MATCHES didn't fall in the coffee-pot, nor a spider in the tea-kettle, neither did they eat poisonous herbs for greens. The fact is, the mother ought to have known better; but she didn't, and her friends were not their sister's keepers. It happened that the newly-wedded couple occupied a 10x14 unventilated sleeping room, consequently each one breathed the air of that room every ten minutes or so, breathed it over and over again twelve times every hour, one hundred times every night. After a time into this bad air came an heir, comely and good, which barely maintained its gravity, being inflated with escaped gases from the bodies on either side. The advent of heir No. 2 was soon recorded, and the inflation process was repeated. No. 1 was transferred to a cot within the mother's reach. In due time No. 3 was welcomed, and five human beings breathed the poisonous air of the 12x14 room, for air once breathed is poisonous. It followed that the poor innocents had colds, croups, and pneumonias, and as the sickness increased the more closely the doors were guarded, and the higher the temperature was raised. A consultation of doctors was called, and although the children survived the rhubarb and quinine, hot packs, and homeopathic pellets, they have not, nor ever will recover from the air poisoning. But the mother pondered on the problem and finally solved it. A windmill in the center of that 10x14 room to-day would be in danger of collapsing, for the north, south, east, and west winds wash the room and its belongings. Up stairs in separate rooms three snowy cots, bathed in the same pure fluid, laugh and point their fingers at the doctors. Prof. Norton in his late lecture said, but the gentlemen on Main Street did not hear him, that wherever there was an offensive odor there was contagion. This woman, who has learned a little at so great a cost, may possibly inspect the pipes and troughs about the premises, and apply deodorizers and disinfectants.—Missionary, in Woodland Democrat.