The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-03-26
tFrom the Boston Weekly Museum.l
THK FORCB or IMAGINATION
Oh, PEER SWElGHOFFER s ADyEN.
TURB WITH A SNAKE.
rY EALcoSsRIpaH.

luxe WITH A SNAKE.
~ EALcoNsRIDaH.
People Of strong nervous tsmperments ara
great slaves to the whimS and caprices Of theil
lnaginatiOnsi and hence, people Of good mental
but OF very Ordinary physical requirements. ar,
the most subject ~ tnis tyranny Of miud oper
matter. Occasionally, very ordinary sort Of
person-that is, an individual Of considerable
mind, bat WhoSe mental eaPaeitie. are untrain
ed aud partially undeVsloped-suffersf from this
peculiar TACT In q ii oct distressing degree. No
doubt Gays the best ply sica authority one.half
the lls that tlesh is hsir TO, ale superindnced by
tbs fancy OF their sufferer alone. Hundreds
hsve died BY mere symptoms of cholera, yellow
lever, aud plague induced by sheer dread ana
fear Of thosU terrible maladies.
A case iS recorded wherein felIon condemn.
cd TO death BY phlebotomy had bis arm laid
bare 70 the shoulder, and thrust through II ole
in partition. while hs was fast bound to the Oh
poslts side the hidden eIecntioner, upon the
other side, applied the lancet TO the arm with
click the poor prit heard the muddy stream
ont-pouripg and soon growing weaker and iaiu.
ter, he tell into swoon, and died; when the
fact was, not drop Of blood had been shed, q
surgeon having merely snapped his lancet upon
the arm, and continued to pour small stream
Of water over the limb aud into basin
Another case in pint was that Of Philadel.
phia amateur butcher who in placing bis meat
upon hook, slipped, and hung himself, instead
OF his beef, upon the barbed point. HIS agony
was intense--he was quickly taken down and
carried to physicians office, and so great was
his pain lin imagination that he cried pileOusly
upon every motion made by the doctor, in cut.
ting the coat and shirt-SleeYs from about the
wounded arm. When at last the arm was barred,
not scratch was there The hook point had
merely grazed along the skin, and torn the
shirt.Bleevel
Twill net multiply the various fscts sxtaut in
proof Of the force exercised BY misdirecled in.
aginAtiou; but will mention one case TO ludic-
roaslg imposing asto cause pretty broad smile,
If not, prove otherwise interesting.
Some years ago, near the town Of Reading,
Bsrks County, Pennsylvania, there lived cosy
old farmer, named Sweighoffer--Of German de-.
scent, and accent too, as his speech will indicate
Old man Sweighoffer had once served as mem
Der Of the Legislature, and was therefore, no
fool; and as be had also, long commanded a
volunteer corps OF rustic militia, be could hard
ly be Supposed inclined to cowardice. His son
Peter vas his only son, q strapping lad Of seven
teen; and upon old Peter and young Peter deVol.
we'd the principal cares and tolls of the old gen.
tlemanb farm, now and then assisted BY the old
lady aud her two bouncing daughtsrs-for it is
very common 10 that State to see the women and
girls at work in the fields-and upon extra oe.
casione BY some hired hands.
. Wall ana warm Aov in kavfnn, N'roa o1d De
ter end young Peter were "hard at it," in the
meadoN, when the old man drops his Seytbe and
bowls out
40 mine Gott, Peter l''
"WhaG'S de matter, fsderq" exclaimed the
son, Strengthening up, and looking towards his
sire.
90 mine Gott, Peter /" again cries the old
man.
'DunderI" eehos young Peter, hurrying mp
TO the old man. "Fader, what is the matter1"
40 mine GOttI Peter der shnake bite mine
leEl" ....
II anything, in particular, was capable Of
frightening young Peter, it was snakes, for he
had once nearly CRIPPLED himself for life by tramp
ing upon crooked sticks, which clampsd his aR-
Gle aud 60 horrifed the youngster that he liked
to have fallen through himself.
At the word snake, young Peter fell back,
nimbly as a wire dancer, aud bawled in turn
''Whsre is de snakes"
"Aup mins trowsis, Peter-O, mine GOtEP
"Ol niue Gott !" echoed Peter, junior, "kill
him, fadsr--kill him ="
"NO-a, nO.a; he kill me, Peter; come-come
quick-git off min trOwsiS |"
But Peter the younger's eowardite overcome
his filial love, while bis fear let strength to bis
legs, aud he started llkea sacred locomotive, to
call the old bnrly Dutchman. who was In die.
iant part Of the field, to give the father aljft
with The snake. Old lack thefarmers assistant
came bundling along as sooh as be heard the
news, and passing along the fence whereon Pc.
ter aud his boy had hung up their linsey WOOL
sey" vests Jake grabbed Que Of the garments,
and hurried to the old man Peter, who sill mau.
aged to keep on bis pins although he was quak-
ing and ilsltering like an aspen leaf in June
gale OF sind
20 niue Gotti Come--coms quick, Yseob!'
"VOt you got, Peter, chs MHak p
"Yaw, yaW. Come, come, Yseob He bite
me all to pisees--here anp niue leg ~
Old Jake was not particularly sensitive to fear,
but few people, young OF old, are dead to alarm
when piSes" reptile Is make Levy. Gath
sring up the stiff, dry stalk Of stslIwart weed,
old Jake told the boss to stand steady, and be
would at least stun the snake by a wrap OF two,
if he did not kill It stone dead; aud the old man
Peter, less 10th to have bis leg broken than be
bitten to death by the viper, designated the spot
to strike, and old Jake let him have it. The
first blow broke the weed, and knocked old
SWeighOiier of bis pegs and intoa hay-eoek--
Goblin @ M
"Ol'' roarsd old Peter, "you broke mins leg
and de tam shHakss gone II
"VereG Vers4" cries old Jake, moving brisk
" about, and scanning very narrowly the earth
he s.ood upon, 4
"Nsvsr mind him. YacOb; help me aup--I'll
20 home.
"Pat on your vhsst, den; here It is; = said the
old erOut.sater. gathering up bis boss, and try
inr to get the garment upon his lumpy back |
me moment old Peter made this effort, be grew
lKvid in bic facs--his hair stood on end, like
squills upon the irightiul POrkinAins," - Ar'.