Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1910-09-29
MIR. BILLTOP'S
COLD

MRS. Billtops says" said Mr.. b.
shat when I'm sick I fall down and
break up and collapse and go to pieces
generally. She doesn't say this UNI
kindly, you know, or anything line
that, but she says that when I'm sick
I'm baby, and l guess it's so.
Now for the last four days I've had
cold, bad cold; lame and sore all
over, and so weak that it's hard work
for me to drag around. And yet !
haven't been so dreadfully uncomfort-
able, in fact find sitting around in
easy chairs rather pleasant than
otherwise.
And Mrs. Billtops smiles and says
she guesses I'm not 80 dreadfully sick;
and when I tell her about all my pains
and tell her how miserable ! feel
generally she says, Why that's just
q cold, Ezra; you've got hard cold,
that's ALL" and then she smiles some
more and goes on about her work
she never let's up on that-and / sit
back and make myself as near COM
Portable as can, thinking that, well.
perhaps that's all that is the matter
with me, but wishing that whatever
1t is l might soon get over 1t.
But the worst thing about 1t all Ia
that I've still got some appetite. You
wouldn't think that anybody feeling
the way I've been feeling the last four
days could eat thing, but l have
eaten fairly we'll, and Mrs. B. smiles
over that a little too and says that
anybody that can eat can't be so very
sick. but she doesn't say that to make
fun of me-far from it-she says that
to encourage me and make me get
we'll quicker.
"And as a matter of fact ! am be-
ginning to mend some. Coming home
last night found myself whistlins as
I came along the street, which 10
something never do unless l feel
well. had just spontaneously, with
out knowing 1t, started whistling. Ana
that was a pleasant surprise to me,
but / stopped II right away, knowing
that I was not as well as | might be;
/ had got to nurse my illness little
yet: but l hadn't gone more'n ten
rods further before l found myself
humming a tune; apparently my body
was feeling so much better that It
was bound to express itself somehow
even If / did try to choke 1t off; and
when / got into the house and Mrs.
Billtops had taken a look at me-
"Ezra,' she says, cheerfully, I think |
you are feeling better tonight and
l said;
"'Y-es. / think l am feeling a lit |
tie better, and before the evening was
over found myself laughing at some
thing: and this morning l am really i
feeling quite considerable better, and
l think that by a couple Of days more
I shall be back to normal
(Which is my usual condition.
am very rarely ailing at all; almost in
variably l enjoy excellent good health
and keen good spirits, and l am al
ways a little inclined to wonder that
people should let themselves be cast
down as they are just because they
are a little Off What's the use OF
telling the whole world you can't
stand a little bit of pain and suffer
ing?
so it strikes me when I'm feeling,
as l almost invariably do, fit as a
fiddle and looking at everything with
the brightest possible view But do
you know, l find it makes all the diff
ference in the world about this wheth-
er it's the other fellow that's sick or
you.
Eyes, sir When Pm well l wonder
why the ailing man doesn't look cheer
full, anyway; but when I'm sick l feel
right away the need of sympathy"