The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-08-24

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haps Of tho artillery. The doctor was q
privileged character, a man who said
what he thought and did what he
thought right, and when Mrs. Blythe,
glancing out Of her parlor window, saw
their favored friend and medical adviser
coming along the walk, his hands deep
in his trousers pockets and himself in
hit OF abstraction and new sack coat,
while the partner of his joys and sor.
rows chatted briskly with the Frazier
girls, Mrs. Blythe called up stairs to
her massive liege lord, "Wear your
blouse, dear; the doctor has OH his,'
whereupon Blythe slipped out Of the
uniform coat Of formal cut and into the
easy sack, and came trotting down the
creaking stair in time to welcome his
guests. Brooks, Barclay and Brayton,
who came later, were in the prescribed
regulation dress, whereat DR.. Collabone
exclaimed: "Hello! Now, that's what
I ought to have done, if I'd had as
much regard for conventionality as I
have for health. Gentlemen, do you
know you simply invite an apoplectic
seizure by sitting down to dinner in a
tightly buttoned uniform coat? It is
barbarous. There ought to be regula-
ton against it.
1t was observed that while the doctor
included all three Of the cavalrymen in
his remarks he looked at and apparent
~ addressed only one, Captain Barclay,
whose uniform coat was brand new,
very handsomely cut, it's buttons and
shoulder straps Of the finest make and
finish, whereas the doctors were tar
nished, if not actually shabby. Brooks
frowned, and Brayton looked embar-
raised lest Barclay should take it amiss,
but that officer remained smilingly ill.,
terested and in nowise troubled.
The Frazier girls giggled, and Miss
Amanda was prompt to assert that for
her part she loved to see the officers
wear the proper uniform, and she wasn't
alarmed about apoplexy, whereupon
Collabone smiled benignly and said,
"What did I tell you about the danger
Of tight lacing?' Amanda couldn't bear
the doctor. Her elder and primmer sis
ter only half liked him. Many of the
women thought him brusque and rude,
but officers and men and mothers of
families swore by him and children
adored him. A childless man himself,
he seemed to keep open house for the
offspring of his comrades. They swarm
ed about his quarters at all hours of the
day. They invaded his parlor, overflow
ed his dining room and ruled his kitch-
en-.
A kindly and placid soul was Mrs.
Collabone, woman who had few cares
or perplexities, and these she promptly
turned over to her broad minded, broad
shouldered liege for final disposition
as serenely confident of their speedy dis
sipation as she was of the prompt con-
quest of any and all the manifold ills
to which childish flesh is heir by that
practitioners infallible remedies. Chill
dren ran loose in those days in Texas,
and so they ought to, said Collabone.
Savage races are the only scientific
rearers,' he maintained. "Boys or
girls they should be burdened with but
single garment or less, from the time
they're born until they're or 10, and
meantime they should be made to eat,
sleep and live outdoors. He preached
for children regularity in matters Of
diet, prescribed four light meals day,
practiced heterodoxy and distributed
bread and milk, bread and strip, bread
and jam, cookies, corn dodgers and mo-
lasses candy morning, noon and night.
Aunt Purlina, the fat and jocund god
dess of the Collabones' kitchen, had
standing orders on such subjects, and
many a time had the post surgeon to
wait for his own refreshments because
''the kids had possession of the prem
Uses.
There was never a worry along Off
GERS row when children strayed from
home. "Oh, they're over at the doc
tors, " was the soothing response to all
queries. The doctors big yard was the
garrison Playground for, when soul
less, heartless, childless, wifeless post
commander, Frazier's predecessor, had
dared to prohibit the use of the parade
ground for croquet, hopscotch, marbles
or "Tom, Tom Pullaway,'' it was Col
labone who rugged up swings and giant
strides at his own expense and without
the aid Of the post quartermaster and
sent away to New Orleans for croquet
sets for the exclusive use of the young
sters. 1t nettled inexpressibly the field
officer commanding. He took it as re-
buke from.his Junior, and took it out
in course of nagging and persecution
at the doctors expense, that reused the
energies of the entire post. Frazier was
sent from Concho to supersede the OBJ
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