The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-02-06
POPULAR TALES,
BY Rev. John TODD, ID. D.
tcoscLupEp.)

IN walking, unless he sees it with his own eyes.
"He won't? Well, just for the joke of it, he
shall see it." And greatly to the delight of the
weary attendant, he wheeled about and put back
again, and was at home again in less than five
hours from the time he left. l was watching
anxiously the result, when in he bounded ap-
parently fresh, while Fairlong came limping
after him, hardly able to stand.
aDoctor, can't you send somebody with me
next time that can walk somes That curn,ud-
geon has no walk in him" Is5@
did not fail to congratulate him on having
beaten one of the greatest walkers in the state.
"But, Mr.. Braisley, Stacy will show you warm
bath, which you will have just time to take be.
fore dinner,
half the night, and felt that had got in the
right path. The next morning, as Fairlong was
too much used up to walk, directed Stacy to
bring out the two horses saddled, to tie one, and
leave the other with the bride carelessly thrown
over his head, and then for himself to be rather
out Of sight. Presently came walking round
the house arm-in arm with my patient, and as we
came hear the horses, said, 1Excuse me mo-
ment, Mr. Braisley, must get an outside gar
ment before leave" Scarcely had turned
my back ere he was in the saddle of the loose
horse, and gathering out of the yard-the very
trap thatI had set. Stacy mounted the other
instantly and was after him. The horse on
which Braisley had mounted could by no matter
ofarguments be made to canter, and his trot was
long, and terribly hard. But away he went, and
Stacy in an easy gallop, after him. After he
had ridden about ten miles, he began to sober
down. Stacy designedly kept back. And
he came to a road which seemed to run parallel
with his. 1t led directly back again, though
not quite as direct 1t was now that Stacy
screamed for him to stop, and put up his own
Inf he fol rof int hoa NJ
he was certainly running away, and that Stacy
was trying to stop him, and he cheered, and
kicked, and made his horse almost break his
hard trot, when, before he knew where he was
pop! the horse bolted directly into the yard
whence he had started. was out in a moment
admring his craftsmanship, and inwardly laugh
ing at his evident chagrn and fatigue.
s'Doctor what's the name of this brute?"
"Trip believe"
rather ride trip-hammer all day than mount the
brute again.,
81 believe nobody asked you to ride it," said
rather drily.
"Stacy,' said he, as he was going to his bath,
edo horses, and roads, and men, and everything
here do just as the Doctor wants to have them?''
eyes, everything except his patients-they
sometimes try to run away, but always contrive
to fetch up here again
BY kind treatment, daily and severe exercise,
and the cooling draught Of salts on alternate
days, thought in few weeks | could see
little improvement in my patient. Still he was
at times wild, excited and furious: but we could
make him swallow his salts without confnlng,
and take exercise at my bidding. But he harped
upon his crime of running many families, till
was fairly worn down with it. One morning
he rushed into my room and began to mourn and
lament over the same old story, when turning
round suddenly and glazing him in the face,
said, s'Mr. Braisley, think on the whole, that
you are the greatest william ever met with"
had heretofore heard him with great urbanity,
and even delicacy. He started, as if stung BY
an adder.
"What do you mean, Doctor
81 mean just what l say. l think you the
greatest william that ever lived!''
"Ah! has Lucy told you-the mink! What
makes you say so'"
"Why, from your own lips. You tell me
again and again that you have ruined thousands
and thousands of families robbed widows and
plundered orphans. Now know enough of
mercantile business, to know that nobody could
do all this mischief without coolly sitting down
tor years and planning and plotting to do it.
You must have been years in thus planning be-
fore you effected your object! What am | to
think of such villainy?'
He was thunderstruck and taken all aback
He saw that my conclusions were correctly
drawn from the premises, and the prem.s he
had himself furnished. He merely said in a
subdued voice, 81 protest, Doctor, never was
30 bad as that
The shock was beneficial He never men,
toned his supposed crime again But nv task
was no easy one. Sometimes he would contrive
to elude our vigilance unaccountably and get
away. l remember one day Stacy came to me
in distress, saying that Mr.. Braisley was gone.
Stacy had slept in the room with him, and hay
ing locked the door, placed the key under his
pillow. But the patient watched him till sound
asleep; then he crept and got the key, opened
the door, and was gone. Our search was long
and anxious, looking into wells, examining river
banks and cisterns, till at length we heard him
singing! We found him in a tall grove, perched
In the very top of one of the talest trees We
tried to coax and fatter him down, all to no pur-
pose. At length called for an axe and began
to cut the tree down. He rubbed his hands with
delights .s'That's it, Doctor that's it! Now
I'll have good ride!''
.Mr. Braisley,' said l, resting as ifexhaustcd
with fatigue, "Mr. Braisley, always thought
you were gentleman before!'
"And why amt now"
''Wonld gentleman sit there to ride and make
me cut down the tree? Nohe would come down
and do it himself"
In a minute he was down and peckng away
at the tree. We then assured him that the axe
was too dull, and that dinner would wait TOO
long, and thus we got him home
He had been with me about eight months.
gradually growing calmer and better; but there
was something which | could not understand -
He was moody, solemn, and gloomy during the
day, and retless during the night. He would
start, and talk in his sleep During this time
my interviews with the niece, Lucy Braisley,
were freqnent-to report progress, to express nv
hopes and fears, and to explain my reason for
such and such treatment Her aunt, the wife.
was too feeble and too nervous to attend to it.
md SO she resided in the city, and left it all to
ler niece and myself Was it wonderful that
the should think my plans wise and iudicious,
md that should admire a beautiful orphan who
vas watching over maniac with so much inter.
st, and who could SO readily appreciate my SER
,ices?
It was evident that my calling him a villain
ad made deep impression upon Braisey /
olld detect him fishing for my real sentiments
n that point, and SO apparent was his desire TO
now what I thought Of him, that my own sus-
lcious began to be awakened. He had now,
n months after he came to me- become almost
ltirely rational; and yet there was dark.streak
oIn the cloud still left, which could not ex-
l.