We have had to overhaul everything in consequence, and Josephine firmly
believes that Fred's nervous halt is due to the presence of arsenic in
his system, for the bed-sheets in his college room belonged to the
condemned batch. Seeing that the rest of us are perfectly well, I
secretly suspect that late hours and tobacco are more to blame than
arsenic for my athletic son's condition; but in the teeth of scientific
warning I have not ventured to run the risk of continued exposure, and
have consented to the purchase of new carpets, curtains, window-shades,
and other household apparel.
I am much more concerned, to tell the truth, lest some of the germs
which David is cosseting in his bed-chamber may get loose and ravage
the community. He has a bacillus farm, where, according to his
account, the cholera germ, the germ of tuberculosis, the typhoid-fever
germ, and the diphtheria germ are growing side by side for his private
edification. As Josephine says, there are certain risks which a brave
man has to take; but I am not sure that this is one of them. Even my
darling is a little anxious on the score of contamination, in spite of
her scientific son's assurance that his pets are thoroughly harmless.
I do not really know whether Josephine is prouder of Fred or of David.
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