The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-08-23
NHHSS TODD, WI. D.,
OR, DISEASE OF THE HEART.


The days ofmy clcrkship were end.
cd my examination was over; was
admitted; wrote myself nehemiah
Hubs, Attorney" put up my new
bright little sign, and i'll my native
village began my professional career.
No, did not, either; am mistaken;
| intended to pursue the honorable
practice Of the noble profcssiop to
which had dedicated my talents and
learning, i'll the place Of my birth, but
never was trncr word pcnncd than the
tirnc-honorcd pIorcrb, "a prophet has
no honor i'll his own country" be.
licve IL had remained in the village
Of fGrccn l;riar till my head was white,
they would have theught OF me as moth.
ing but 4 boy, and would have feared to
trust me. Even after my sign was put
up, no body called mc .Nr. Hubs;
WAS still "-Ec," with old and young,
and "Nc" would have been to this
day, had | remained in Green Briar.
Only one case claimed my attention
during the three months ofmy patient
continuance i'll iirccn Driar, after being
admitted to the bar, and that was the
case of an unju~t!y irnpounded pig
"feloniously abstractcd, your honor,
from the small but secure spot which
my client had trustingly deposited
him in, and maliciously driven to the
public foreclosure called pound, for
the vile purpose, doubtless, of compel
ling my client, in his poverty and dcs.
titution, to pay the enormous fec which
has been demanded of him, in order
to cytris;ate the animal fram his an-
pleasant position, and restore him to
the bosom of his family ~
b this /! mca"t the clients family;
the pig having none Of his own it was
aigurc ofspcech undoubtedly, the tam
lily not inhabling an Irish cabin, but
still it rounded of the period, and
sounded well to n,c, as repeated over
my maiden speech pacing up and
down the floor of my little Office. In
this, my first case, vas successful so
far as TO rescue tho ;mrounded animal
and save my client from the payment
Of an unjust demand but brought no
silver to my pocket, neither, to my
surprise, did it seem to bring honor to
my name. The cloqncnce Of nv
speech did not form the theme, as |
fondly hoped it would, of paragraphs
in the village papers, or Of discussion
at the corners Of the streets, neither
did it bri"g to my Office the rush of
clicnts, for which day | vaiuly made
ready 1t was plain that should nev.
or rise to distinction in Green Briar,
| and SO | came to the sudden determi.
ton to remove from that pleasant spot,
and settle in some great city where
nobody knew or ever heard of me :;
where, above all, there was not soul
to call nc "-Ac."
There | was more successful, and
soon had the opportunity Of forming a
very advantageous partnership bust
ness increased money began to come
in, slow at first, but after time more
Plcntituliy; and all things seemed
prosperous in my outward circumstan.
ccS. But alas us we arc 50 often
told POLITICALLY, there is no sweet with.
out its bitter, no rose without its thorn:
and trouble came to me in the shape
of disease, insidious and slow in its
approaches ut first, long feared and
suspected, but at length bctraying it.
self SO plainly, that could blind my
self no longer to the truth.
Yes was without doubt victim
of disease OF the heart, not metaphor
ically, dear reader, for never had that
organ beat with a quicker pulsation
at the approach of mortal women; SO
far as the gcntlcr sex was concerned,
| was il perfect stole but that there
was an organic disease about my heart,
could not duobt, aud if ever the
symptoms disclosed themselves unmis.
takcably, they did so in my CASE
There was tluttering, palpitation, irreg-
ular action, and at length pain | could
not work life had lost its tests; the
fear of sudden death was ever with
me ; ] could enjoy nothing. If had
anything to leave it to, would have
made my will, for was quite sure
now that should either drop, some
day, litelcss i'll the street, or that the
morning would soon come, when the
power to rise from my bed would have
left me.
remained at my boarding house,
and found no comfort in anything but
my cigar, and my dread disease grew
worse and worse. AS yet had con.
suited no physician, partly, think,
from the apprehensions ofhaving my
fears confirmed; but as sat by my
window ono duy, smoking AS vigor-
ously as ever gazing abstractcdiy
across the street, my attcn' ion was
arrested by II modest little sign upon
an opposite blind &c. l.. Todd, NJ. ID :"
While thinking whether or no. it
would be best to make trial of u phv-
| sicinn's skill, sudden twingc and
ilutter decided me; yes would send
for DR.. Todd, and know tho worst at
once
Snmmoni"g the only male servant
] al. H., ,