fShe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Deadly Doorknob 
How Sammy Merwin Caught the Measles 
Sammy Merwin was down with the 
measles, aiul wliere on earth he caught 
them no one could tigure out. Ilis mother 
hnew that measles was a dangerous dis¬ 
ease in young children, because of fre¬ 
quent and seriou.s complications, even 
though it did not prove fatal in itself. 
So, when she learned that there were 
measles in the neighborhood, she kept 
Sammy at home and felt safe. The idea 
»<f some of the neighbors that a child 
might better have the measles while 
young and get them over with didn't 
ai)peal to Mrs. i\rerwin ; she was sensible 
enough to realize that the younger a child 
the less his resistance to disease, and 
that, if he must be sick at all, the longer 
the illness is postponed the better. 
But how could Sammy have caught the 
measles? lie had not been near a siik 
child, and hardly iiwjiy from home for 
weeks. .Tack Frost and the North AYind 
had quarantined nearly every house with 
a snowbank, and there was little need 
for the rwl cards of the health otlicer. It 
is true that Mr.s. Howard, who lived ,a 
half mile down the road, had run in 
about 10 days before S.ammy came down 
with a rash and had asked Mrs. Merwin 
to telephone for the doctor. She said that 
Susie had broken otit with what she was 
afraid Avas the measles. But Mrs. Hoaa'- 
ard had only stepptul inside the door for 
a minute and Sammy Avas out feeding his 
<‘hickens at the time; he certainly could 
not haA’e caught the measles from her. 
When Dr. Wise calh'd to see Sammy, 
Mrs. ^lerwin asked if measles could ride 
through the air on snoAvHakes. Dr. Wise 
drew his shoulders back and sAvelh'd up a 
little, as one has to AA'heu giA’ing pro¬ 
fessional information, and said that the 
old idea of contagious dis<‘ases ti'aveling 
through the air had bt'en disc'arded. It 
was noAv believed to be by means of some 
of the discharges from the bo‘(iy that; our 
oivlinary communi(!able diseases Avere 
S{)read. In the case of measles, he said, 
the poison lay in the dischiirges from the 
nose, throat, eyes and ears. 
This only increased tin* mystery. 
Sammy’ hadn't com(^ in contact AA’ith any¬ 
one Avho Avas sick .and no sick j)erson had 
been near the house. Things had indeed 
come to a pretty pass Avhen Dr. Wise had 
to confess ignorance of anything pertain¬ 
ing to his profession, and he could hardly 
luiA’c been said to have done so here, for, 
when pressed for an explanation, he said 
that he deemed it possibly a case of auto¬ 
intoxication. Sammy’s gr.amlmother de¬ 
clared that that Avas just Avhat she had 
thought all the time, for the bo.v AA’ouldn’t 
keep out of the auto, even in the Winter 
time. And Dr. Wise; hurrii'd JiAvay to see 
anorher jiatieut. 
Mrs*. Merwin Avasn't satisfied, howevei’, 
and she det('rmined to ask Dr. .loinvay’, 
the health otlicer, Avlien he c.anie to the 
house. J)r. .Tonway Avas rejuited to ha\'e 
a nose for trailing dis«'ase.s as a hound 
folloAv.s the hare; surely he could unravel 
the snarl. But Dr. .loiiAva.v meiady Avinked 
at Sammy and said that he Avould be 
jiggered if he knew, 'I'he he.alth, officer 
was not as old as Dr. Wise and perhaps 
not as dignilied in the .sickroom as he 
should have b«M‘n. Such language, at any 
rate, Avas hardly defensible. Among them 
all, there Avas no one to explain hoAV 
Sammy MerAvin caught the measles. Dr. 
Wise’s explanation didn’t really siitisfy 
anyone but (Jrandm.a Merwin. BetAveen 
you and I and the hit(diing post, however, 
there Avei’e those Avho kneAV’, though they 
were not talking. 'I'lie Mi'iisleimps kncAV, 
but the Measleim])s nevt'r talk. 
If you have never seen a Mejishdmp. 
you must know that they are quec'r little 
p<'ople Avith h'gs that curl like coi’k- 
scrcAVS. Instead of Avalking. they bound 
around on these spiral legs, Avhich, of 
course, act like springs under them. If 
you could see him, you Avould l.atigh to 
watch a Measleini)) getting about. Some¬ 
times, in his hiiste to get out of a ray of 
sunlight that suddenl.v pops through a 
window, he Avill bound so high that his 
bead touches the ceiling. But ,a’ou can't 
see a Measleimp unless you stjueeze one 
eye tight shut Jind loftk Avith the other 
jtbrough a long brass tube fastened to a 
horseshoe. So very fcAV people have ever 
seen them. 
Noav the IVIeasleimps have to live all 
the time in dark places, for they Avould 
soon die out in the sunlight. Even the 
outdoor air shriv(ds them up and t.akes 
all their strength aAvay. That is probably 
the reason they are so hateful. No one 
can live all the time in dark, dirt,\’ places, 
UAvay from the fresh air, and keep good 
natuied. It is a fact ttiat the ^If'asleimp.s 
h.aven’t a good tr.-iit about them. They 
hide in bureau draAvers and under the 
edges of the carpet and Avatch their 
chance to spring out upon unprotected 
children. They can’t abide soap and 
AA’ater and luiA’e been knoAA’ii to fiiint aAvay 
at the sight of a mop. They are not 
))eoi)le to be associated Avith under any 
circumstances. 
But to get back to Samm.A’ MerAvin; 
it so happened that a family of Measle- 
imps had moA’ed into the neighborhood in 
a lady’s trunk, and, upon getting out of 
th.at aft('r dark, they had found their AA’ay 
to the school-house. That was the be¬ 
ginning of it and that is Avhere Susie 
lloAvard comes in. Old T’eter Measleimj) 
and a number of his great-great-giand- 
(diildren hid in a fohl of Susie’s dress and 
AVfU’e ciirried home Avith her. 'I'liat night 
they sprang upon Susie’s bed and 
The Matslciiiips Clct 
bound(;d all over the blue (;overlid that 
Susie’s grandmother had AA'oven Avith her 
oAvn hand.s, the one Avith F. T. II. in the 
corner. They cruAvled up behind Susie’s 
ears and hopped over her face and doAvn 
her neck; and the A ery next morning, 
wherever they had step])ed Susie Avas 
broken out Avith a big pickled beet blotch. 
It Avas Avhen 31 rs. lIoAvard .saw these 
blotches that she decided to go over to 
Mrs, MerAvin’s .and telei)hone for the 
doctor. Before going, she picked up 
Susie’s handkerchief Avhich had fallen 
off: from the bed, Avfthout noticing, of 
cour.se, that the 3Ieasleimps had hidden in 
it Avhen the sun came up. Old 1‘eter 
Measleimp now saAV a chance for more 
mischief, so, AA’ith tlu’ce of his grt'at-great- 
grandchildren, he clung to Mrs. lIoAvard’s 
hand and Avas carried along Avith her. 
Old I’eter didn’t Avant to come b.ack Avith 
Mrs. IIoAvard, for Susie’s big brother Ed 
had had the measles and I’eter aa’us afraid 
of him. So, Avhen 3Irs. IIoAvard ojiened 
the door to return home, old Peter and 
his three gr<mt-great-grandchildreu slipi)ed 
from her thumb and clung to the door¬ 
knob. 'I'hat AA’as a mistake upon old 
Peter’s part, for, if he had been obliged 
to stay ui)on that shiny doorknob a great 
Avhile, he Avotild hiiviA died, aiid it Avas 
.'‘o far from the floor that he ilidn't dare 
jumi) doAA’u. Did P«der’s h'g.s AA’er<‘n’t as 
springy as they used to be. He Avas 
worried Avhen he saAV Avhat he had done. 
You Avill remember that, Avhen 31rs. 
lIoAvard calh'd, Sammy Avas out feeding 
his chickens. As luck would Inu'e it, he 
went into the house ju.st after 3Irs. Hoav- 
ard left; and that is all that saA’cd old 
Peter and his three great-great-grand¬ 
children from a lingering death upon the 
doorknob. They clung to Sammy’s hand, 
and. as he dreAV his slecA’e across his nose, 
(Continued on page 404.) 
Family cold ? Brin^ 'em over Kere ! 
Ow Itooise is fine and'warmi 
“It’s a terribly cold night and the mer¬ 
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the children and your mother over here. 
We’re cozy as kittens, June and I are 
playing checkers and the kids are nice 
and Avarm, playing on the floor.’’ 
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