New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-31


-Zion's Herald.
From the New York Sunday News.l
WORTH FIVE HUNDRED MILLIONS
An ugly business. tried not to think OF
It, but couldn't succeed.
NV friends implored me to submit to the
opera tion They urged me to make up my
mind like man; but / thought of Job and
his counselOrs, and remained as obstinate
as q mule. l considered myself a martyr
wantonly imposed upOn-a victim, on whose
unfortunate carcass surgeons believed they
might make any experiment with impunity
I was resolved that they should tnd them
selves mistaken. So, when DR.. Bnmpus, IN
his rough manner, would say: "ThOse toes
must come off," l would call him "brute.
and threaten to turn him out, but he only
laughed, and always displayed a callOus
nesa to my suffering that nearly drove Inc
mad.
A.Yhey'll be the death of you," he said
one day.
"Ps6aw! humbug!'
Cant live month unless you have 'em
taken off. That's my professional opinion
At last, after several spasmOdic efforts at
heroism, these memorable words escaped
me: II sEall have it done tomorrow" The
perspiratiOn rolled off my forehead as
spoke.
~Bra1o,v cried Dratackes, in ecstacy, "all
will soon be right now"
I could not arrive at any such conclusion.
During the remainder OF that day and fol-
lowing night 1 suffered agony. All sorts OF
fearful weapons used by surgeons in the ex-
.ercise Of their hideOus duties passed in array
before my mental vision. l underwent, in
imagination, the tOrtures of amputation a
Thousand times. AS fast as one toe was cut
of with due formaliry, the work would be
recommended seriatim on the Others again
and again.
lean not remember how reached the
hospit tai where the operation was to be per-
formed. had afterward o confused idea
of being laid out upon a table in regular
old-1ashioned style, and hearing in gruffer
tones than ever, the voice of Bumpus. L
fancied, too, that he made me take
some sort of concoction with a strange
suffocating odOr Fear then entirely mas
tered me. Objects became indistinct, and |
had not the power OF observing what was
going on.
L was reused from this partial stupor by
the sight Of another strange face-another
doctor l at first supposed him to be. l re-
member being surprised, even then, at the
curious resemblance he bore to Bumpus.
My medical attendants had left the room
for q moment to consult upon some point of
DraCClCe, anu WElio tQcV were aDSeEU uo
sided up to me with smile.
IAN unpleasant position sir! y
Rather. Can't be helped, though"
"a mistake, sir-a serious mistake. l
could have cured you without any OF this
work. These surgeons are perfect old
fogies-half dozen centuries behind the
age"
I looked at him anxiously, willing to
grasp at any straw. In tact, vet had
az hahn l. ,I,u k1-
Bumpus.
1--WE thought as much myself" said l.
Without giving any answer he pressed
his hand twice or thrice owe: my diseased
limb, a process that instantly relieve my
pain.
"Come now,' he suggested, ''get up. Let
us move before these wiseacres return. No
need of any butchering here"
''Sir!" l exclaimed, IN burst of grateful
entnus iasm, "you are my guardian angel.'
We escaped from the house without
being observed. and walked up Broadway
toward my own lodgings. | did not feel
the slig htest pain. thought it proper then
and there to express my inability to
recOmpense the stranger for his services,
but before | had half uttered the sentence
he said:
I'm want OF money, eh! Mention the
number of millions in a word, and in
another your wish is granted"
''TIl have a hundred, y l replied. jokingiy.
Done. How will you have it ?"
stared at my new friend, and, for the
irst time, examined him attentively. He
was a man of most gentlemanly address;
bat, doubtless . lunatic. He smiled atfa-
bly,, as If in answer to my thoughts, and ex-
claimed:
well, l must say goodbye here. You
may expect the gold. shall send it ever
so-night. Adieur'
With these words he left me abruptly.
81 8 mad as a march hare" said | to myself,
looking after him.
I reached home musirg over my strange
adventure. 1t was enough to make any
man ponder and reflect. Though l paid
little heed to the millions spoken OF SO eX-
trav agantly by my singular friend. still my
own sudden and miraculous recovery from
a disease pronounced mortal by the physi-
clans was proved fact There could be
no SIX kepticism here. | was, nevertheless,
perple xed and not little confused, during
the re nainder of the day. l really did not
know what to think of it at all.
After nighttall, became even more rest
less and uneasy. can not say whether
wished my promised visitor to make his ap-
pearance or not. Ny conscience smote me
Tor having formed his acquaintance At
best he was suspicious character, and per-
haps had dealing with evil spirits. 1t was
much in vogue then in New York for men to
he influenced by good spirits, why not by
evil spirits also! l was interrupted in these
aud similar reflections by single rap at the
door--a sudden. solemn rap-an ominous
rap. The sound made me feel chilly.
guessed who the rapper was, and l was
right. "Come in," said TREMENDOUSLY.
lie en- tered, smiling as blandly as ever.
started involuntarily, for he looked so like
Bumpus that thought it was that worthy
individual come to complete his operation.
"Got the money! pointing with his
thumb over his right shoulder to large
party of sturdy satellites, who were carry
ing in q number of ponderous bags, which
they dropped with loud crash upon the
door. Others had huge bundles of bank
notes. At FIRST fairly disbelieved my own
eves-I must be dreaming. Presently one
Of the bags became unfastened.Thether
i,ut hundreds of broad, glittering twenty
doIi8 eold pieces rolled upon the floor.
The sight gave me S sensation on like Ike that
eccE nm sdlnA of the pieces and examined
them. I weighed them on the tip OF my