Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-11-28
PAPA'S DEvEL0PER
-Ws
BY WILLIAM CHADWICK 0lMSTEAD.



answered Mr.. Morehouse. And the
family swOoped down on him and he
was robbed Of the bundle before he
had time to take off his hat.
''At laSt"' exclaimed Mrs. More
house, as she tore the wrapping from
the package. But. Cyrus, don't call
1t flying trapeze. Don't put such
ideas into their heads. 1t is simply a
developer"
"Oh, it will develop all right" said
Cyrus. rNow, children. watch me put
1t together
1t consisted Of rope. two hooks for
the ceiling, four iron rings and two
pail handles. 1t required little con-
sideration to decide the best place for
1t to hang. There was recess at the
head Of the stairs on the second floor
which was not IL thOrOughfare, and
there Mr.. Morehouse concluded to To-
cate the machine which was to aniuse
the hooks had been securely screwed
into the joints at n suitable distance
apart, and two ropes had been sus-
pended by the rings from the hooks,
and the pail handles had been at
tached to the rope ends for the little
hands, and the two sets of rings had
been so arranged that the ropes could
p be raised or lowered. according as
sissy, Of six years, or brother. of four
years, was Eat the bat" then mamma
was called to see.
Isn't that splendldr mamma ex-
claimed. Sissy was showing 1t Off. and
her heels were kicking about In the air
in suggestive nearness to the railing
which separated her from the lower
floor. Mamma was looking up, and it
seemed to her a great way from where
sissy's heels We're flying to the floor
below, "But. Cyrus, suppose they go
over the railing?"
well, you must impress on the chill
dren that 1t is only developer, and not
flying trapeze."
When Mrs. Morehouse had gone
away Cyrus tested the ropes with his
own weight, and the operation brought
back to him his boyish excitement of
"skinning the cat"-'that is, turnir~ a
back somersault with the hands on the
ropes. His wife came upstairs again
just as he was trying to explain to
the little acrObats how it was done.
His face was flushed and he was pant
ing.
Cyrus" said Mrs. Morehouse, her
eyes swapping, II want TO see you a
minute" She led the way to their
bedroom and closed the door. Don't
you know anything?' she then said to
him. "ThOse children will break their
necks IL you teach them circus tricks
on that developer. l wish you would
let 1t alone. 1t was my idea, any way,
not yours. 1t is chest developer, not
trapeZe."
"All right" replied Mr.. Morehouse
and he looked at his watch and went
down for his hat and coat.
AS he passed out at the front door
mamma had hold of the ropes, and was
saying to the children:
do it quietly, this way, like mamma,
with both feet on the floor and the
body thrown backward and forward,
this way; seer"
Both young ones were in gale of
laughter, and brother was saying some
thing that sounded like rats
When Mr.. Morehouse had cooled off
he fell to thinking Of all the queer
things men do in gymnasiums, and
wondered il it paid, after all. for a
man to make monkey of himself.
For some reason or other he went home
early that afternoon, and found Il hush
over the house and smell Of cam
phor. Then he heard u subdued cry
Of pain In the sitting room, and, going
in, saw mamma rubbing brothers
neck, as he lay on the sofa, with a
piece Of brown paper over his eye.
Mrs. Morehouse looked at her husband
reproachfully, and Kissed:
$50 much for your cat-skinning."
us he much hurt?"
ut will serve. Probably paralyzed
and blind"
"Great heavens.'
Papa, l stunned de cat" said
brother, turning over. want to see
me?"
HE can't be paralyzed," said Cyrus,
breathing easier.
well, he shall never swing on that
thing again-neverw
II See" said Mr.. MorehOuse, "he
has developed something over the left
eye"
Mrs. Morehouse set down the cam,
phor bottle and left the room, and
papa took brother in his lap.
"He hasn't got grip enough" said
Mr.. Morehouse the next morning at
breakfast. Il think brother had bet.
ter let the developer alone until he
gets older. But / think sissy is old
enough to hold on"
"Then she will have to do as tell
her; not as you tell her. No, sissy
| girls don't skin cats. 1t isn't proper
The ropes We're raised one set OF
rings
That morning mamma was busy
below stairs when she heard Il sound
which was at first interpreted as the
sliding of snow from the roof. She
paused with heart in her mouth. how
ever, and presently well known cry
came to her ears from the gymnasium
Running upstairs, she saw sissy rails
ing her head from the dashboard ant
slowly getting to her feet. AS Mrs
Morehouse described her daughters
appearance to her father afterward
her face was pale and spotted, and by
the time her mother got the camphOl
bottle. there was bump on the bacl
| of her head as big as a teacup.
"Sissy's grip proves to be too veal
for the developer, too" said Mr.. More
house.
| "Yes, for such development as yol
/ Noa oh ~ said his xxytfo