Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-08-03
A MAGICAL CURE.

In spite Of their golden eggs and
I silver apples the rich have TO suf-
/ fer many pains and aches which the
/ poor know nothing about; fOrSthere
( are many diseases which never fly
! in the air, but which have their birth
I in rich dishes, overflowing glasses,
/ soft cushions and silken beds, To
/ the truth of this, Mynheer Schillem-
! beck, wealthy burgheF in AmsteF-
dam, can amply testify. as he knows
] by experience, which, alter all, is
/ the only true manner of knowing
anything properly. Jhes entire
morning he would 8 it in has velvet
! cushioned rocking-chair and smoke
| his pipe-that is, il he were not too
! lazy or lean out of the window,
| gazing idly at the passers-by. At
/ dinner-time, he would eat like a
man who had been threshing wheat
all day, putting and painting so that
| the neighbors often said: els it
windy out to-day, or is it only Myn-
heer Schiliembeck pulling and
| sneezing?" He sat at the table the
! whole afternoon, eating and drink
| ing; now trying something warm,
or tempting his sated appetite with
some little cold dainty, which cere-
mony he kept up during the even
ing, with only a little intermission
by way of v triety. 1t was a stand
| ing lest among the neighbOrs that
/ the wisest man in all Amsterdam
! could not tell when Mynheer Schil-
| lembeck's dinner ended or his sup
per commenced. After supper, he
! went to bed and was as tired as If
/ = 1. l. 81 ri =
ting wood the whole day long.
As a natural consequence, he
grew immensely stout, and after a
while he became as helpless as a
sack of malt. Food never had any
relish for him, sleep never seemed
to refresh him, he had-if one be-
lievcd himself-three hundred and
sixty-fiVe Diseases new one for
every day in the year. Every physi-
clan in Amsterdam was called to adj
wise or consult He swallowed
bucketfulls of mixtures, whole bag
fulls of fpOwders, and pills as large as
a,duck's egg, until at last the neigh
bors christened him the two legged
apothecary-shOp. But in spite of all
the medicines and physicians, he
grew no better, for he would not
follow their advice regarding his
diet. "The rascals!" he would say,
"What is the use of my beinga rich
man if l must live like a dog2 am
willing to pay them we'll ifthey cure
me, and am sure that ought To be
enough"
At last, he heard Ofone physician
who lived a hundred miles from
Amsterdam, and who was so clever
aud skillful that sick people became
Immediately well il he only once
looked at them. Death himself was
so afraid of him that he ran away
on the wings of the wind if the doc
tor passed on the road, even came
in sight. AS soon as Mynheer Sehil-
lembeck heard OF this doctor he
placed entire confidence in him, and
wrote him letter minutely des-
cribiDg his condition. The physi-
clan soon discovered what he need
ed-nOt medical treatment, but .oc-
cupation exercise, and temperance;
and said to himself: ''I'll warrant TO
cure YOU soon enough, MynheeT
lSchiIlembeck." So he straightway
answered his letter and sent him
the following instructions:
'eMy good friend, you are iii a
terrible situation, but can help
YOU if Won will follow my direc-
lions. You have ahorrible animal
in YOUR stomach-a dragon with
seven mouths. l must talk
with the dragon myself, face tC
face. so YOU must come to me. But
in Tie first place, you must on nC
account either drive in carriage
or ride on hOrseback-you must
travel on the shoemaker's nags
otherwise, YOU will disturb the
, dragon, and he will devour your in
: | testines in his anger. In the second
place, YOU dare not eat anything
but the simplest food; in the morn
ing, a little soup with vegetables
sliced in il: at midday, 3 sausage
: and one plate of vegetables; the
same at evening, only an egg il
place of sausage. Whatever else
/, YOU eat will only feed the dragon
who will grow larger, and your tail
or will yery soon be obliged to yielC
his place to the undertaken. l have
given my advice, and if you do no
D follow it, the cuckoo will cry mex
spring for one fool less. But JUS
do as you please!'
, When Mynheer Schillembeckr reaC
this letter, he made up his mind t
a obey the doctors directions to tn,
: letter. So the next morning he haC
his boots waxed, and set out on hi
? Journey. The first day he went 5,
] slowly that a snail might easily havl
$ been his outrider, and if any one sa
luted him on the way, or bade hin
good morning or afternoon, he neve
!, noticed him, but cTaWled on tn