The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-10-27

not wish his papers disturbed. At the end
of a week he permitted his wife to inspect
. his achievement. There he said. indica-
/; ting the ceiling. "is an illustration Of the
wisdom Of saving the veriest trifles. Moth
ing is useless. Do you note the grateful
! pink glow which the stamped ceiling
throws over the room?''
| y do responded his wife, but I advise
you not TO let the agent OF this property
note it."
! one day the wife of The Mere Man. en-
gagged in a periodical housecleaning, threw
out a worn and shrunken pair of duck
trousers and n discoiored leather belt.
which the man had worn past their useful
ness. These. Nellie she said. you may
. send down with the other trash"
The Mere Man fairly trembied. Never
! he cried. Give them TO me. Nothing is
, altogether useless"
About half the length of one duck leg he
cut into a narrow strip, the shape of the
| despised belt. Then he borrowed a fat
iron. a nail and a hammer and put holes
, in both the duck and the leather by laying
them on the iron and driving the nail
through them. After this ii was easy to
bind them together. The buckle of the belt
, fitted around a hook by the washs;and. Il
have long been needing 4 new razor strop,''
said The Nan, land here it is. No use of
buying Il thing when you have 1t already at
aaud."
Utility had now come to be a disease with
TIL Mere Man. Il shall save this worn
ont dress coat he remarked. one day. II
lad intended giving 1t to the %janitor. but l
think of Il better use TO put it to-"
Then he appropriated an animal head that
had belonged to his wife's boa and that the
moths had got into. \ dollars worth of
gilt paint. and he was ready for decorative
work. The collar Of the coat he attached
by thread TO the animal head. and the ar
ranSement was spread out on the floor of
his room. Diagonal stripes of gilt were ap-
piled. and the thing was done. The most
extraordinary rug in the world declared
The Mere Ian. ut the conclusion of his
la5ors. and his wife agreed with him.
Il do net exactly ike the idea OF having
my washstand in such plain view" one day
declared The Mere Man. who was becoming
most particular. Why not put a screen in
front Of it%' suggested his wife. They
may be had fer Ole seventy-e!ght."
"A screen said The Mere Man. 'is the
very thing. But rot a bought screen. Have
you sent that broken stepIaiisr away YETI"
NO." replied his wife: II told the janitor
TO take it away. but with his usual pro-
crastinaticn he has not done So"
He shall not take it." decided the man.
IT will use 1t myself in my own way" So
he arranged the stepiadder in the position
he wished it and pasted between its spaces
various coIoreo pages from the newspapers
and ma gazines. This" he said. IT consider
the most artistic thing 1 have yet done in
the way of wooing the Beautiful"
Later achievements are worthy Of men,
ton. From several egg boxes The Mere
Man has fashioned useful desks. the hun
dreds of separate compartments answering
for pigeon holes. in which various matter is
stored.
An old bath sponge has been thoroughly
Sonrnnnpd. and watermelon seeds Scafferod
freely through 1t, so that it is now green
and unrecognizable. and will probably bear
an abundant crop next season.
A disused teakettie has been combined
with a broken crib and filled with hot water
to furnish the baby with a steam fire en-