The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-09-08
WEEKLY SHORT STORY
CROSBY'S CURE.
BY Sidney Hodges Cole


In the cool gloom of the big, dim
Office the eminent physician looked
keenly at Crosby and shook his head.
Your trouble, my boy, is common
inc: in fact. il is becoming alarmingly
common in these days" he said. You
-enurOsis Americana; in other words,
plain ordinary OverwOrk. You've got
are a icted with what / choose TO call
to drop ii for a time.
1T is imperative that YOU get away,
and at once. Go tOmOrrOv-anywher
where it is quiet and you can live for
q time close 10 good old mother earth.
20. yes" said he. "a camp UP in the
wilderness. l suppose
The physician interrupted him with
a vigorous shake of the head. Keep
away from the camp" he said fatty.
1.-The simple life they advertise is a
delusiOn and a snare. I know them
from A to L."
He leaned toward the young man
with a smile of understanding. Il was
in the same boat once myself he OBJ
served. Il am going TO tell YOU what
/ did, an dadvise you 10 go and do like
wise. l started out with no fixed des-
tination in view. l travelled until /
found a quiet little town that suited
u
in two months l was new man.
Suppose you try that plan"
The next morning Crosby hurriedly
put his business affairs in order as
best he could, and early afternoon
found him speeding away en- route for
Ashville Junction.
At the junction he took the branch
line, bought a ticket for the end OF
the route and settled himself comfort
ably in tn etrain to watch the many
little villages from the window and
pick out one that struck his fancy as
a quiet place of abode for a month or
more.
At twilight the train stopped before
a little box of a station which bore
tbe/name "Freeburg" in gold letters
Oh the sign above the tiny ticket office.
in the soft light the place was de-
cidedly attractive. Green stretches Of
meadow went rolling away TO the dis
tant hills, which doomed cool and ma
testic against the flaming western sky
Crosby alighted, and fro mthe IN
even station platform took in his sur
roundings with a sigh of satisfaction.
From the station agent he learned Of
a farmhouse, a half mile away, where
he would very probably find the &C
commodatiOns he sought in the way
of board and lodging.
He picked up his sui tease and made
his way thither. The elderly couple
who lived there received him hospit-
ably, and Crosby, after settling with
them as TO terms, ate his supper and
ives shown 70 rather bare but spot
less room under the caves.
crosby, tired out, retired early, and
slept as he had not slept for months
He was awakened early in the morn
ing by wild whoops, much high-pitch-
ed laughter and the noisy clatter OF
many children He arose and looked
out of the window.
The apple trees had borne strange
fruit overnight Among the branches
he saw a half dozen small and ire
pressible boys, climbing about at i'm
minent risk TO their small necks- a
score more, with a great deal Of IN
necessary noise, were climbing over
the fence just beyond.
Crosby groaned- Plainly the SER
pent, in multiple form. had entered
his little paradise. He dressed hastily
and went downstairs
His host and hostess were awaiting
him at the breakfast table. and TO his
somewhat irritable questions they ex.
planned that the place next door har.
bored fresh-air brood from the city;
that they really did very littl edamagt
and were allowed to climb the apple
trees at will
Breakfast was a rather gloomy af
fair. Crosby ate little, but did a grea
deal of thinking. When it was ovel
event to his room and consulted the
timetable he had brought from the sa
loon.
The first train either way left q
I in the afternoon. In the apple tree,