Intimate Strangers.

Manawatu Herald, 24 October 1899, Page 3

Intimate Strangers.

Suppose a man to have lived 50 years without ever having Been the reflection of his own face. Now lead him before a mirror and let him bave a look. He .vill, of course, recognise the outlines and general appearance of his body ; but his features will be as new and strange to him as those of a person he had never before met. Yet he has worn that mask all his life ; and touched it with his hands times beyond counting ; has by means of it expressed the feelings and passions of half a century; has heard its pecularities remarked upon by others— yet, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh as it is, the glass presents it to his gaze as a novely. Fortunately Nature has so made us that we are commonly satisfied with our looks, otherwise this man might curse the hour he first beheld his own countenance.

On a page of a book which lies on my table this brigut morning is a picture which— were it published without title or description— probably the most of us would not understand ; yet the original is vitally important to ev- ry human being. No • mirror throws back its structure to the eye, nor has the owner ever laid hands on it. Nevertheless its name is daily on our lips, and on its faithful performance of duty largely depend our efficiency and happiness. Still,. peopl. are continually a ,! uding to it in words of wailing and complaint. They find no end of fault with it when it goes wrong, and when it goes right seldom pay it the comp'iment of doing good work. "The way of the world," and remind me; "alas! the way of the world."

For example here i. one who . ayß that in tha early part of 1890 she began to suffer from a bad stomach and indigestion. Now the stomach tries to be good and not bad. It makes constant and mighty efforts to accomplish its task and so furnish the rest of the body with health, strength, and beauty : but it often fails dismally, and then its owner characterises it as a " bad " stamach.

Now who, or what is accountable ? Continuining, our correspondent adds ; " I had no relish for food, and after eating I had pains at the chest and sides. Whatever kind of food I took nothing agreed with me. I made use of various medicines in ho; es of relief, but none of them did me any good. At last a neighbour, Mrs Tyrell, told me how she had ben- fitted— having had the same, complaint—by Mother Seigel's Syrup, and recommended me io try it. Somewhat encouraged by what she said, I procured a bott'e of tbis remedy, and soon found that it relieved me as nothing else had done. I cou'd eat better, all food agreed with me, and I felt better every way. Since that time— now four years ago — I have .Apt well, taking an occasional dose of the Syrup when I seem to need it. My daughter suffered from the same troub c, and Mother Seige'.'s Syrnp had the like effect in her case. You are at 'iberty to made any use you 'ike of this statement." — (Signed) Mrs Elizabeth Naulty, Foresters Arms Inn, 96, Scouring burn, Dundee, Ju'y 2nd. 1887.

This lady's stomach did not become " bad " of " malice prepense and aforothought," as the lawyers say of certain crimina's. The cause Jay ia the conditions of her life, her habits of ea'ing, maybe— with, possibly, inherited weakness. There are so many things and combinations of things, that tend t ■ procure or d. velop dypppsia, it is hard to trace them in individual instances. The symptoms (or consequences), how.ver, are more numerous, daneerous, and deceptive than the uninsfruct. d imagine. It is for this reason that so great a multitude of a'leged " dvspep ia remedies" are prepared. But the " bad " stomach having been slow to abandon duty and strike work, doe 3 not respond to any and all sorts of drugs tbat may be thrown hopefully into it. The case muet be exactly adapted to the disease, and if there is a mrdicine which so perfectly meets this requirement as Mother Seige's Syrup, tbe world bas not yet heard of it. The tired aud inflamed organ receives it for the genuine stimulus and healer that it is— and the "bad" Btomach is changed back into a good one. You now guess what that picture on my table represents- -a machine in yonr body you will never see, but which in other ways you may study and know more about.