The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-12-22
AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER.

of the Valley.
AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER.
| The following anecdotes, of DR.. Aberne-
thy are from the National Portrait Gallery,
an able work edited by Mr. Jerden. "Mr.
-, young gentleman with a broken
limb, which refused to heal long after the
/ fracture, went to consult Mr.. Abernethy :
ana, as usual. was entering into all the de-
tails OF his complaint, when he was thus
stopped almost in limine-'s Pray, sir, do you
come here to talk, or to hear me /? If YOU
want my advice it is SO and SOL wish YOU
good morning" A scene ofgreater length
and still greater interest and entertainment
TOOK place between our eminent surgeon and
the famous John Philpot Curran. Mr.. Cur
ran, It seems, being personally unknown to
INN, had visited Mr.. Abernethy several
times, without having an opportunity of full
~ explaining las he thought) the nature of
his malady; at last determined to have a
hearing, when interrupted in his story, he
nxed his dark bright eye on the DOCTOR
and said" Mr.. Abernethy," have been
4 here on eight different days, and have
paid you eight different guineas; bat you
have never yet listened to the symptoms of
my complaint. ! am resolved, sir, not to
leave this room till you satisfy me by doing
So" Struck by his manner, Mr.. Abernethy
threw himself back in his chair, and assum-
ed the posture OF most indefatigable lis
I tener, exclaimed, in tone of half surprise,
half humor, Oh, very well, sir, am reudy
TO hear you out. 60 on, give me the whole !;
your birth, percentage, and education. |
wah yopr pleasure; go on" Upon which,
1 Curran, not whit Disconnected, gravely
begnn =" My name is John Philpot Curran
My parents were poor, but believe honest
people, of the province of Munster, where
MISC was horn, being u native of New
n"Iket' county OF Cork, in the year one
Thousand seven hundred and fffty. NV faith
er being employed to collect the rents Of a
Protestant gentleman of small fortune. in
that neighborhood obtained nv entrance
into one of the Protestant free-scbools.
where obtained the first rudiments of nv
education. | was next enabled to enter
Trinity College, Dublin, in the humble
! sphere of sizer"-and SO he continued for
several minutes, giving his astouished hear
er true, but irresistably laughable account
OF his birth, pareniage, and education" as
desired. till he came 10 his illness ami suf-
ferings, the detail of which was not again
[ interrupted. 1t is hardly necessary to add.
that Mr.. Abernethy's attention to his gifted
patient was from that hour 10 the close of
his life, asslduous, unremitting, and deyot-
ed" Again, Mrs. Il consulted him on
the nervous disorder, the minutim of which
appeared to be SO fantasticel, that Mr.. Aber-
nethy interrupted their frivolous detail. by
holding out his hand for the fee. A one
pound note and a shilling were placed in it.
upon which he returned the latter 10 his
fair patient with the angry exclamation of.
There ma am GO and buy skipping-rope:
that is all you want" Mr.. Abernetby's
strong point iii prescribing is generally ad.
dressed to the relief of the bowels. and To
the lowering and regulation of the diet and
regimen. He is, consequently, much sought
in dyspeptic disorders; and, it is stated,
often refers TO such page in one of his
books, where he has already given the rem
edy. The patients have only to buy the
work. where they will find an exact descrip-
ton OF their symptoms, and recipe for their
cure. On one occasion, lady, unsatisfed
with this amount of information, persisted
in extracting from Mr. Abernethy what she
might eat, and after suffering from her vol
utility with considerable patience for a
while, he exclaimed to the repeated, NAV
eat oysters, Doctor? May eat slippers ?h
"Fll tell you what, ma am, you may eat any
thing but the poker and the bellows; for
the one is too hard of digestion, and the
other is full of wind" The reported fash
ion of his courtship and marriage is also ex-
tremely characteristic. tits told, that while
attending Il lady for several weeks, he Oh
served those admirable qualifications in her
daughter, which he truly esteemed to be
calculated to render the married state hap
Ply. Accordingly on Saturday, when TAX
ing leave of his patient, he addressed her to
the following purport: "You ale now so
we'll that need not see you after Monday
next, when | shall como and pay you my
farewell visit. But, in the mean time,
wish you and your daughter seriously to
consider the proposal l am now about 10
make. 1t is abrupt and unceremoEious,
am aware, but the excessive occupation of
my time, by my professional duties, Affords
me no leisure to accomplish what desire
by the more ordinary course of attention
and saliriiafion- My annual receipts amount
10 e., and ] can settle E. on my wife,
my character is generally known to the pub
lie, SO that you may readily ascertain what
1t is: have seen in your daughter ten
der and affectionate child, an asslduous and
careful nurse, and gentle and lsdy-like
member of family; such person must be
all that husband can covet and offer
my hand and fortune for her acceptance.
On Monday, when call shall expect your
! determination for really have not time
for the routine ofcouttship. In this humor,
the lady was wooed and won; and we be-
lieve we may add, the union has been fe-
licitous in every respect"
| -
! AGREEABLE PEOPLE. One reason why
we meet with so few people who are rea-
sonable and agreeable in conversation, is,
that there is scarce any one who does not
think more of what he has to say than Of
answering exactly what is said to him.
Even those who have the most address and
complaisance, think they do enough If they
only seem attentive, at the same time that
one may perceive in their eyes and minds
j hat so adf IN