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Show A KIND-HEARTED DRUGGIST. Mark Twain" Telia an Interesting Story of Him. Murk Twain was present at the banquet of the National Wholesale Druggist' Association at a recent mooting in Washington, and in return for his dinner related the following story, given in the Pharmaceutical Era: "About a thousand years ago, approximately, ap-proximately, I was apprenticed as a printer's devil to learn tho trade, in common with three other boys of about my own age. There came to tho village a long-legged Individual, of about nineteen, from one of the interior counties; fish-eyed, no expression, and without 'the suggestion of a smile couldn't have smiled for a salary. We took him for a fool, and thought we would try to scare him to death. We went to the village druggist and borrowed a skeleton. The skeleton didn't belong to the druggist, but he had imported it for the village doctor, because the doctor thought ho would send away for it, having some delicacy about using Laughter. Tho price of a skeleton at that time was fifty dollars. I don't know how high they go now, but probably higher, on account ac-count of tho tariff. Wo borrowed the skeleton about nine o'clock nt night, and we got this man Xicodemus Dodge was his name we got him downtown, down-town, out of tho way, and then we. put tho skeleton in his bed. He lived in a little, one-storied log-cabin in tho mid-dlo mid-dlo of a vacant lot. We left him to get home by himself. We enjoyed the result re-sult in the light of anticipation: but, by-and-by, we began todropintosilenee; the possible consequences were jurying upon us. Suppose that it frightens him into madness, overturns his reason, and sends him screeching through the streets! We shall spend sleepless nights the rest of our days. Everybody was afraid. By-and-by, it was forced to tho lips of one of us that we had better go at, onco and see what had happened. Loaded down with crime, wo approached approach-ed that hut and peeped through tho window. That long legged critter was sitting on his bed with a hunk of gingerbread gin-gerbread in his hand, and between the bites he played a tune on a jew's-harp. There ho sat perfectly happy, and all around him on the bed were toys nnd jimcracks and striped candy. The darned cuss, ho had gone and sold that skeleton for five dollars. (Laughter.) The druggist's fifty dollar skeleton was gone. Wo went in tears to the druggist and explained the matter. We couldn't have raised that fifty dollars in two hundred and fifty years. We were getting board and clothing for tho first year, clothing and board for tho second sec-ond year, and both of them for the third year. The druggist forgave us on the spot, but he said he would like us to let him have our skeletons when we were done with them; There couldn't bo anything fairer fhan that; wo j spouted our dtailctons jna yeut awa'y comfortable. J But fron14t.hu tinto tho druggist's prosperity ceased. That was one of the most unfortunate speculations spec-ulations he ever went into. After some years one of the boys went and got drowned; that was one skeleton gono, nnd I tell you tho druggist felt pretty badly about it. A few years after af-ter another of the boys wont up in a balloon. Ho was to get five dollars an hour for it. When he gets back they will bo owing him one million dollars. The druggist's property was decreasing decreas-ing right along. After ti few more years, tho third boy tried an experiment experi-ment to see if a dynamite charge would go. It went all right. They found some of him, perhaps a vest-pocketful; still it was enough to show that some more of that estate had gone. The druggist was getting along in years, and he commenced to correspond with me. I have been tho best correspondent correspond-ent ho has. He is thesweetest-natured man I ever saw always mild and polite, and never wants to hurry me at all. I get a letter from him every now and then, and he never refers to my form as a 'skeleton; says: "Well, how is it getting along is it in good repair?" I got a night-rate message from him recently said he was getting old and the property was depreciating in value, and if I could let him have a part of it now he would give time on the balance. Think of the graceful way in which he does everything the generosity of it all. You cannot find a finer character than that. It is the gracious characteristic of all druggists. So, out of my heart, I wish you all prosperity and every happiness." |