The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-04-07
come. I was thinking it was about
time you picked up another fad"
My dear Mrs. Bowser. there ia no


My dear Mrs. Bowser, there is no
a mistake there as well. Heretofore,
when you have referred to my fads,
ave turned red in the face and -four
ished my arms and shouted. Do you
observe anything of the sort now. |
am cool. | am calm. | am not using
up my nerve force. Let me recon-
mend you to adopt the same pro
sramme. Nothing whatever thu you
can say viii put me out OF temper"
But what are you going to do!"
Simply follow Mr.. Wagner and live
q simple, healthy life. In other words,
L am going TO cut of all the frills and
iounces."
Are you going to give up smoking:'
Il have already one so. 1t is sim
ply a waste Of money and a pernicious
habit. After this | shall chew on a
piece Of licorice root or hold a Glove in
my mouth"
And you are going to live on bread
II milk and drink sage tea:"
Not altogether. Sometimes we will
have pudding and milk and now and
then potatoes and Goldfish. 1t will be
simple, healthy fare, however, and we
shall both live the longer and be the
healthier for it. 1 hope you will be
with me in this matter, my dear"
But / shan't. If you want to live a
simple life, go ahead, but don't drag
me into it. l don't propose to starye
myself to death for Charles Wagner
or Charles anybody else"
Mr.. Bowser started to turn red and
open his mouth to shout Woman
at her, but caught himself in time and
said:
kindly modulate your voice. dar-
ling. The tone you use CRATES on me.
l do not ask you to go with me. If it
is your desire to continue his mad
and extravagant whirl go ahead in it.
AS for me, l have made a start and
shall continue it."
"And you'll quit smoking?"
81 willr.'
"And wear that old suit of clothes
arOund?'
"The same. 1t is plenty good enough
for a simple man"
and you are going to live like a
man earning a dollar a day?"
my food will be simple, but nutri-
tious."
And you'll give up all your clubs
and not make any more speeches, and
you won't want to run for political
Officer"
II shall be as unknown as John
Doe.'
II did think of going to the play
tonight said Mrs. Bowser, after j
pause. Your simple life needn't stop
u going to the theater, need it,"
THAT is an extravaganza to be
curbed. 1t is not only an extrava-
gance, but the play gives one a false
impression Of life. Instead Of the the
alter we shall sit at home and take up
and pursue some simple study. We
know nothing whatever of botany
and we are almost as bad in natural
history. Here is a house fly flying
around. What more interesting thing
than to ascertain how he flies, what
he eats, for what purpose he was
created and all about him?"
Il say it's all n~onsense!' exclaimed
Mrs. BOwser as she rose up. eff I
should play the idiot the way you do
you'd have me pronounced crazy and
locked upw
1t vas a hard fling at Mr.. Bowser
and one intended to provoke him to
anger and action, and the family cat
came out from under the lounge and
got ready to see the fur fly. The fur
didn't fly, however. Mr.. Bowser turn
ed pale for a moment, but then got a
new hold and smilingly said:
Darling, this thing may seem all
wrong to you now, but time will tell.
Live your life as you will, but allow
me to do the same. l have decided to
drop the mad whirl for simplicity and
peace. Will you kindly excuse me for
a few minutes while l run out a-d get
some cornmeal for breakfast? l shall
eat nothing but a little cornmeal cook
ed in the plainest kind Of water
He put on his hat and overcoat and
went out and left Mrs. Bowser and
the cat staring at each other and won
Gering if he could be in earnest. He
certainly was. Even when Il crowd Of
bad boys hailed his advent Oh the
street with a shower of snovballs he
meekly and smilingly pursued his
simple way in search of his simple
breakfast. While he was purchasing
it and explaining to the grocer that it
was not food for hens or geese, but
for a man who had dropped the mad
whirl, Mrs. Bowser was saying to the
cook:"Mr. Bowser wants some cornmeal
cooked in water for his breakfast. You
can use most any kind of water and
cook in any old dish, and if you throw
in a few buttons and clothespins he
won't complain. He's going to live a
simple life after this" NJ. QUAD.