National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-09-26

hours OF the crisis.
Mrs. Wexford was in agony Mr..
Wexford placid and prepared. There
was no deceiving him. He had clock
somewhere in his bosom, which beat
the minutes OF the hour with unfailing
precision. Ithad twenty.four hours only
ito run. You might play tricks with it as
much as you liked, but you could not
make it go an hour longer.
No one felt more interested in this
strange case than Mr.. Wexford himself.
He felt II certain kind of pride in de-
coiving the DOCTOR and was in every
respect under personal obligation 10
die at the specified hour. He -es-eod
all kinds Of medicine and even food.
He became snail-like skeleton, drag
ging n coffin about with him instead of
Il house.
1t was at this crisis that Dr. Pillogus
shook his head.
"That man will die. Nothing I can
do will save him"
While these things were going on at
the Lakeside House, other events trans
pired in the village hard by which had
some relation to them.
A gentleman stood on brakes hotel
piazza smoking a cigar He had cane
in his hand, and managed it SO severely
that the intuitive guessed Immediately
the owner was military man. If that
was not sufficient, other things were.
The military chieftan scorned silence
and hated repose. When he brought
his foot TO the ground, the rafters trem-
bled. If he wanted to sit down, he
seized chair and dashed it to the
ground and then sank into it heavily
and crankily. If he wanted to place
his feet on the balustrade, he firing
them INTO the air first, and then brou ght
them down with swoop. When he
coughed, you could hear him on the
other side of the lake; he did it dis
dainfully and defantly, not meekly and
painfully. / am afraid this military
chieftan was overbearing, too, for some
of the ha5itues of brakes were scared
by his stony look. He had only been
there couple of hours, but the place
belonged to him as much as though he
had paid for it in hard cash, and hired
the help himself.
The only man the military chieftan
condescended to notice was DR.. Pillogus,
who dropped in as he was passing on
his way homeward. He had once had
bayonet thrust into his bowels in Mexico,
and respected science for having stitched
up the hole.
They had friendly conversation to-
gether; that is to say, DIR. Pillogus
tried to pump the stranger, and sue
ceeded in bringing up few dry sounds
Ine doctor then poured in bucketful
|. -.
easier. He related all the particulars of
a remarkable medical case in which
patient refused to take medicine, and |
yet was dying thus, as it were, cheat
ing the honest practitioner out of his |
The military chieftain was
and inquired the name of !
the patient.
Wexford"
Wexford ?"
The chieftain elevated his eyebrows,
,urled his mustaches, stiflened hsi
back, knocked the ashes off his cigar
md generally looked about as surprised
rs : large nail when you Int it on the
head.
Know the family?'
"Shghtly."
"a sad case, SIR
The military chieftain made cavalry
cut with his cane and replied:
Very"
Enlarging on this admission, he after
ward exclaimed;
" lhe man is stupid blockhead, and
)usn at to have fifty lashes day until he
'eels that he is alive and kicking.
Everything has cen done, you say,
md he must .e widow of his
wife ~
"Unless a sudden and very powerful
'eaction takes place he will undoubtedly
lie"
"Sudden and very powerful reac-
ion; how would n cowhiding do p
The doctor thought it might be bene-
icial in some cases, but did not venture
% anticipate any happy results in Mr..
Welford's
"If | call him out and shoot him
through the pistol arm, how would that
10 ?"
The doctor confessed that the idea
vas a brilliant and laudable one, but
lad some doubts of its success.
The military chieftain then swore a
title, and strobe the piazza with par
icularly fiat and heavy tread. 1t was
n vain that the doctor tried to get
out of him concerning his
of the Wexford family. He
vas impenetrable.
When a man says that he will die, it {
s by no means certain that he will do
%. Obstinate on most subjects, he is
open to other peoples opinion
IN this. l
But Mr.. Wexford was an exception to Q
he rule. He had imbibed an ultra-fa- ,
alst doctrine, and was intoxicated i
With it. t
As the hour of the catastrophe ar ,
ived all the household got into state
f silent excitement except the indi- c
idual most concerned, who sat in his S
tudy chair, propped up comfortably r
or receiving the fatal blow. He was f
aim, collected, and perfectly used up.
IN his countenance no human passion S
ould be traced It was a dull map of a
hysical nature untouched by intellect. t
{ Death had been coming to dine with L
i'm he could not have looked more con- S
ented. Al
Mrs. Wexford made herself rIdicu-
,us, as women are apt to do in such L
ases. She cried until her eyes were G
ed. and then went off into littleseries Il
{ fits, until she was in a condition to q
rv again. 1 am afraid the male We'll
ord was rather fattered by these atten- G
ons. j.
DR.. Pillogus acted in a resigned man g.
or. Between the excitement of the al
life and the nonchalance of the hus- tC
and he had hard time of it. What OF
20 AZ n,ost iniurinus to his Suscepti- nl