Milford chronicle., 1915-06-04
CURED BY ALAUCH
1t Was a Hearty One and Better
Than a Dose of Medicine.
A STORY ABOUT A LECTURE.
Il Ought to Have Been Funny and
Seemed at the Time to Be Funny and
Yet Afterward There Was Grave
Doubt as to Whether It Was or Not.

"What's your book?" Squire Dumon
asked Of a neighbOr as they sat wait
ing their turn in tie village barber
shop.
"Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.
was the reply. 4 just got it out OF
the library. | suppose you would call
it pretty light reading"
"You needn't be bit ashamed of it.
Mr. Pinkham," said the squire, heart
lily. It's a book that has done a lot
Of good. 1t has made thousands of peo-
pie laugh, and a good laugh is often
better than dose of medicine"
I've seen that proved" said Mr..
Plnkham. 81 went to hear Mark
Twain lecture once" he added. with
a reminiscent chuckle.
"You don't say sor' exclaimed the
squire 4 never had that pleasure
myself. 1t must have been a great
treat"
Yes. it was. I'm a great admirer
Of Mark Twain and have been for
years. I had always wanted to see and
hear him. and when / saw in a Port
land paper that he was to lecture there
on a certain evening it came over ne
that that was my time TO 90 and hear
him.
Il had just lost a lawsuit, and my
wife was away from home with a sick
sister. was pretty blue and lone
some and felt the need of being cheer,
ed up.
Il took the afternoon train. caiculat |
ing to get to my cousin Jims in time
for supper and then go to the lecture.
But, as luck would have it. a freight
train had been wrecked near Bruins |
wick. and we never got into Portland |
until 8 O'clock However. l hurried to
the hall and paid my way in and got a
good seat right up in front l had
missed some OF the lecture, but / was
thankful to get what was left. It
wasn't so much what he said, though.
as the way he said it that tickled me.
I laughed more that night than I had
for year.
"Well, after the lecture was over /
made my way to my cousin Jim's. He
has means. and they live in seme style
but l got cordial weeome. Clara.
his wife. told me that I couldn't see
Jim that night. He was poorly, and
she was a good deal worried about him
But while we were talking he found
)ut was there and sent for me to
,Ome to his room. / never saw any I
)ne more in the dumps than he was.
guess he complained steady for as much
IS half an hour. He was a very sick !
nan. He didn't relish his victuals, and
What he did eat distressed him. Night
-fter night he got hardly a wink of
leep. and nothing interested him any
nore Moreover, what the doctor gave
i'm didn't do a mite of good. 1t was
itiful TO hear him go on Finally he {
sked me how l happened to be in I;
cortland. L
" so you came up to hear Mark /
'wain?' says he. and his face bright
ned up. Did you like himg says he, Il
nd l said. OF course did
Now tell me honestly says he, q
vas that lecture as funny as you ex. Z
ected?' !
Well says l, 1t was funny, OF *
'urse. and I guess when l have had
chance to think It over it Will seem G.
lnnier. But there were parts of It
Iat didn't seem so dreadful funny
Then all at once Jim fell back in -
IS chair and began to choke, and for
minute l was scared. As soon as he
uld speak he says: That wasn't Mark !
vain that you heard. He lectured
re last week. What you heard says
;, was a lecture on the poetry Of
Dbert Browning by Professor
rget now what Jim called his name.
len he took to laughing again, and
thought he'd never stop.
After that Jim wanted to know how -,
e people near me took my laughing II
much at the lecture, and when re- -
embered that some OF 'em did scowl -
little he went off again.
We'll, naturally felt a little cheap.
t afterward l wasn't sorry. The
xt morning Jim said he had had his
st good nights rest for a month. and
really made out quite a breakfast.
Iout fortnight after that l got a
ter from him saying that he was
ling quite like himself again.
! don't know as my visit had a thing
do with it, but I've always felt as if
did. In that case It goes to prove
at you said, squire, that a good
gh is sometimes better than a dose
YOUTHS Companion.