The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-09-08
cape a watery grave. Looking through

hole in the roof he discovers the
hired man hugging the chimney. and
the hired girl hugging the hired man.
Ah, well, who shall blame them? In
the evening, the water having subsided,
the farmer ventures forth and finds
that everything on the farm has been
lifted and shifted-except the mort
gage! And he falls on his knees in the
mud, and weeps for joy, and carried
away by his emotions, he exclaims,
"Thank God l have something left to
work for!" Such is life in Minnesota.
Another example: Come with me to
one of our cities and observe how peo-
pie sweat and swelter on a sultry sum-
mer afternoon. Here is man who has
been on his feet the whole day. In the
evening he goes home, but home yields
no comfort. His wife, poor soul, is al
so suffering from the affects of the
heat Fifteen times this afternoon
has she sought a cool spot in which to
read her novel in peace, and sought in
vain. Yet, gentle creature that she is,
in spite of her own suffering, she
makes an effort to comfort her hus-
band, but soon gives it up, because the
undertaking surpasses her strength.
She retires to her own room; cries lit
tie; contemplates her own loveliness
with the aid of sundry mirrors; then
fn jeff xxif
and gentle slumber soon weighs down
her Redeemed eyelids. And the man,
driven by that curiosity that only can
be- satisfied by ascertaining the exact
nature of the danger apprehended, or
the exact amount Of torture endured,
first hangs the thermometer in one
place, and it registers 1I31s degrees;
then, not satisfied, he hangs it in an
other place which he thinks ought to
be cooler, but finds it climbs to III de-
grees. Then he puts it on the ice in
the refrigerator, and lighting cigar,
he calmly sits down and awaits results.
He looks at the clock. 1t is $780, In
half an hour he has finished his cigar
He rises. There is an air of determin-
, alton about him. For few moments
he fans himself vigorously. He thinks
it is getting hotter all the while. But
J he will do his duty regardless of conse
quences. With courage born of des
| peration he walks with manly strides
! toward the refrigerator, hauls forth
: the guilty thermometer, holds it neal
! the light that he may read its secret
q and recoils when he discovers thu
| quicksilver stands at 119 degrees F.
D "Holy-smokew he calculates; "One-hun
! dred-and-nineteen in the refrigerator
That beats Sheolr' And so it does; for
if reports are true, there are no refrig
'' orators in Sheol.
o Then he sets himself down to devils
= ways and means to defy distorted ma
: ture. Shall he commit suicide? o
\ shall he go on jamboree and pain
the town red? His inclinations swini
pendulum-like first to the one an,
then to the other proposition. FinalI
q he compromises by smoking anothe
. cigar. Things begin to look brighte
y again, but it is still hot-very hot. H
= retires to his room. He aOilI he pa
- tient. The world needs him-he j
. such bright fellow! Is that his wifi
q snoring? Yes. He envies her. H
g moves his bed near to the window. H
;. undresses, and with long drawn sig
= plants himself flat on his back on tn
"a bed. He pokes his feet out of tn
- window to give them the benefit Q
q whatever air there may be stirring
a Oh, how hot it isl He is weltering
- his sweat. He feels the perspiratio
70 trickling down his feet. He hears th
= town clock strike twelve. He serious
" ly thinks of joining an arctic exped
~ tion. 1t would be such pleasure t
u freeze to death. At last, PHYSICAL
= and mentally exhausted, he drops int
- quiet, dresmless Sleep At sever
"a teen minutes past three he awake
: He thinks he is at the North Pole
the calves of his legs are frozen to tt
as windowsill, and icicles yard long al
ba hanging from his heels!
es HurIah for Minnesotal
rs More about sudden changes in m
". next.
n, Your loving son,
,s- HIRAM SLowao, JR.