Litchfield enquirer., 1831-06-02
THE DEATH WARNING.

OI one oI me meOtCdI prOIeSSlOn. And yet our duty as faithful chronicler of the times, both by.gone aud present, will not I allow us in all cases to consult our own in- dividUal or professional feelings. We are bound to cast aside 1he mantle sr prejudice and partiality, andsstand encased only in the armor of truth.
 Doctor Phlebotomy dwelt in wealthy and populous village, on the banks of the Housatonic, where he had an extensive and lucrative practice; not only cmbraI cling the village itself, but several miles of the surrounding country. He enjoyed the entire confidence of ihe ladies, which is every thing in the practice of medicine {; for physician, having the good opinion of the female portion ofcommunity, may cal- cuiate on the support ofthc male as a mat ter of course. Such was the good fortune of Doctor Phlebotomy he was believed, about home, to be the greatest doctor tn the world, and made money like dust
 Yet with all these advantages, he could not be satisfied with his proper and lawful gains, but fell into the bad habit of charging two visits where he had made only one. In this way, his accounts had swelled to an amount little to be expected in coun- try practice.
 But in the midst of this signal success, an incident took place, which convinced the doctor, that in spite of his growing wealth. in spite of the powers of medicine, and the wonderful effects wrought upon others by his skilfGl hands, his own last hour had come. It was a solemn thing to be cut off in the prime of life in the midst of strength and the increase of practice; making money hand over fist 1t was indeed a solemn thing. It was n potion too bitter to be swallowed it could scarcely be thought of without shuddering. And yet, dreadful as was the con.empla- ton, it was brought most fearfully to the mind of Doctor Phlebotomy. t..
 One dark and stormy evening he had retired to bed earlier than usual, and with a slight attack of the sore throat. He had baihed his feet in warm water, rubbed his throat with volatile liniment, and taken a dose of paregoric. He was just beginning to get into slumber, when he was aroused by horrid and most appalling noise, as if proceeding from cistern, which was sitn- ated within few feet of the house. It was as the noise of some heavy body fal- ling into the water, and succeeded by a deep, hoarsc, and dolorous gEoap, every now and then interlarded with an indignant burst, as if proceeding from the mouth of stuck swine.
 Doctor Ph!ebotomy was not altogether believer in supernatural warnings, and ghostly premonitions but the state of his health that evening, the partial effect ofthe paregoric, the gloominess of the weather, and the consciousness of fraud in his deal- ings towards his patients, united, along with the dismal noise, to convince him that his earthly accounts were nearly closed. His imagination became painfully vivid the sound seemed to him not only like that of drowning mortal, but as if body were rudely let down into grave, and the clods were carelessly thrown upon the coffin 1; and then there were the groans of an unqui- ct and troubled spirit, as if reluctantly parting with its tenement of clay.
 Mrs. Phlebotomy was just getting into bed, when the doctor, aroused from his in- cipient slumbers, and giving wings to his morbid fancy, started up, and exclaimed Wh-wh-wllat's that, my dear !'
 " Nothing, presume ;' said the good lady" it's merely your imagination"
 My imagination! Mrs. Phlsbotony Why, do you think my imagination can make such noise as that ! It sounds om- inous." ......
 "Do lie down, Doctor," said the alfec- tionate wife, gently laying her hand on his shoulder-" do lie down and cover your- self up; you'll take fresh cold" She suc- ceeded in making him lie down. -
 "Don't you hear that noise, my dear 2" said the doctor.
 "Why-why-to be sure--I can't say and yet-I dare say-I presume, my dear, it's nothing but the wind. Yon know the wind is uncommonly high to night"
 Thus Mrs. Phlebotomy endeavored like a loving wife, to calm the apprehensions of her husband. But she was not without fear herself. She had heard the noise, and was firm believer in signs and fore warnings of approaching mortality. But she wished to alIay the fears of her hus- band, lest they might have an injurious ef- feet on his health, and perhaps carry him to the grave before his appointed time. Ii was therefore both natural and prudent to endeavor, as we'll as she could, to soothe his apprehensions, and to persuade him that he was deceived by his imagination.
 The dismal sound continued, and seem- ed every moment to wax more and more fearfnl. But whatever of the supernatural n G Ah~