Show A kindhearted KIND HEARTED DRUGGIST mark twain was present at the banquet of the national wholesale druggists association at its recent meeting in washington and in return for his dinner related the following story about a thousand d years ag ago 0 approximately I 1 was apprenticed as a printers devil to learn the trade ila ia common with three other boys about my own age there came to the village a long legged individual of V about 19 from one of the interior counties fish eyed no expression and without the suggestion of a smile 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 it belong to the druggists druggist but he had imported it for the village doctor because the doctor thought he would send away for it having some delicacy about using f laughter flaughter the price of the skeleton at that time was 60 50 1 I dont know how high they go now but probably higher on account of the tariff laughter we borrowed the skelton about 9 last night and we got this man nicodemus dodge was his name wb got him down town out of the way and then hen we put the skeleton in his bed he lived in a little one storied log cabin in middle of a vacant lot we left him to get home by himself we enjoyed the result in the light of anticipation but by anti and by we began to drop into yi bi leuce lence the rho possible consequences were creyi preying ag upon us suppose that it frightens him into ma madness driess overturns his reason and sends him through the streets we shall spend sleepless nights the rest of our days I 1 IF everybody very body was afraid by and by it was forced to the lips of one of us that we had better go at once and see what had bad happened loaded down with crime we approached pro ached that hut and peeped d through the window the long logged legged critter was sitting on his bed with a hunk ahuna of gingerbread ginger bread in his hand and between the bites he played a tune on there he sat perfectly happy and all around him on the bed were toys and jim cracks and striped candy the darned cuss cum had gone and sold that skeleton for 5 laughter the druggists druggist Is 60 50 skeleton was gone we went in tears to the dru druggist and explained the matter W we have raised that 50 in years we were getting buard board and clothing for the first year clothing and board for the second year and both of f them for the third year but the druggist forgave us on the spot but he said he be would like us to let him have our skeletons when we were done with them hem there be anything uny ching fairer than that we spouted our skeletons and went away comfortable but from that timo time the druggists prosperity ceased that was one 0 of f the most eions he ever went into after some years one of the boys went and got drowned that was one skeleton gone and I 1 tell you the druggist felt pretty badly about it A few years atter alter another of f the boys went up in a baloon he was to get 5 an hour for it when he gets baek back they will be owing him the druggists property was decreasing right along after a few more years the third boy tried an experiment to see if a dy 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 eata estate to had gone the druggist was getting along in years and he commenced to correspond with me I 1 have been the best correspondent he has he is the sweetest natured man I 1 ever saw always mild and polite and never wants to hurry me at all 1 I got get a letter from him every now and then and he never refers to my form as a skeleton says well how is in it getting along is it in good repair I 1 got a night rate message menage from him recently and he was getting old and the property was depreciating precia ting in value and if I 1 could let jet him have a part of it now be would give time on alacce laughter think of the graceful way in which he does everything rhe 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 1 wih you all prosperity and every happiness 1 era bra |