The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-11-01
HIS OWN MEDICINE.
The Story of Village Doctor who wal
Il - Always Drunk.

:
Old DR.. Bunker was q stout, red faced
man of about sixty, in a perpetual state
rof intoxication. Sometimes he was
worse than at others, but he was always
SHOW, only see," some admirer would
saxclaim> "you 60 t" DR.. Bunker and
your case, and he may be SO drunk
as scarcely able to open his old sad
die, bsSs and yet he will give yous
thingsthat will 60 to the spot and no
mistake What a man he would be if
he ~wontfSnly keep SOBER"
! This sfaSAe Of the doctors, however,
came toy Aragic ending. We had among
us, widely known and much loved, a
little girkssaly crippled from'her birth.
Her deliSate and morbid condition SEEM
ed to stimulate her brain, so that she
became renowned throughout the valley
as an intelsctaal prodigy: Unable to
walk, shes as carried to school by her
parents. iSIHS was an only child, and it
was p~itiaHistp note the pride they look
in her cuitdfe.H AT best she was not
long for this world, and her exit was
being hurried by the examining to
which her fond friends and relatives
Esnbiected Cher. Her pure white soul
seemed td shine through her delicate
face, which even traces of pain and the
sad, waiting patience of frequent disap-
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 yexing questions. In
this way Lucy. Hooper came to be 30
generally known and SO much beloved.
seLittle Lucy" n 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 a gallop to administer relief. This
he did on several occasions. But the
evil hour came when, more intoxicated
than usual, he sent the medicine to the
suffering child. The powders were, adj
ministered, and Lucy, instead Of being
bettered 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 patient 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 hoaseof Lucy's
parents. or ~ 80 .a.r1rs-
Daylight was stealing softly into the
rude room, when the doctorstaggered in.
A greater curer of life's ills than he had
entered before. There is a tide in our
vitality that finds it's 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
lowiand the chickens crow, as if all ma:
ture felt q new life, with a renewed lease
on all that is pleasant and beautiful. At
that moment, as if in mockery of us, the
sick unto death feel their hold weaken
ing and the shores of life receding
swiftly and silently from them.
Lucy's parents were poor people, in.
habiting a log cabin to which had been
added q porch, and one end of this
porch had been turned into a bedroom
for the little favorite. It appeared neat
and clearly, hut there was no curtain to
the window, 10 carpet upon IL Q floor.
One could almost cover the rude furni-
ture with o blanket, but each spoke in
an uncouth way of tenderness and affec-
ton. When the doctor entered there
was q profound stiffness in the little
apartment. ,H. ..- "..'3"
"She is better now," whispered the
unhappy mother to the doctor, "but
she has been very sick"
The now sobered physician took the
candle from the stand. It was a tallow
dip and burned dimly at best, but now
had a long unsnuffed wick, and q gutter
of halt melted tallow running like a
stream of lard from the summit. Be-
lieving Lucy to be asleep, the watchers
at the bedside had neglected the candle.
"She is sleepin' seemingly very COM
Portable now," again whispered the
mother. - .s
The doctor nearly put the candle out
in a clumsy attempt to snuff it, and
then threw such light as it had upon
the face O; the girl. Alas! the sleep
was not one to be, courteds The eyelids
covered but one half the ball, and
through the white, the only part visible,
death stared. The doctor hastily seized
a thin little hand and felt for the pulse.
he felt in vain. Bending over the poor
sunken face, he listened at her parted
lips for tidings Of life in her breathing.
He listened in vain.
"Lucy, my girl" said the doctor,
chow are your"
There was no response beyond a quiz
ering of the eyelids so faint that it was
almost imperceptible. This was the
last signal thrown out by the little soul,
then more than half way over the cold
river.
"The powders" continued the moth
or, unawar Of the change going on in
one dearer than life to her, "didn't
seem to act like the others, and Lucy
said they tasted differently"
"Have you any LETT 2" asked the doc.
tor, hastily. ...
!" Yes, one; here it u.s." and she hand
ed the medicine to the physician. He
looked and then touched the white SUBJ
stance to the tip of his tongue. In an
instant his face became as CHASTITY as
that of the dead child before him. His
hand shook 50 violently that he spilled
the powder upon the floor. Throwing
out his arms as one drowning, be seizsd
the father frantically and cried, in a
hoarse voice:
"Tom Hooper, take me out Of this"
and as he went the agoniEed parent
heard him mutter: "Poison; my God,
poison!
The word poison was enough to ex-
cite the valley to a frenzy. A coroneris
inquest was demanded, and physicians
summoned from a distance to make a
post-mortem examination Enough was
found by these learned men in the veins
of the deformed girl to insure death,
eooner or later, without the help of any
poison administered by q drunken doc
tor. He WAS summoned to appear and