Semi-weekly herald., 1912-05-20
Under
Difficulties


+ alton, a dissipation, lure and dis
appointment.
! Years ago 1t dawned upon him that
! going through The museum was duty
he owed himself and his city. so
! condescendfngly one day while out for
walk he said to himself that he
might as well drop in.
McGinnis had also something OF the
feeling OF the amateur when he found
a sign up saying that the museum was
| closed for repairs. He walked away
with his respect for the institution in
creased as ones respect always in
creases for the unattainable. IL he
could have walked right In he prob
ably never would have thought any
thing more about 1t. but his curiosity
was now aroused. Right at hand was
wonderful collection of instructive
things and he was puzzled to know
why people persisted in talking about
stocks and ocean trips and the cost
of beefsteak and dairy products In
stead of holding up their hands and
exclaiming over the marvels at their
gates.
When his cousin John came to town
McGipnis clapped him on the shoul-
der. And Dow," he said, well go and
see the Field museum!"
Cousin John was glad to go. Both
OF them, however. became so interest
ed in the cases of Pompeian relics and
Roman bronze as one goes in that
1t was closing time before they knew
it.
Those bathtubs certainly were
great" Cousin John said that night.
ITO think that those old boys really
took baths the same as we dol"
McGinnis' brother-in-law was better
educated, so when some months later
McGinnis started out to the museum
with him in tow McGinnis felt he was
going to have a treat. Having seen
the first cases before, McGinnis took
great pride in pointing out to his rel
ative the old frying pans and vases
and pitchers incrusted with lava.
over here" he said, ARE couple
of bathtubs, too, that they dug up on
a Pompeian estate"
Sorry" said the attendant, hours
later, tapping McGinnis on the shoui-
der, but It's closing time"
ut does beat all" McGinnis said as
they started reluctantly homeward,
how much time one can waste just at
the very start! Didn't you see some
stuffed elephants or something farther
back? Wen have to try again some
day!"
The brother-in-law, however, had to
leave Unexpectedly and McGinnis
started out alone. Bipps met him on
the way and said he'd like to go, too.
McGinnis laid straight course in tho
direction of the huge elephants a mile
or so farther back, but Bipps collared
him.
Look at those old Roman things!"
he cried enthusiastically. Fancy
their being actually used thousands OF
years agol"
There's some elephants back
there" McGinnis protested. I'm told
the collection of stuffed wild animals
has no equal In the world"
"Jiminy!" chortled Bipps. Look at
the bronze tables and things And II
49, % ch "a SohpiC Vi bdehtuDbs ouy
those are bigger'n ours today-a fell
low could take regular swim"
"And cases of butterflies from India
and Africa and China pursued the
anxious McGinnis. Like enamels in
their COLOR
They must have had oodles OF wa
ter In those days." said Bipps. Say.
how'd you like bath"
And Egyptian tiles and inscriptions
and birds from the moon, l guess.
and"
Those bathtubs certainly get me-
insisted Bipps dreamily. Look at the
effect of the atmosphere on theml To
think that maybe Nero took q bath
in"
Sorry" said an attendant while
they were still looking at the bath
tubs, but it's closing timel"
McGinnis stamped out, followed by
Bipps still talking about the tubs.
There's cuttlefish back there
somewhere" McGinnis growled, ac-
cusingly. "Tweester saw It. so /
know It's there. 1t has a tail like an
aeroplane propeller and two rudders
that extend back for yards! Yards.
I'm telling you'll And a relief map OF
the moon that"
They never could have got those
bathtubs into one of our dinky mod
ern fats" was Bipps' triumphant COM
ment.
McGinnis went absolutely alone the
next time. He resolved to cut his
dearest friend If he interfered. He
made a straight dash from the en-.
trance past the Roman relics that he
could see nights In his sleep and tore
madly for the treasures beyond.
Just as he sighted the African war
elephants and caught glimpse OF a
whole menagerie OF chimpanzees and
gorillas and snakes and musk oxen
and about hundred doors leading
Into other entertainments Sadie Lin
man grabbed his arm.
"Oh, Mr.. McGinnis!" she said. I'm
5000 glad met you! I've got to
write paper for our club on Pompei'
an days and I'm 5000 stupid! Won't
you come back with me to the en-.
trance and tell me what all those
queer old things are that they've dug
up from the ruins and read the in.
scriptions and things to me7 There
are couple OF bathtubs there, too
that are 5000 interesting!"