Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-26

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Illat night when my mother came
INTO my room to tuck me in. she
SnnIed at me several times, and said:
II your father smelled like that
should know what was the matter
With him What have you been drink
ing?"
Nothing" l told her. / was never
much Of stickler for the truth in
my early childhood
How do you feei?"
"All right
Wei, .ilosa apples you ate this
afternoon must have fermented in
your stomach. - you're not better in
the morning I'll call the doctor"
was better in tie morning, but /
still had headache.
And since then 1 never take ANY,
thing stronger than water without
putting something in 1t to take the
burn out
l will pass over my various unsuc-
cessful purchases in my boyhood DAYS
Suffice to say that / got all the clip
N~~N"A 40 q ~ a Y ., WOA p1llCSS OOSS ana
heavier-than-air balloons that other
boys didn't want but knew how to
get rid of. Sales-talks always got me-
The new toys I ives given by my par
e1ts were as Gust in my hands COM
pared to the old ones other bows
Dragged about. We. traded, at their
suggestion. 1 knew presently I had
made bad bargains, but as soon, as
some other skillful merchant got hold
of me 1 fell again, s5 a
1t was winter before last that I in
vested in fishing trip vended by a.
friend who wanted to go to Florida,
and didn't want to go alone. I had
been an avid reader Of advertisements
of fishing tackle, and of descriptions
Of battles with barracuda and tarpon
and sailfish. I had never caught so
much as a tom cod, butoi believed
that this was to one sport for which
waS born ae
/ invested heavily in tackle, End
more heavily in railroad tickets and
hotel accommodations. I was all eX-
element when we put off one morn
ing in a little boat with asmen to
run the motor and headed for the
fishing grounds. / handled my tackle
as directed and presently got strike
At the same time a fine rain began
to descend, and the boat started to
rock in a peculiar spiral fashion that
/ didn't like THE fish got away
easily, but I soon hooked another.
This was big one which dragged us
in shore to where the. waves were
running higher. I tried to shake him
off the hook, So. we could get out
where it was. smoother, but he. hung 1
on. In half an hour I was through
with fise1ng forever = Gisgusted with
life for that matter. All I wanted
was to be on shore again But. L had
to stay till my COMPANION sflad gSot
his. barracuda I was then u1lsold,
and shall never fish again
My fishing experience cured meUof
a desire for3 anyo form of spofti tha67
had to be followed in the great OUT
doorS-but only for time. This win
ter another friend talked continually
about the joys of spending a winter
in the north woods that found my
self waVering. He spoke of sitting in
his bungalow, in the AdirondackS,,
with two other fellows to help. at a
bridge game, While great log fire
roared on the hearth, and bacon siz-i 4
zled in the frying pan. lie bowling
OF the gale without would make the
place the more coy and homelike. In
the morning wefeouiel2 tramp through
the drifts, go skiing or tobogganning,
or if the lake had been cleared, take
a sail in his ice yacht. When1hef had
got through I was clamoring for him
to make date for Our departure.
His promise of snow was fulfilled
There was plenty of it. But. the logs
were wet, and only Smouldereds The
bacon we managed to warm through
by nE<Sing fire Of old newspapers
Under the frying pan. We got the
coffee a little better than -tepid by
the same process. But crawling be-
tween the blankets on the beds was
like crawling between sheets of ice.
I had to pile all my extra clothes on
top of me, and then I snivered far
into the night before I finally was
warm enough to go to sleep.
There was no skiing or toboggan-
ming or ice yachting. If there had
been / would not have amused myself
that way. I spent two days drying
out the logs with chip fires, and an,
other day burning them. Then the
blizzard blew itself out and the other
boys began to settle down to enjoy
ment. Not me. 1 Waded three miles
to the railroad station and went home.
I don't know what I'll be sold next,
But it will be something will think
enthusiastically about for weeks, until
I crave for it as an addict Graves for
drugs. Then I'll pay more than can
afford to for it, and in day or so
throw it away. I will try to sell it
second hand, Of course, but I shall
not be successful. am customer,
not a salesman.
(Copyrigflt, 1923, Bell Syndicate, Inc)