Wilmer the Druggist

Way back in the Depression we had an outstanding citizen in Harper. His name was Wilmer Harris and he was our town druggist. Now this was toward the end of Wilmer's drug store days and he was about as frail as anybody you'd ever want to meet. He wore a sweater even on hot summer days and was a chain smoker. People said that his ashes in the mixtures he made up made them stronger and more able to cure you. Wilmer had a son, Wilmer Jr. But everybody around Harper just called him Harris. They pronounced it "Hairs." He was one fine baseball player, but he had to go off to war and as far as I know never played no more. But we'll have to save him for later. Now, we want to look at his daddy, Wilmer Sr. One story about Wilmer that comes to mind was when Eva Lou Wardlaw come by to see him about the kind of magazines in his store. She told him the Lord had come to her in a dream and had sent her to get him to stop keeping certain magazines. He asked her which ones and she said the crime ones and the love ones, mainly, but she warn't too sure about some of the others either. Now this is what I liked about Wilmer. He told Eva Lou that she was probably right, but he hadn't been blessed with no dream and would like for her
to meet the magazine man at the store every Wednesday morning and she could pick out what books he should send back. Eva Lou left in a huff saying the Lord hadn't ask her to do that. She was only supposed to tell him to keep the right stuff on his shelves. I don't think Wilmer lived too long after that, but I'm glad he was around long enough to set Eva Lou right before she started messing around with my funny books.

From Hollis: They used to call comic books funny books.