Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-05-06
Extreme Unction:
or the Jockey,s spirilu:.A Adviser

A noted horse jockey in Connec t
icut, who had, by his profound knoWl-
edge of horseology, and various arts
and sciences adjacent thereto accu-
mulateda considerable property, was
a great hypochondriac, and exagger-
ated every Slight disorder that att
tackled him into a dangerous disease.
Some Of his neighbors were unchar-
liable enough to assert that his con-
science made him tremble at the
slightest nen ACE Of death. It is
certain that whenever he was laid
upon his bed with sickness he began
lstraightway to talk Of his approach
ing dissolution, and bore his friends
and neighbors with querulous COM
Iplaints. Once when sicl5s an old con-
Itederate, who had travelled with him
/ and aided him in despoiling the Egyp-
tians in every county in the State,
called to see him. This friend conn
pretended the nature Of his conn
plant at once, and requested the
family to allow him to manage mat !
tiers IN his own way for day or twol
He changed the tactics which others
had previously employed, and instead
of prophesying smooth things, Id
out-iIeroded Herod in croaking over
his friends maladies, and soon prot
nounced him a dying man. From
time to time he dropped in and sd
worked upon his feelings that he
brought the disease to a crisis.
He called upon him the second
day about noon, and taking his sick
friends wrist between his fingers, bid
shook his head mournfully, and with
a tear in his eye,murmured-
Poor fellow, it viii soon be over
This is hard, SAM said the sick
professor Of horseology, and be
groaned in bitterness of spirit.
Hard enough said Sam. Just
as you've got this nice farm paid for
Your boys v i'll play the devil with ii
when you're gone.
SOh-oh!
what's the matter?'
oh, such q pain shot through me?'
Hain't you got anything on your
mind that you want to say-pretty
soon? That last horse you sold for a
colt was as old as a man, you know
Oh no, Sam, I've nothing to say;
that is, I've got SO much to say that
.it's no use to try! SAM
WHAT
Cant you-can' tyoupray for me?'
We'll, it's something that ought to
be done, and | think III try
Sam knelt down, and the sick one
covered his head with the blanket
and fairly writhed in agony of soul.
Sam began, keeping one corner of
an eye upon the bed.
'Oh, Lord. thy servant that's now
lying sick on the bed, having burnt
out the candle Of life in the service
of the devil, (groans from under the
b1ankeA IS now desironslof throwing
the snuff in his Makers face. (Sick
one peeps out.) He lies here bro
ken dow q nag, spawned, ring-boned,
and heavy; thou knowest that he has
raised the hardest colts in his neigh
borhood. blanket jerked down con-
yulsiyely) Thou knowest, Lord,
that he has been one Of the greatest
liars Heightened color in the
sick mans face) and cheats, (fst
doubled under the blanket) and the
most unprincipled horsejoekey, that
ever trotted over thy footstool.
It's an internal lie, you seoundrell'
said the reFiying patient. YOU'RE a
cussed hypocritel' reared the furious
invalid-and he fairly turned his
friend out Of doors.
The horse-jockey was abroad the
next day, and soon commenced send
ing his boys to school, and reforming
his own manner of life. He was
changed from the very hour that the
prayer was made at his bedside, and
lived and died better man.
Madam said old Roger to his
clearinghouse keeper, in primitive
countries, beef is often the legal ten
I ~ L 4