Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-08-06
COBLEIGH'S AUNT.

Danbury News Man.
=. Coh1o;nb,c amt from

CObA6x0A . AONAs
A Pleasant Lady at a Dinner-Table.
Danbury News Man.
Mr.. Cobleigh's aunt from Cornwall
came to see him Friday. She is a
nice old lady, and Cobleigh was glad
to see her when he came home al
noon.
When they sat down to dinner and
Cobleigh had plentifully helped he,
to food, she peered over the top Of
her glasses at him moment and
then observed, with some anxiety:
"Ain't you well, Joseph?''
"Oh, yes, aunty-quite well. Why?'
81 thought you looked kinder yal
Ter under the eyes," she explained
continuing her gaze as if in doubt
whether to believe his impressions
or her experience. "You must be
keerful OF yourself, for there's heap
of sickness all about. Haven't you
any salts in the house?"
ayes, there's paper of them in
the pantry" said Mrs. Cobleigh.
"Well, he ought to take little OF
them every mornin' about an even
spoonful before breakfast. I'm sure
he is bilious, an there's nothing bet
tern salts for biIiousness. They
won't do him any harm, any way, an
they keep his blood cool, an so keep
off fever. We've never been with
out salts in the house for forty years,
and land only knows how many doc
tar's bills they've saved us. l don't
believe III doctors nohow. They pre-
tend to know everything, but can
tell them something about sickness
they don't know. They're good in
some cases, I'll allow, but if people
would only take care of themselves
an not go to dosin' as soon as they
commence to feel out of kilter, there'd
be fewer doctors, Warrant we. But
some folks are like sticks. They
never keep anything Oh hand, an
when they're taken down-otf post
haste for a doctor, an out goes five
dollars, ten dollars, am sometimes
fifty an a hundred dollars, when ten
cents worth of salts or a little rhu-
barb would have answered the hull
purpus. l han't got no patience with
such people, an l never did have.
I'll take another pertaty, Joseph"
"You know Pricilla Ames, Barney
Ames' sister-she was down with a
fever in February. They had two
doctors, but they could not do any
thing to help her. Then they sent
over for me. She was an awful
looking spectacle. Her bones SEEM
ed to push right through her skin,
and the calf of her leg could be span
ned by my finger and thumb. l
never seed anyone fell away as she
was. She was dreadful.looking OBJ
ject. I can tell you. Why even her
throat was full of little testers that
kept breaking all the while-''
Mr.. Cobleigh was just on the
point of swallowing piece of cab
bage, but he had to close his mouth
tight shut and wait moment before
he could do it.
81 seed what must be done must
be done at once, an so l went at 1t.
l gave her a good big dose of blood
root, and put mustard drafts on her
feet, and large one on her back. In
less than two honrs she began to feel
better. But you had ought to have
seen her back when the plaster came
off. Why, it was just as raw as a
piece of beef, and there was lot of
yaller-"
Mr.. Cobleigh was about helping
himself to a piece of the omelete at
this juncture, but suddenly dropped
it-"stuff alb
blows Uncle John getting along?"
suddenly enquired Mr.. Cobleigh,
with 4 strange feeling in his throat.
"Why didn't he come down with
you?"
90, he's up to his ears in farm
work, and he is short-handed one
man, which makes it unfortunit just
now."
"Why where's the MANI" inquired
Mr.. Cobleigh, with a degree Of anx-
iety which was certainly remarkable
in view Of the fact that he did not
know the missing party; in fact had
never heard of him before.
60, he's down on his back with a
fever sore on his knee" replied his
aunt.
ooh" gasped Mr. Cobleigh, sudden
ly putting back mouthful of meat
he was just lifting, and turning white
about the mouth.
eyes he's been sick two weeks
with It," added the aunt, resuming
her vivacity. "Last Friday the doc
tor lanced it, and you had ought to
have seen the stuff that come out of
it. There was a pail-Mercy!"
Mr.. Cobleigh had backed so pre-
cipitately away from the table as to
turn over 4 chair.
"Why, you amt goin', Joseph?'
she calculated.
"I'm afraid / must: l have got a
party to meet, whom l forgot all
about till just this minute," he ex'
claimed gulning down something in
his throat to make room for ghast'
ly smile.
81 do believe Joseph is bilious y
resumed the old lady after his de.
parture. "He amt eating hardly
anything an left his plate full.
hope you'll remember to give him
them salts regular, Ann Eliza. They
will fetch him around all right.