The Southern herald., 1914-02-27
HIS own MEDICINE
By !. A. TlFFANV.

Say. Joe, do you happen to have a
hundred in your cIothesT'
Got 1t in the safe. father-which
is just as handy. More. too, If you
want it."
mo; thank you, boy. A hundred
will do me-"
As the father pocketed the five
$40 bills and left the office, Joe Ker-
shaw looked after him with a proud
and affectionate glance. then sigh
ed, as he reflected how much older
Mr.. Kershaw was looking this morn
ing.
This little money transaction re-
minded him of many similar ones
years ago, when the positions of the
two men had been reversed.
FUNNY" Kershaw soliloquized.
Father used to object very strongly
to that term in your clothes, when
ever had occasion to touch him my
self But it's the first time, l guess,
that he ever asked anybody for
money and l suppose he found the
phrase expressive"
Though still quite a young man,
and highly proper sort of person,
there had been a time when Joe Ker-
shaw was as wild as the best-or the
Worst-of the boys.
Many were the hundreds-the thou
sands, for that matter-that the old
gentleman had been called upon to
pay out on account of Joe's vagaries;
and they had always been paid with
out murmur.
OF the most staid and exemplary
habits himself, Mr.. Kershaw had al.
ways treated his sons follies leni-
emily; borne them with philosophy. OF
old Puritan stock, he had prided him
self upon the absence of any heredi-
tary tendency to dissipation in his
own family, and accounted for all the
boys vagaries on the theory of some
ancestral taint on the side of Joe's
mother.
Joe was not particularly ashamed of
those days; though he was not in the
habit OF talking about them, either.
He regarded 1t as "all in a lifetime"
part of mans experience. If a
fellow was born to make a fool Of
himself for certain number of years,
while he was young, he would do it
so Kershaw reasoned. The only thing
he ever regretted about it was the
anxiety and pain he had caused his
excellent old father. Sometimes, Mr..
Kershaw had demonstrated with his
son, in a mild sort Of way, over some
piece Of folly more fragrant than
usual; but he had never refused to
cough up" and come to the rescue.
In money matters he had always been
liberal.
This morning Joe remembered the
last occasion on which he had gone
to his father for help out of his diff.
ticulties. 1t was big sum that he
wanted, and as the old gentleman
signed his name to the check, he had
said, in kind, quiet way:
Don't you think, Joe, 1t would
pay you to get married and settle
down"
Il believe you are right, father,
he had replied, but where's the de
cent girl who would marry a fellow
like me?"
There are lots of them, my boy
You don't want to get into the way
Of thinking Of yourself like that
You're not bad fellow. All you have
to do Is to pull yourself together ant
settle down to hard work. It's really
astonishing how quickly people viii
forget a young mans peccadilloes
when they see he's trying to go right
You have brains and energy. YoI
can make your mark in the law, if vol
like. ] believe in letting boy havt
his fling, but you don't want to le
the follies of youth become the vice,
Of your manhood, Joe. l don't wan
to see you go to the dogs"
"You are perfectly right, dad" 10,
had replied as he folded the checl
and put 1t in his pocket. Il guess II
put the peg in and quit
This morning Joe rehearsed tina
scene. Almost word for word. He wa
glad to have the opportunity now, o
accommodating his father with hun
dred dollars. He was sorry the oil
| haA 81
sand
BY the irony of fate, Joe Kershaw
the reformed rake, had been impress
ed into the service Of vigilance CON
mittee, which had been formed 4
. Swifton, for the purpose of purifyin
: the city Of some Of its gambling hellI
all.night saloons, and other sinks O
iniquity," which, according to the pu
+ pit agitators, were being run in d.
flance Of law and disregard of d.
3 cencX
About IL o'clock that night, 1
pursuance Of this committee worl
Joe Kershaw happened into one Q
the more pretentious Of the dow
0 town saloons, to see what was goin
on.
l Looking for your father?' was tn
first greeting he received. It cam
from a tipsy young gentleman
evening dress. whom Kershaw knev
, by sight and reputation.
. "No, sir; am not" Kershaw r,
0 piled, dIstantly.
4 We'll, Of course, l didn't know" tn
u young fellow returned with grin An
hiccough. But If you do want hin