Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-01-29
EVENING STAR.
THE FORCE oF IMAGINATION;
Or, Peter Sweishoffer's Adventure with q
Snake,

|
People of strong nervous temperament are
great slaves to the whims and caprices of their
| imaginations; and hence, people of good men.
| tai, but of very ordinary physical acquire
ments, are the most subject to the tyranny Of
mind over matter. Occasionally. a very ordi.
nary sort of persOn-that is, an individual of
considerable mind, but whose mental capaci-
| ties nre unstrained, and so partially undevel-
oped-suffers from this peculiar fact in a most
| distressing degree. No doubt (says the best
| physical authority One-half The ills that flesh
Is her to are superinduced by the fancy Of the
sufferer alone Hundreds have died by mere
| symptoms Of cholera, yellow fever and plague,
| induced by sheer dread ald fear Of those ter
| ribie maladies.
A case is recorded wherein q felon con-
demned to death By phlebOtomy had his arm
laid bare to the shoulder, aad thrust through
hole in a partition, while he was fast bound
| to the opposite side; the hidden executiOner,
| upon the other side, applied the lances to his
| arm with click; the poor culprit heard the
muddy stream outpOuring, and soon growing
| weaker and fainter, he fell into n swoOn, and
died; when tho fact was, not drop Of blood
| had been shed, G surgeon having merely snap
ped his lancet upon the arm, and continued TO
| pour small stream of water over the limb
| and into BASIN
Another case in "pint" was that of Pnila-
dclphia amateur butcher, who, in placing the
meat upon hook. slipped, and hung himself,
| instead of his beef upon the bATbed pOin:
! HIS agony was intense-he was quickly taken
dowa and carried to physician Office, and
| so great w&s his pain lin imagination) that he
cried Piteousiy upon every motion made by
the doctor in cutting the coat and shirt sleeve
| from about the wounded arm When AZ last
tho ann w3s barred, not I scratch was there
The hook point had merely grszed along the
| skiu, and torn the shirt sleeve
viii lot multiply the various facts extsnt
IN proof Of the force exercised by nisdirect-
ed imagination, but will mention one case g.
luditrouSly imposing as 70 cause a pretty b.oad
smile, If not prove otherwise Interesting
Some years ago, near the town Of Reading,
BeIks county, Pennsylvania, there lived cosy
oil! farmer, named Sweighoffer-of German
descent, and accent, too, As his speech will
Indicate. old man weghCffer had oEce served
as a member in the Legislature, and was
therefore " no fool >! and rs he had also long
commanded volunteer corps Of rustic militia
he should hardly be supposed incliLed 10 COW
ardice. His son Peter was his only son, a
strapping lad Of seventeen; and upon old Peter
and young Peter deVOlved the principal cares
and loils of the Old gentleman g farm, now and
then assisted by the old lady and her two
bouncing daughters-for it is very common in
that State to see the women and girls at work
some hired hands
Well, one warm day in haying time, old
Peter and Young Peter were hard at it in the
meadow, when the old man drops his scythe
and bswis out:
go, mine Gott, Peter"
whats de matter, faderf" answers the
son, Strengthening up and looking at his sire.
so, mine Gott, Peter" again cried the old
fellow.
uuorIor -, ,,boo, ,,,,,-,, po.o- -,
up to the old man.
go, mine Colt, der snake bite mine Leg :"
If anything il particular was capable Of
frightening young Peter, it was snakes; for lie
had once nearly crippled himself for life by
trampling upon cooked stick, which clamped
has ankle, aid so Mortified the young mau that
he liked to have fallen through himself
AT the word snake, young Peter fell back,
nimbly as wire-drawsr, and bawled out, in
turn
''Whcre is der snake 2"
Up my trowsis, Peter-O, mine Cot! !'
go, mine Gott!" echoed Peter, junior,
" kill him, fsier, kill him.
"No-a, no.a, he kill me, Peter. Come
come quick-get off my trowsis."
But Peter the yOunger's cOwardioe over
came his flial affection, while fear lent
strength to his legs, and he started like a
scared locomotive to call the old bury Dutch
man, who was in distant part of the field, 10
give his father a lift with the snake.
Old Jake, the farmers assistant, came
bounding along as soon as he heard the news
and passing along the fence whereOn Peter and
his boy had hung their " linsy woolsy" vests,
Jake grabbed one OF the garments ami hurried |
off TO the old man Peter, who still managed to |
keep on his pins, although he was Quaking |
and trembling like an aspen leaf in June
gale of wind
go, mine Gott Come, come quick, Jacob. |
He bite me all to pieces-here up mine leg"
OId Jake was not particularly sensitive TO |
iear, but few people, young or Old, are dead |
to alarm when "pizenous' reptile is about |
Gathering up the stiff, dry stalks of stnlwart |
weed, old Jake told the boss to stand steady, |
and be would ut least stun the snake by rap
or two, if he did not kill it stone dead and |
the old man Peter, less 10th to have legs bro
ken than to be bitten to death by a snake, de-
signated the spot to strike, ana Old Jake let
MIN have it. The first blow broke the weed
and knocked Old Sweighcffer eff his pegs and
into a haycOck-cobim!
"Oh!" roared old Peter, A" you broke mine
leg and de tam shnake gone!'
"Vere! vere"' cries old Jake, moving
briskly about. and scanning very narrowly the |
ground he stood upon.
"Never mind him, jacob; help me- up. I'll |
go homo"
Put On your vhest, den; hero ii is ;" said !
the old crout-eatcr, gathering up his boss ana |
trying to get the garment upon his lumpy |
back The moment old Peter N ade this effort he |
grew livid in toe face-his hair stood on end |
like the quills upon the frightful polcu-
pine, as Mis- Partington Observes-he shiy-
ered-he shook-his teeth chattered-Gnd his
knees knocked stace0to accompaniment.
40! Yacob, carry me home! I'm dead as
nits 20
"Vat! Ish nodder shnake in your troE
shers?"
No-a-loOk, I'm sWelt all up. Mine
vhest won't go On my back. o! o: mine
Gottl'
Thunder und blixen!" cried old Jake, as
he took the same conclusion, and with migbt
and lain the old man, scared into a most won
derful feat of physical activity and strength,
luggsd and carried the boss some Quarter or
hall q mile to the house.
Young Peter had Skinned it home ar ths ea,.
liest stage sf the dire proceedings, and 90
alarmed the girls that they we're in high state
when they saw the approach of the eocd old
4 cd and his assistant