guard
him. That hectic flush on his face
this evening did not escape my notice
For all you know he may be coming
down with scarlet fever"
"rhat hectic flush was caused by his
Il.