Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1902-07-17
Mr.. Row.er Goes Out to Dig Roots.
Tell him S.
i. Il. Egert0H

1t was a morning of glad sunshine
and soft skies and singing birds, but
Mr.. Bowser got up feeling loggy. At
breakfast he had little appetite, and
he dragged his legs as he went up
stairs, and Mrs. Bowser finally said;
II think you ought to let up on
smoking for a week or SO and get the
nicotine out of your system"
"What has smoking to do with it?'
he at once demanded.
II think you smoke too much. 1t
may be, however, that you have grown
too fat again"
"Too fat again When was ever
too fat before? There isn't an ounce
of extra fat on me, and you know it.
You seem to want to pick fuss this
morning"
~ don't wish that, of course, but if
l were you I'd get tonic or some
thing. I'm quite sure your blood is
out of order"
Mr.. Bowser looked at his tongue in
the glass over the mantel, dallied with
plmple on his chin and finally turned
and observed:
whats the matter with me is that
spring is here, and | need an old fash
ioned tonic made of roots. It's worth
forty times anything doctor can pre-
scribe. 1 used to always dig roots
for mother when l was boy. She
made a sort of beer of it, and it was
the greatest thing for the blood you
ever saw"
"Well you might engage farmer
to dig you some roots, suggested Mrs.
Bowser, though feeling certain in ad-
vance of his answer.
II think l see myself l don't care
to die of poison just yet. What | pro-
pose to do is to take the day off and
go out after my own roots. | want
dandelion, sarsaparilla, sassafras,
sweet sicily, spicebush and several
other kinds, and the walk will also
do me good. l can show the cook
how to make a keg of beer, and its
the thing for both of u.s."
Every well, but of course you'll be
careful. 1t is many years since you
were boy"
eyes, thousand or more, he sar-
castically replied after a glare at her.
"If you didn't take advantage Of ev-
cry possible occasion to call me relic
of the Mayaower, you wouldn't be
happy. However, if don't happen
to know sarsaparilla from thistle I'll
take the consequences.
Mrs. Bowser had nothing further to
say, while the cat sat up with a SOL
emn look on her face, and Mr.. Bow
ser donned an old suit of clothes and
got basket and a spade and started
out on his trip. He looked quite hap
py as be fairly got started and he
paid no attention to the two or three
wicked boys who yelled after him and
wanted to know if he was going to
dig for woodctucks. A yellow car
was soon speeding him countryward,
and his loggy feeling was quickly re-
placed by a picknicky one. He en-
joyed every moment of the run to
the terminus, and he would have
gone on looking for bluebirds if
the conductor hadn't poked his nose
in. He was a man working for $l.68
day and consequently had no senti-
ment about him..
"You don't expect to find clans out
this way, do you?" he asked as Mr..
Bowser got off the car.
"Who said l did?" was the reply.
Nobody, l only Judge SO from your
looks. You'll be disappointed, old
man. Used to be millions of EN-
roosting in the trees, but an epidemic
of whooping cough came along and
choked EN- to death. You might run
down a mud turtle, though, if your
wind is good"
Mr.. Bowser was hopping mad in a
minute, and he put down basket and
spade with the idea of punching the
mans head. Then be suddenly real
lied that it was all Mrs. Bowsers g
fault and that he'd make her pay for
it when he got home, and he picked
up his utensils and toddled on. Spring
was certainly at hand. He saw rob-
ins fitting, and he found mudholes 20