West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-05-15
Old NAN BOMSER

VLU IultN UUUULu
Gets Badly Laid Out on Roman
History.
Goes Out TO Look for Blue Crocus
and q Red.Headed Sun.Flower.
That there was something on Mr..
Bowser's mind as he came home to
dinner the other evening Mrs.
Bowser saw at glance, but as he
seemed puzzled rather than troubled
she held her peace until he should
be ready to explain. They had
finished dinner, and he had almost
smoked out his cigar as he read his
paper, when he carelessly remarked:
''Mrs. Bowser, do you know that
spring is here at last1"
"Why,yes, of course" she replied.
''It is early spring, but when
was boy ! used to go out into the
fields at this season and look for
crocuses. The crocus is about the
first spring flower, isn't it1"
Eyes; the crocus and dandelion. Z"
Mr.. Bowser hitched around I'M
easily and had no more to say for
five minutes. Then he softly
observed:
"The Romans had queer sup
erstition regarding the crocus, and
there may have been something in
it. l presume you have read of itr"
al don't remember, she answered
looking at him in amazement that
he should have been delving into
Roman history or paying any more
heedto crocuses than to brickbats.
"The superstition seems to have
arisen with Xerxes, and it appears
that he who went forth on a moon
light night and found blue crocus
was sure to be elevated to power
and fame"
''But thought you said it was a
Roman superstition"
$50 I did, and so it was"
''But Xerxes was not Roman.
There you gol Always ready to
call me liar at the slightest excusei
If you'd look into history now
and then instead of keeping to
novels, you'd have more sense in
your head. Maybe you think
Xerxes was Dutchman?"
81 know that he was Persian, ("
she quietly replied.
"Not by jugfup
She went over to the bookcase
and took out volume of the en-.
cyclopedia, and, turning to the
proper letter, she laid the book
down before Mr.. Bowser that he
might read:
''Xerxes /, king of Persia, was the
eldest son of Darius and his second
wife, Atossa," etc.
eyes. / see whatit says" observed
Mr.. Bowser, {" but does that make
the slightest difference to me2 When
! said that Xerxes was a Roman,
that settled it, and all the en-
cyclopedias in the world couldn't
change it. 1t is quite probable,
however, that there were a dozen
xerxes hanging around at that time
and that one of them may have been
king OF Persia"
eyes, that may have been the
way of it," said Mrs. Bowser, who
saw a way to dodge the threatened
row and was quick to take advantage
of it. The family cat had figured
on rsgtime and gave her a reproach-
full glance as she crawfshed.
"Whoeyer found a blue crocus
on a moonlight night" repeated
Mr.. Bowser as he walked 10 and
fro. al suppos: there are blue
crocuses as well as other colors?"
al never saw one"
"You never saw a whale, either,
and yet whales exist. All the
crocuses I have ever seen were yellow
but never saw any except by day
light. Why shouldn't the light of
the moon cast blue shade over
certain spring howers?"
81 know OF no reason why. Were
you thinking Of going out this evening
to look for blue crocus and become
a Xerxes2"
woman, / don't like your tonel"
exclaimed Mr. BOwsei as he felt the
sting Of her words. az can excuse
your ignorance Of ancient history.
you being woman, but I'll be
hanged If you can indulge in sarcasm
toward me- lit pleses me to 90
out and look for blue crocus in
order to confirm or explode a
historic superstition, you can bet
your life shall 60"
The cat came out from under the