Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-08-24
A Churchyard Adventure.

One night after l had retired to bed,
l heard some one ringing violently at the
office bell. DIR. Colburn had gone some
miles in the country to see patient, so
it fell to my lot as his student to answer
the summons. | crept to the window
and found man before the door.
'What is it % l asked.
"You must come and see Mr.. Jenkins
directly, he is very ill., replied the mes
senger.
every well, I will be there in few
minutes" | returned in no very good hui
NOR, for this BIr. jenkins was an old pa
tient Of the doctors, and an Improbable
one too he had never paid cent i'll his
life. Besides which, he was hard drinker
and had had several attacks of deliriame
treme'as. [ thought it very probable l
might be detained there all night, as he
was usually very violent when suffering
from these attacks. l dressed myself
hurliedly, and slipping a bottle of laud-
anum into my pocket, (opium is the best
remedy for dSIiriatDa tremens) l made the
best of my Nay to Mr. jenkins dwelling
He lived short distance from town
and confess some of my old supersti-
tious feelings returned when had left the
lights of the town behind. l was not
sorry when l stood before my patients
residence.
In reply to my summons, an elderly
woman opened the door; the moment
she saw me she exclaimed:
"Oh, Doctor, am so glad you have
come, for Mr..Jenkins is very bad indeed,
worse than he has been yet"
| followed the woman up stairs and
entered the patients bed room. A terri
bic sight met my gaze. The invalid was
Il raving maniac. He was sitting up
right in bed, his countenance expressing
intense alarm. His eyes were rolling in
his head, and appeared to be very much
injected. His hands trembled and picked
at the sheets with convulsive grasps.
The moment he saw me he glared at me
like tiger about to spring upon his
prey.
'Back backp' he loudly cried, 81
this persecutor?"
tHush !" whispered the woman, "it is
the Doctorw
''1'he Doetor!'' he exclaimed, with
vacant stare '.Give me brandy-bran-
dy, say! The room is filed with SER
pents-they are kissing around the bed
Take them away! for Gods sake take
them away yp'
approached the bed and took hold of
his hand. -.,r. .........
"Your hand is icc-cold-cold! p said
he, with shudder "Ahm see that
snake, it is coming here, keep it OFF,
His raving increased, and he became
very violent-requiring force to keep
him in bed.-After time his physical
powers began to fail. Just before his
existence terminated he raised himself in
his bed, and in hollow voice shrieked out:
"Fool that you are! will haunt you
after death!'
With these words he fell exhausted on
the couch--a gurgling was heard in his
throat-a convulsive spasm seized his
limbs, and he was dead.
l returned home very much shocked
with what l had seen. 1t was the first
fatal case of delirieon trenaenS had ever
beheld, and perhaps it would be impos-
sible to find anything more appalling or
horrifying to the feelings. The last words
of the poor wretch made a deep impress
sion on my mind, and was haunted by
them for several days.
About week after this I was sum-
moned to the chief hotel of the town to
meet some college chums, who were on
the road to Canada, and took advantage
of passing through Burlington to spend
the day with me.
l dined with them, and werassed what
is called jolly time--which means that
we drank great deal more wine than
was good for us, and acted as i'll become
rational beings. In the course of the
conversation, / related to my friends the
particulars of Jenkins DEATH. dwelling
especially on the evil effects of intemper-
ance. at the same time that l was GER
tainly not practicing what l preached
By some turn of the conversation the
subject of physical courage was introdu-
ced. The brandy had made me very ell
oquent.
'WeIl, for my part" I exclaimed, 81
think it all nonsense for any one to be
afraid. Nothing can be more unphilo-
sophical than to indulge in SO debasing
4 passion"
One of my friends looked curiously at
me, and replied: .4..s..e.
whereabouts is that jenkins buried?"