“No, mine is not the wounding steel, My life is on a gentler plan; My mission is to cure and heal-- I'm the Codliver Capsule Man. “I do not cause the poor distress By hoarding all the gold I can; I, advertising, pay the press-- I'm the Codliver Capsule Man. “And if no sonnets I can write, Pray do not put me under ban; Remember, if your blood turns white, I'm the Codliver Capsule Man!” “Well,” asked Biggs, the morning after I had delivered the poem, “how did she take it?” I looked at Biggs suspiciously. If I had seen a glimmer of an indication that he was fooling with me, I would have killed him; but he seemed to be perfectly serious. “Was that poem intended to be humorous?” I asked. “Why, yes! Yes! Certainly so,” Biggs replied. “At least it was supposed to be witty; to provoke a smile and good humor at least.” “Then, Biggs,” I said, “it was a glorious success. They smiled. They smiled right out loud. In fact, they shouted. The poet and I had to pour water on Kate to get her out of the hysterics. It is all right, of course, to be funny; but the next time don't be so awful funny. It is not worth while. I like to see Kate laugh, if it helps my cause; but I don't want to have her die of laughter. It would defeat my ends.” “That is so,” said Biggs, thoughtfully. “Did she say anything?” “Yes,” I said; “when she was able to speak, she asked me if the poem was a love poem.” “What did you tell her?” asked Biggs, and he leaned low over his desk, turning over papers. “I told her it was,” I replied; “and she said that if any one was looking for a genius to annex to the family, they ought not to miss the chance.” “Ah, ha!” said Biggs, proudly; “what did I tell you? You humbled yourself. You said, 'See! I am only the lowly Codliver Capsule man;' but you said it so cleverly, so artistically, that you gave the impression that you were a genius. You see what rapid strides you are making? Now here,” he added, taking a paper from his desk, “is No. 4, in which you gracefully and poetically come to the point of showing her your real standing. You have been humble--now you assert yourself in your real colors. When she reads this she will begin to see that you wish to make her your wife, for no man states his prospects thus clearly unless he means to propose soon. You will see that she will be ready to drop into your hand like a ripe peach from a bough. I have called this 'Little Drops of Water.'” “Wait a minute,” I said. “If this is going to have anything about the Codliver Capsules in it, don't you think the title is just a little suggestive? You know our formula. Don't you think that 'Little Drops of Water' is rather letting out a trade secret?” Biggs smiled sarcastically.