Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-10-26
HIS OWN. MEDICINE.
Tie Story of Village Doctor who was
Always Drunk

HAL Vi dDOu9 o2A0yS IL O POI HCpuoA ooeseS
of intoxication. Sometimes he was
worse than at others, but he was always
drunk.
"Now, only see, some admirer would
exclaim, "you go to DIR. Bunker and
state your case, and he may be so drunk
as to be scarcely able to open his old sad
die bags, and yet he will give you some
thing that will 60 to the spot and no
mistake. What man he would be ii
he would only keep sober.
This fame of the doctors, however,
came to tragic ending. We had among
us, widely known and much loved, a
little girl sadly crippled from her birth.
Her delicate and morbid condition seem
ed to stimulate her brain, so that she
became renowned throughout the valley
IS an intellectual prodigy. Unable to
walk, she was carried to school by her
parents. She was an only child, and it
was pitiable to note the pride they ,ook
in her culture. At best she was not
long for this world, anu her exit was
being hurried by the cramming to
which her fond friends and relatives
Subjected her. Her pure white soul
seemed to shine through her delicate
face, which even traces of pain and the
sad. waiting patience of frequent djsap-
pointment failed to mar. At spelling
bees and other public exhibitions of the
schools crowds would gather to applaud
the clear, silvery voice that so readily
responded to the vexing questions. IN
this way Lucy Hooper came to be so
generally known and so much beloved.
"Little Lucy" one would say, "has
an answer ready to any question; and as
for spelling, she's ahead of the master. ="
When about ten years of age little
Lucy developed a new torture in the
shape of paroxysms of pain that were
known to the country as fits. The poor
child suffered horribly while these at
tacks lasted, and DR.. Bunker was called
in on gallop to administer relief. This
he did on several occasions. But the
evil hour came when, more intoxicated
than usual, be sent the medicine to the
suffering child. The powders we're ad-
miuistered, and Lucy, instead of being
better,d by them, grew suddenly and
alarmingly worse. She said, between
paroxysms of intense pain, that the pow
ders did not taste as the others tasted.
The doctor was again sent for, but
found insensible from drink. The
neighbors, who sought in much excite
ment to sober their favorite medical ad-
wiser, felt that the little pationt had but
a brief time to allow for remedies. They
poured cold water over his head and hot
coffee down his throat. At last he was
sufficiently aroused,to justify his being
hauled in a wagon tothe house of Lucy g
parents.
Daylight was stealing softly into the
rude room when the doctor staggered in.
A greater curer of hfe's ills than he had
entered before. There is tide in our
vitality that finds its ebb between mid
night and early morning, and how often
are we called to note the coming OF
death and daylight together! The cool,
dewy morning walks in lusty strength
over the eastern hills and the birds sing
and the rills sparkle, while the cows
low and the chickens crow, as if all ma,
ture felt new life, with renewed lease
on all that is pleasant and be autiful. Al
that moment, as ii in mockery of us, the
sick unto death feel their hold weaken,
ing and the shores of life receGine
swiftly and silently from them.
Lucy's parents were poor people, in
habiting a log cabin to which had beer
added a porch, and one end OF this
porch had been turned into bedroom
for the little favorite. 1t appeared neat
and cleanly, but there was no curtain tc
the window, no carpet upon Il g floor
One could almost cover the rude furni
ture with o blanket, but each spoke IL
an uncouth way of tenderness and affec
tion. When the doctor entered there
was a profound stiffness in the little
apartment.
"She is better now," whispered th'
unhappy mother to the doctor, "bu
she has been very sick"
The now sobered physician took tn
candle from the stand. At was tallov
dip and burned dimly at best, but nov
had long unsnuffed wick, and quite
of hall melted tallow running like
stream of lard from the summit. Be
ieving Lucy to be asleep, the watcher
at the bedside had neglected the candle
"She is sleepin' seemingly very com
Portable now," again whispered tn
mvther.
The doctor nearly put the candle on
in a clumsy attempt to snuff it, an,
then threw such light as it had upcl
the face OF the girl. Alas! the slee1