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

DR.. Pillogus shook his head. Ger
tain symptoms in the case had mani
Tested themselves, and were declared
bad. DR.. Pillogus therefore shook his
head, and felt that he was justified in
that somewhat ususual exhibition OF
professional alarm. 1t is only on the
stage that doctors make a practice of
shaking their heads.
DR.. Pillogus' patient had made his
will in calm and rational mood. With
the customory liberality of dying man
who has money to leave because he
can't take it with him--he had remem-
bered host of poor relations, who,
without any intention on their part, en-
tpely slipped his memory till now.
Let me explain.
Nh Wexford Was man of about
forty-iive years. Ho was habitually
sedate, like a pulpit; and, in other re-
spects, heavy and amiable, like an ele-
plant. He was man who had moth
ing in the world to do but eat, drink,
sleep and get stupefed over books. For
forty-tive years he had tried to make
his life interesting to himself, but only
with Indifferent success. A painful
Consciousness of utter uselessness OPP
pressed him. Now man may be used
up, and incapable of new impressions,
and yet have a large stock OF philosophy
on hand fer the dull days of life. Every
thing depends on the material that is
used up. Men are not like gun cotton,
what consumes and leaves no trace be-
hind Mr. Wexford was exhausted
~ hot
hls mind had been filed to overflow
ing, but that there was no mind worth
speaking about to fill. Every thing
crowded and inconvenienced him and
an idea would, ! am sure, have occa-
stoned him painful death.
SO he planted himself in large gar
den on the shore of beautiful lake in
Western New York, and enjoyed soli-
tude with wretched appetite for its
eIoomiest features.
One fine spring morning-and how
glorious are our spring mornings, burst
ing on the sober face of nature like
the coquettish laugh of a beautiful wo-
man, short but dclicious-one fine
spring morning he made a remarkable
discovery In his natural history; to wit,
mat the birds went in pairs. He brood
ed over this curious fact for three years,
renewing his observations with each re-
turning spring. At the end of that
time he formed resolution. He would
marry, and did so. The wife he select.
Ell was pretty, and strongly addicted to
tr,le le love. At first she respected Mr..
Wexford, then she admired, then she
loVed him. Finally, she fell down and
Worshlped him. She made up her
mlnd that he was the best man in the
Ws9rld' and she the happiest woman.
Aiter which she abandoned herself to
lhGiGnsolable grief.
HaVlng exhausted his life with matri-
iiilohy, he tried medicine as step to
the grave DR.. Pillogus poked him in
tue RIBS, and told him he was well
ufummed on his chest, and told him he
wa, was Well looked at his tongue, and
s.lg MN he was well felt at his pulse,
T ut' told him he was well. But Mr..
"eliord had made up his mind that he
so. way not well, and the doctor failed to
aa'isly the patient Doctors should
munster N to minds diseased, whether
sne remedy be in their pharmacopeia
IL VIC toh-
WSy,ientlous ", Pillogus had doctored Mr..
"elord so as to have made him sick,
f fe would have declared himself better,
aor all ne wanted was new sensation,
"i "iiu IT is certainlyin the power of medi-
Cl, enc to give you that. But the son of
Ia I'ien told the truth, and Mr.. TVelford
tost al confidence in science. He de-
;;et.lnined ;e.ed to doctor himself; and after
a. st'ense study and application, arrived
"' tne cheerful conclusion that he was
a dying man.
NJ II W! was by species of inspiration that
- - "eliord came to the certain knowl- |
iHuse OF this fact. He awoke one morn
- Hawned, and said to his wife:
My dear. L shall die on the 25th of |
TpgS 1rpS lSt, at II o'clock p. M. precisely"
n;dI nS news came to him post-haste on
JaIL mare. He did not for moment
bnu;os nup. It's authenticity, but in a calm,
even4 reSS-ilke way prepared for the
che me first week he lost what ghostly |
tho thoellulness he had ever possessed /; |
tbe M second week he lost his appetite (;
da She third week he lost his pulse (the
soc.Gr Sa" could ifind it only after a long
NeAfeh)' Slowly, but surely, he de- !