Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-12-21
How a Terrible Scare Cured a Paralytic

In letter received few DAYS since
from a person in New Hampshire oc-
ours this sentence: "Old Simon Love
stopped here yesterday on his way
home. He is almost ninety-two, and is
hale and hearty"
And that brought to mind an Incl
dent which happened tive-and-twenty
years -yes-twenty-nin years ago
it was in the autumn of 184S. The
same Simon Love, then sixty-three
years of age, and living with a son-in-
law on the Grand Intervale road under
Monte Mountain, had been laid up for
more than year with what the doctors
called a species of lumbago. He could
not arise from his chair without assist
ance, nor could he move from chair to
bed without the help of strong man,
for he was himself very heavy. There
seemed to be a sort of paralysis of all
the muscles of the lumbar regions, and
when the pain came it came furiously
| don't know how many bottles of lini-
ments and patent unguents had been
rubbed upon the outside, or how many
barrels of swash he poured down his
throat He seemed to grow worse in
stead of better, and with the prospect
of another hard, long winter before him
he didn't think he should survive it.
Well, one day in early October, while
the pigeons were very plenty, Mr..
Hammond, Loves son-in-law, was fix
ing his double-barrel gun for shot at
them. He had just cut piece of buck
wheat, not far away, and there the
pigeons would be sure to gather, and
he meant to be ready for them. He
loaded both barrels heavily, and put on
the percussion caps; but as the caps
were slightly small for the tubes he had
to press them on, which he was wont to
do by easing the hammer down upon
them.
Old Simon sat by the fireplace, boil
stored up in his great easy-chair, with
padding of pillows and blankets for his
| back and cushions for his feet.
Look out, Nathanr' ne cried, as he
saw the double muzzle pointed uncom-
fortably near to him.
" Pooh! ther' amt no danger, dad, "
returned Nathan, pressing the hammer
down upon the cap.
But the cap was very sensitive one,
and he pressed little too hard, and
howl! The right barrel of the gun was
discharged with a report that.shook the
house from ridge-polc to foundation,
and a few of the shot grazed Simon
Loves leg He, poor man, believed he
was shot dead. He sent forth a howl
loud and long, and leapcd to his feet
Murder! Murder! Murder! I'm
dead-killed-shot all to pieces. Oh!
Oh! Oh!--murder!'
And away he leaped out of doors
out into the yard-where he danced up
and down, yelling like mad all the
while, until Nathan and his wife and a
hired man came to his assistance. They
got him into the house, and got him
down into his chair, and after critical
examination they found two or three
liyid lines upon the cali. of his right leg,
where stray shot had just grazed the
skin.
"Ain't | shot?'
"NO. Get up and see.n
He was up in a moment, standing
first upon one leg and then upon the
other, and presently the thought oc-
Cured to him that he had really risen,
and unaided. He started off upon a
brisk walk, without pain and without
hindrancc. He could hardly credit the
evidence of his own senses. He leaped
and he danced; he ran to the well and
back again.
GLORY, hallelujah! Nathan, I'm a
well manr'
And he spoke truly. The terrific
shock, convulsing every nerve and
straining every muscle, had healed him.
and from that time he had not another
touch of the old trouble. Troy Times.