Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-09-19
MIS- Gel NY.
THE MYSTERIOUS WATCH.
An Old pocroR's STORY.

AN Old pocroR's STORY.
You have no faith m tho supernatural :
I have. You do no, believe in necromscy
or astrology? I do. The reason for thus
is you are Americans. descended from EGG.
lish ancestors. while have German blood
in my veins. and inherit reverence for
what you snecr at. Were dlsembodied
spirit to arise at my bedside tc.nigh,. !
should question 1t. and own to being fright
ened, while you would throw n candle.tick
at its imma,erial head. and insist 70 the last
upon its being burglar in disguise. Yet,
mark me, in spite Of Yourself. your barr
would rice, Ind you would feel what you
would no, acknowledge for the world. Bah!
4, such things have no existence. what do
our strange shiverins' mcan7 and why do
We look about us with awe stricken eyes
when We pass cravc-yards after dusk' You
do not. you say9 have never seen ghost,
and cannot cay tha, desire the spectacle.
There mus, b, an uncomfortable heating OF
the heart a, such sight. doub, IL many
could retain both lifc and rrason through
such an ordeal
am doctor. Year, ago was very
poor and very young. ! came from my own
country with my diploma, and nothing else.
found that the great cities Of the new
world were foil Of doctors. y9un: and poor
rs was. lef, them. and wen, westward.
| settled in the State of lndihna. IL va.
then one erca, forest, with clearing, here
and there Tor the fields Of corn and rude log
houses. Any one lcd hard liie there. and
doctors, II seemed 20 mc, was wprs, OF
all. Miles and miles OF hard riding through
rain and mud, to visit p,,en" VITO conld
pay nothing miles back again. to steal q
few momcnts' rerose before another ar-
nounccment Of some one "beins very bad 80
! was skin and bone in q twelve month. ba,
,ha, was nothing uncommon in that part Of
tho world. The only wonder j. tha, ild
no, have wha, they called 4" fcyer'n ager ;;
va. the only person FREQ from IL for fifty
square miles. However. I pro.p,rod. after
certain fashion. and IN u year or two made
n considerable local reputation. Tho place
was growing, and my spirits began TO re.
yiye.
IL wa. abou, this time ,ha, first saw my
watch, 10 which all have now to tell re.
latc-. A cold night in November had ses
in. was a, supper IN my little home. en.
!joying It a' only hungry and weary men can
enjoy food. Don't ask wha, had: 1t vi.
"out West" remember. OF course there
was a preparation of pork, ard prepara.
ton of whi.kcy corn meal. pork and whls-
key are the staple articles offered on,
West" wa. enjoying my supper. n.
have .aid. aud loud knock a, my door was
not the mos, delightful sound that could
break the silence. However. I uid "comc
in :" with as good grace rs possible, and a
stranger entered. lls was a tall. broad.
shouldcrcd man. in the dress Of q back.
wood.mun, and bis large features wore a
troubled expression. saw at once ,ha,
soms,hipg serious had occurred.
"l,'- bad night TO trouble you to come
80 far. Doc,or," he said. looking At mo from
under hi. fur cap, Z" hut there. a bad aeci-
den, happened over u, our clearin', and II
you kin DO anything Tor the poor chap, Ill
b, glad to see !, done. more particularly a-
helped to shoot him."
Helped TO shoot him = | sald, with q
start. .~ha, do you mean''
We took him for some kind OF crii,er
that's how IL was. said my visitor; no, a
purpose. stranger. We think heap. Of him.
I'd sooner hev .ho, myself"
knew the man .pose the truth, and tax
ing my box OF surgical instruments under
my arm. tollowsd him to the spo, where hi.
horse va. ted. Mine was already .add!ed
nv little darkey knew well enough wha. the
arrival por,cndej. and had him ready. We
were OF in "a few moments.
Few word. were spoken rs we rode alons
through the darkness. a.kcl whether the
wound. were serious. and my companion
replied - I'm afea,ei they bc. Doctor
asked !! the man was young or old. and he
answered. Risln; forty;' and then, after
u few words upon the badness Of the road
we relapsed into silence.
At a.,a glinmerins lish, told that we
had approached dwelling, and with a
shor, We're there. Doctor" my eompan'
ion spran- from the saddle aud entered the
door. | followed him. Too room was
icNbly lit with aiekerins candles. About
q bed in the centre was grouped four or five
men. and woman, large and broad.shoul.
dered as any Of her masculine companions
A child, too, lay crying in its cradle. but nc
one seemed to notice him. They made way
for my approach, and I sawa figure stretch
ed upon the bel. I, was that OF man
with sinewy limbs and weather beaten lace.
Ills shirt was unbu,tonsd. aud the breast
and sleeves we're soaked with blood.
.'Tain't Of no uss, do,tor, he said, as
bent over him I'm gone coon, doctors
stuh amt Of no account to me. now"
I did not believe him. Ills face was not
that OF dying man, and the wounds scarce
ly seemed dangerous.
these bullets are bad things to have Ia
ones side I said: but men have lived
through moro than that. Cheer up
Il amt down.hearted, DOCTOR answered
L u l.