Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-08-15
From the DiaU Of Printers Physician
THE FISHERMAN.

From The DiaIy of Printers Physician.
THE FISHERMAN.
When | have passed through the
Fish Market Of st. Catherine, and seen
the spcckled trout, the streaked bass,
or the shining shad, often have tho't,
how many fish have been devourcd by
men on shore, and how many Jonah's
have been swallowed by fish at sea-
Musing on this interesting and philo-
sophical point, one dark evening in No.
vember, | was abruptly accosted by a
little urchin, with-"Oh! Doctor, come
with me, Doctor" suppose he knew
! was Doctor by my spectacles. All
Doctors are alike in spcctacles, grare
looks, and some other physical appear
ances.
81 do not intend TO deny the accura-
cy of your portrait, my young friend"
said |, "but, pray, rs am doctor,
what IS your business with my profess
sion?"
ooh, doctor, my father is very sick;
viii you not come TO him. We almost
fear he viii become insane2"
As there Is no time to be lost in such
cases, | hurried on with my conductor
to the invalid's chamber; at the door !
met his wife, who told me her husband
was a fisherman-that he was usually
in excellent health, but not then--that
ever since one day in last summer,
when he joined "Chowder party," and
fell asleep after dinner on the sands, he
had been so uneasy and so full of pain,
that he had enjoyed neither sleep nor
rest since.
"Pray, what are his symptoms?'
| ole seems to waste away daily and
hourly in spite of all the nourishment
he takes; for his appetite is Unsuitable.
began to fancy he was troubled with
| worms"
"Worms, my dear lady; if he con.
tinues so, he's likely to become the di.
ct Of worms."
$50 | thought, doctor; but ] didn't
know how to cook them"
"Madam''--
"Will you walk in and sec him, doc.
torl'
The poor man lay stretched upon
his bed, with the implements of his
trade about him, His window curtains
were formed Of his superannuated nets,
| while q disabled boat.hook formed the
| curtain rod ON which they hung. His
library was solitary volume of Izaak
Walton, while broken lines and rusted
| hooks, served as decorations for his
| mantel-picce.
GLOW long is il since you were first
taken illl'
"Some two months and upwards"
"Had you taken any thing likely to
disagree with you!"
"None---I ate only fish, and what
should a man eat but fish, Isn't it tie
best food In the worldl"
'Did you take nothing after dinnerl"
81 took nothing but sleep! | laid
down ON the warm sands with a rock
for my pillow, and fell into sound an
dreaming sleep. ] dream't that SER
pent came creeping along the sand,
and as lay with mouth open, might
perchance have been snoring, crept
down my throat, and it seems to have
remained within me ever sincc;-oh,
that horrible serpent! | feelhim twist
ing and twining about within me, even
now! Oh! for some mud, some mud;
! | want some mudI"
"Oh! dear DOCTOR" said the poor wife
,-..he is always crying out thus for
mud!-don't you think it an odd sort of
appetite, doctor?"
at is not very delicate one"
"My poor man has always been so
very fond of fish that he seemed TO live
upon lido you think it likely, doctor,
that the bits Of fish have jo.ned togeth.
er again inside?"
"Joined together!--let me sea-