The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-11-19

Mr.. Bovser drcE himself up stifi!
and descended the steps and marched
| OF with all due dignity Two block
away he took a suburban car and wen
his way country ward. and the cool
| came upstairs and asked Mrs Bowser
"n,s he gone for gunpowder or dyn
amite A. something TO blow up til
houseT'
"Of course not"
III he has I want TO Get
time. I was blown up with a kerossAl
can once as / was hurrying up the fire
and II seemed a whole week before
J came down again. I'm q pcer orphal
-irl and must look out fo- MYSELF II
thA : world"
Confdes In Conductor.
Tho n. conductor looked like q fam
i,v ma, a, d one in whom 4 stranger
could renose confidence. and after 4
bit Mr. Rovse4 laid his heart bare.
He fo1pd an en-, 'lusiaStic coadjutor.
The conductor relate ten different IN.
stances where catnip "F S"G' "ai
drawn him back from tce .-c
had been left = widowe- \ '4 ".-"t
small children. lie had savtn ever
one OF them with smartwecd ted Is
had then married a widow with ei@l ;
more and saved them with maywee1'
poulticeS. He located a spot where
all those things could be found grow
ing il the greatest ~prOfusion. and Ii
also recommended Mr.. Bowser to h~.2g
back Il good lot Of slippery elm iatk.
1t didn't seem TO have much effeC, On
4 broken leg, but taken in connection
with Spearmint tea il would cause the
asthma in man or woman to get I
hump on itself.
Mrs. BOWser's cyniciSm and mean
ness were forgotten as Mr.. BowseT
started down the highway with the
joy of the country in his heart. The
wCodpeckers pecked, and the crows
cawed; the lambs frisked, and the
cOws lowed. Now and then he could
see a happy farmer at work in the
field. and now and then he came across
a hog bedded in a mudhole and taking
solid comfort. He had only half a mile
to go before he began to u across
mothers herbs. and he pitched right IN
without q doubt assailing him. When
he had gathered sufficient to put a doZ-
en- doctors out of practice for a year
he looked around for a slippery elm
tree. There was one right at the edge
of the woods, and he began on it with
his pOcketknife.
Confronted by Farmers.
Up to this point Mr.. BOwser had
passed only one farmhouse and had
met with no sons OF toll. He was
working away ut the bark and think
ing how he would aStOniSh Mrs. Bow
ser when he returned home when II
heavy hand was lail on his shoulder.
ard he turned to be confronted bJ
three farmers who had come ont of the
coILIeId neal by.
what the devil are YOU doing tel
that tree" demanded the eldest of the
trio.
4 was Ing to get some slippery
elm"
The three burst into outlaws.
"S,ippery elm from 4 beech tree
Say, Old man, that won't go down"
But l guess l know q slippery elm
from a beech" protested Mr.. Bowsel
as he few mad in a minute.
And mebbe you know a COW from q
barn door, but you have no right mu,
tilating my trees. What's this bundle
of stuff"
live been gathering some herbs
for Sickness"
There were three sets of outlaws this
time as the farmers overhauled the
stuff.
Here's goldenrod, mullen stalks,
burdocks, swamp ivy and wild celery"
said the leader. DO you mean that
you've come out from the city to gath
er such trash?"
81 came out after catnip and smart
weed and mayweed and spearmint
and
Two of the men rolled on the ground
with laughter. and the third giggled
and gurgled and said:
"And some slippery elm from a
beech tree! Say, mister, have you got
a wife,"
Eyes. sir"
"Waal, go home and ask her if she
knows she's been living with the big
gest fool in America"
Mr.. Bowser made a good fight for it,
but his opponents were three to one
and husky fellows. They threw him
over the fence and headed him 70:
home. Just at dark he walked into his
W house.
But where are mothers herbs:"
asked Mrs. Bowser as she anne for
ward to greet him.
Talk English if you want me 10 un-
derstand you.' he growled as he head
ed for the dining room to get a cold
bite. NJ. QUAD.
The Prospective Dinner.