The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-10-10

SoouoCi W uioCOutcDJcu OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
with the following tale, which of itself and
without reference to the local application of
Its moral must be copied as deserving a place
in the current literature OF the day especially
for the felicity of its luscious description of a
repast such as is not to be had even at first
class hotels: aIH-.H ...
'o JEDEDIAH WATERMAN
was a substantial farmer, i'm Johnston. He
was deacon in the church, voted the Whig
ticket, subscribed to the Journal, and was, in
all respects, worthy and substantial citizen,
a Rhode Islander OF the old school. He was
nigh upon sixty, when he used to say that he
had never had pain or an ache In his lite,
and had never passed an hour in bed except
for his natural sleep, never on account of
sickness or bodily weakness. But 1t came to
-p~ss tisat -tlse seed-De~eon fsls- tho.ase Of
medical advice, and he sent Tor the Doctor.
DIR. Fiske drove up in that old-tashioned sui
ky, old fashioned even in that day, and his
old bay horse-nobody recollects them but we
and arrived at the deacon's house at high
noon, and just as one of the Deacon's hired
men was blowing the horn for dinner. This
may not have been altogether accidental, for
the Deacon was famous tor his good cheer
and the Doctor, like all other doctors that we
ever heard OF, was not altogether Indifferent
Arrived Just at that hour, the Deacon sug-
eested that it would not be well to let the
dinner cool while the consultation went on,
which night as well be deferred a little
while; and the case being evidently not
dangerous one, the Doctor did not press the
professional matter, and, not to waste the
time, took seat at the we'll spread table,
whose grateful steam rose up in the most
provocative flavor. The Deacon reverenty
uek 81, L., l.
distinguished guest, bttook him to the work
before him. 1t was what be called "a biled
dinner" and his wife made some needless
apologies, declaring that, if sle had known
the Doctor Was coming, she would have had a
better one. And the Deacon said, "Nonsense,
ma, the Doctor knowsthat we are plain folks,
aud as he Is on professional business" here
the Deacon looked gravely conscious, The will
be content to take us as he finds us" But
the Doctor said that the dinner was capital !;
aud the Doctor was right, as he generally
was.
So the Deacon cut a slice of beef and a
slice of pork and passed the plate over to bis
| wife, who put upon it two potatoes, with a
| due quantity OF turnip. squash, beet scab 1age
and apple sauce, aud passed the smoking pyr.
amid, in safety, over to the Doctor. Every.
thing was OF the Deacon's own raising, and o.
bis wife's own cooking A large pitcher OF
L wv Sth y hOiP ~, uAis SOhabts WO aie
| telling this story just as 1t took place-whch
Hezekiah, the Deacon's youngest son, named
| after his uncle, famous revival preacher,
| went down cellar twice to ILL., adorned the
| plenteOus board. Alter all this came some
apple dumplines, and then Mrs. Waterman
| brought on her chez d'9uure(she didn't call IL
| by any such outlabdish name) her pies-she
was famous for her pies-mince, apple and
| pumpkin, one piece OF each, a sixth ot pie
conscientiousy divided, was put OF each
plate, and two kinds of cheese--plain and
| sage. o. 4oa a f s.
| Such was the dinner to which the invalid
invited his physician. and to which both die
ample justice. When it was finished, and the
Deacon took final pull at the cider, he wiped
his mouth. and with a melancholy air, ap
preached the subject of lis malady, which the
| Doctor might have been excused for quite ton
| getting. The Doctor inquired about his di
| gestion, his sleep, his lungs and his liver. He
looked at his tongue; be felt his pulse, little
| quckened by the midday exercise that he had
| gone through, but regular, firm and apparent
ly healthiul. Quite batled in his search ioi
the hidden disorder, the Doctor shook his
head gravely, as doctors are bound to do and
said, swell, what do you think is the matter
with you, Deacon?' "Wall," said the Deacon
81 can't tell what it is; bnt some how or 9th
er, it seems as If as though, set down here
as did just now, aGd eat halt an hour OF so
and my appetite is all gone"