LAST WEEK I had another instance of superinfluence being exerted in answer to my request:

All the merchants in different classes of business cooperate with each other except the druggists. There has always been a competitive spirit and little underhand tricks between them, and they never would get together. Sometimes it has been hinted to me that I should try to get them to cooperate and close their stores on Sundays and holidays—except one, in turn—to fill prescriptions, etc. But I never would have anything to do with it. I thought it would be useless. Let those silly druggists “stew in their own juice,” since their conduct was so petty.

Well, last week a deputation of clerks came to me and asked me to write a petition for them to their employers and ask them to close their stores on Sundays, with one exception, since they were all running at a loss, and the poor clerks wanted the time for rest and recreation. They asked me, because I’m always kidding them along when I go in their stores, and we have friendly relations, and they know that I’ve sometimes written short stories; so I suppose they thought I could put out a sort of sob-story petition for them.

Well, I agreed to do it. I wrote a petition, all bristling with “whereases” and “now wherefores,” and other high sounding language. How a lawyer would have laughed at it! Then I wrote a paper for the druggists to sign, agreeing to the petition, and another paper for the physicians to sign, agreeing to get their prescriptions filled by