Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-05-08
.SniBcen
1.-THE PIONEERS"

"The following sketch Of the "village doctor"
il from this work The character is adm-
rabl, drawn. and proves that The author has
been acquainted with similar state of so.
Cietyr
"Doctor Elnathan Todd, for such was the
unworthy name OF the man of paysic, was com
monty Thought 10 be. among the settlers,
gentleman OF great mental endowments and
he was assuredly Of rare personal proportions
in height he measured, without his shoes, ex.
actly six feet and four inches. His hands, feet,
and knees, corresponded in every respect
with this formidable stature but every other
part of his fame appeared to have been inten-
ded for d man several sizes smaller, if we
except he length of his limbs. His shoulders
wlCe square, in one scast, at least, being in a
right line from one 81 e To the other but they
were so narrow, that the long donghng arms
that they supported, seemed to issue out of
his back. His neck possessed, in an eminent
degree. the property oflength to which we
have alluded. and it was topped by small
buiiet-head, that exhibited. on one side, a
busting brown bar, and on the other. short,
twinkling, that appeared to maintain con
slant struggle with itself in order to look wise.
He was the youngest son Of a farmer OF Mas
sachusetts. who, being in some what easy cir.
cumstances, had allowed this boy to shoot up
10 the height we have mentioned, without the
ordinary interruptions of field labor, wood
choppng, and such other tolls as were impos.
ed on his brothers. Elnatl,an was indebted tor
this exemption from labor, in some measure. to
his extraordinary growth, which, leaving him
pale, inaniu,ate, and Gstle:s. induced his ten
der mother to pronounce him "a sckly boy,
and one that was not equal 10 work, but who
might arm a living comfortable enough BY tax
ing TO pleading law, or turning minister, or
10 -,
there was a great uncertainty which of these
vacations the youth was best endowed to fill
with credi. and profit; but having 30 other
employment, the stripping was constantly loung-
ing abou, the ''homestead,' munchirs green
apples, and hunting for sorrel when the same
sagacious eve, tsiat had brought TO light his
latent talent, seized upon this circumstance,
as clue to direc, his future path through the
turmols of the world. "Elnahan was cut out
for DOCTOR" she knew, "tor he was forever
digging for YARDS, and tasting all kinds OF
things that crowd about the lots. Then a.
gain he had material love for doctor. stuff, for
when she had left the bilious pills out for her
man, all nicely covered with maple sugar, Just
ready TO take, Nathan had come in, and swa-
lowed them for all the world as if they were
nothing, while Ichabod (her husband) could
never get one down without making stitch des-
perate faces, that il was awful to look on"
"This discovery decided the matter. Ell
nathan, then about If cen, was. much like a
wild colt, cought and trimmed, by clipping his
bushy locks dressed in suit of home spun
died in the butternut bark /; furnished with a
sNeys Testament" and 'Webs,er's Spelling
book" and sent 70 school AS the boy was
by nature uuie shrewd enough. and had pre-
yioush, at odd times, laid the foundations OF
reading writing and arithmetic, lie was soor
ccnspicuous in the srhool for his learning
The del .h.ed mother had the qualification OF
hearing, from the lips OF the master, that her
son was ''prodigious bcJ, and far above ali
his class" He also thought that "the youth
had a natural love for doc'or'rG, as he had
know hum frequently advise The smaller chill
dren against ealing too much; and once or
swice, when the isnoraat h,l!e thin.s had per.