The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-11-05
Then the alarm was worse than ever

The news went through town like wild fire
Morc'n half the people was for packin W
and movn right off to escape sich n dredfu
fatal disease No doubt Pete had done hi.
best. Pore fellcr he was SO overdonc with
cxertin himself that he could hardly stand
and didn't leave the house for some time.
Bout this time DIR. Cater cum home
and hcarin the dredful accounts about the
Colcry, the fust thing he done was to ride
rite out to the plantation with Pete to see
and qucstionin the ovcrsccr, and the niggers
what had been sick, lie pronounced the dis.
ease nothin but a common collcry morbus,
brung on 10y clin too much green corn and
w:tcrnclons; and after lookin ut pcte's pre-.
scription lie wasn't no loss 10 understand
the uncommon fatality Of the disease
Only two ni%gcrs out Of the lot escaped, and
one WAS ole Abraham What never would
take anybody's mc'iicin us long as lie had
strength cnutf i'll his jaws to keep 'cm shut
and the other was Ant Sukcy, who was
most well fore The mctlicin cum.
Pore Pete! when the old doctor explain
cd it all to him, and told him how so much
call;,mcl and morieen was cnutf to kill all
the niggcrs on the plantation, he tuck it
monstrous hard. Cnkc Josh was as mad
AS a hornet, and cum monstrous nigh yivn
| Pete Il liclsin, big as he is. But old Mr.
Mountgomcry told him that wouldn't bring
the niggcrs to life, nor save the lives Of any
body else that monght have the bad luck 10
fall into Pctc's hands. He's a monstrous
plain speakin old man, Mr.. Montgomery
is, and goes his lcth agin quacks aud pre-
tenders of all kinds. lie told Cnkle Josh
he tlougl it served him Jest right, so far
rs he was consarncd. As for the pore Mig
gers, he said, lie WAS very sorry, but it was
very great pity that the people who is fil-
lin the country with ignorant young up
starts who's jest got noledye of midcnc
cnuti 10 make 'cn dangerous to the lives of
the con:munity-its Il great pity, he sed,
that sch persons couldn't always be treated
by thcr doctors OF thcr own manyfactcr-
lie scd thcr was a great responsibility rest
III on parent in the selection Of profcs
sion for his son and that in adoptin pur-
suit us much regard should he paid to the
ability OF the young man to discharge his
duty TO the public, as to his taste or prefer.
| cnccs. If that matter WAS taken INTO con-
sllrra!:on, many IL clap that is now film
the gr'vcyards Of the country, with ded vic
Tins to their ignorance and DARN, would Le
tllin the fields anu maxim corn for thcr liy-
, in.
Mr. Mountgomery's speech didn't set very
well on Umklo Josl,'s stummick, but hc
knowd it was true and lie never said word
out of the way to his old friend.
pcte's been monstrous sollumcoly ever
since his encounter will, the collery. Some
OF the boys plaques him good deal, but
sum Of his friends tries to sooth his feelings,
Bob Moreland had long talk with him,
tryn to swade him that such things often
happens with the best of doctors.
why, scs he, you aint the fust doctor
that ever met with sich n accident. Sich
things happens every now and then, if they
was only found out. Why, thar was Dr.
Barker, you know killed himsclfby mistake
and evry one knows that DR.. Sarsum down
on the Runs killed his wife and child, by
! givln 'em the wrong kind of Mcdicin.'
1know that;' says Pete with long sigh
Il know that
WcIl. aint that consoin to you? YOU is
only young doctor-and they was OLD
ones-one killed himself, rnd the other
killed his wife and child.
Yes ses Pete, shakin his head with &
heavy groan-'Yes, Bob, Jut that avusn'
like hiiiin tier oa0n nigyers.'
Bob didn't try to console his grief nc
more after that. Sich grief was too sacred
to be disturbed by words of commiseration
and must be left to time to heal.