Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1865-01-25

was in no particular hurry. have plenty
of leisure here in London, away from all
my usual country avocations, and there
were several people in your ante-room,
who, | am sure. had more urgent need of
your advice than l. In fact, | feel that
have scarcely any right to intrude upon
J your valuable time at all but | have
been a good deal bothered with a cough
! at night, and l should like to be cured
of it,"
! Take seat, sir Any pain in your
( chests''
81 don't think it will be necessary TO
examine me-" observed he nervously;
can tell you my symptoms, such AS they
are "
! How curious it is that those who are
apparently the strongest and most healthy,
are often the most morbidly apprehensive.
could not help smiling To see that re-
spectacle fux-hunter, as he looked to be,
hugging his coat together, AS though my
stethOscope had been dagger, seeking
entrance into his heart.
My dear sir" said /, this little in
strument will not hurt YOU
AT this moment, very singular thing
took place, the clock upon my mantel-
piece struck The three quarters past eleven
and | seemed TO hear the sound repeated
from The clock in the next room. 1t was
a muffl.d sou',i, but the wonder was how
it could have arrived at all through two
wooden doors and baize one. was
convinced that | did not hear it, however,
that l Immediately strobe forward to see
for myself whether any of the doors of
communication were open. They were
all closed. When | returned, my patient
had unbuttoned his coat, and assured Inc
that he had no silly objection to being
stethoscoped, if / thought it worth while,
bnt that there was nothing the matter
with him beyond Il troublesome cough, for
which he wanted "a prescription.
His lungs seemed round enough indeed,
but need not have been SO long examln-
ing them but for certain reason Very
different from most hypocondriacal folks,
my new friend seemed 40 very anxious to
cut short our Interview, that he began to
awaken my suspicious as to whether he
was bo"a .fde patient at all. knew
that | should discover this if | could only
detain him for n quarter Of an hour, and
therefore l prolonged my stethoscopic in
vestigations. At last he jumped up. and |
throwing down sovereign and shilling, |
with no little ostentation. upon the table, |
expressed himself as perfectly satisfied.
L" But, my dear .ir," | said, "you have |
not got your prescription"
1t wanted then one minute to the hour |
of noon, but | WAS writing very slowly. |
when the clock on the mantel-piece began |
to strike ! thought it would never have |
done, So eagerly was watching for the !
first note of its companion time piece,
which felt sure by this time was con-
cealed somewhere about my polite pa |
tient's person. He had waited until he |
had been left alone in the ante-room. to |
make a clean sweep of everything valu- |
able he could lay his hands upon, the |
clock among the rest He had stuffed |
this at first, fancy into his breast pocket |
whence arose his orr ginal objectien TO !
the use of the stethcoscope-but had !
transferred it, while went to look at the |
doors, TO some other part of his attire.
Sagacious rs he had been. however, he
nitv, to silence the voice of my faithful
dial / heard its whisper-its faint '.ti k,
tick" all the timc-and now | was wait-
ing for its full voice in accusation of the
robber At last it came. One can scarce
ly imagine a situation n,ore embarrassing
than that of my polite patient with his
stolen clock striking very distinctly in the
pocket of his coat tail, and in hearing of
it's rightful proprietor.
Sc have found ont what is the matter
with you my FRIEND" said /. pressing
hand b III, which brought i'll James upon
the instant "Yuu are troubled with the !
Tic Doulo,rear. Your symptoms are ex-
striking. This prescription must |
be made at once, and my servant vii! run !
out Tor it, while you remain here minute
or two"
Never was prescription so short:
Jam fet. pol. i'm
Or without abrevIatlon, as had written
it:
James fetch a policeman immediately.
PHILOSOPHICAL EPIGRAM.
Saws the Eath to the Moon You're a
piiiering jade:
What vpu steal ii ON the Sun is beyond all
relief"
Fair Cynthia replies, F" Madam Earth hold
your pTate,
The receiver is always as bad as the
shisfi