Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-09-23


sudden softening of DIR. Wolfgang's satriCal
expression that he too was under the SPELL
and had conceived a warm affection for his
friends wife.
"What is the matter 2" said Mrs Langley,
coming up to them, and showing her pearly
teeth. 81 am afraid you are quarreling, as
usual"
DIR. wolfgang made courtly bow and said,
smiling, "Your good husband is 80 obstinate,
dear Madame Langleyi"
"Well, old fellow" said Langley, laughing,
''you are pretty person to charge other peo-
pie with obstinacy OF all the hard-headed
dogmatic, opinionated pertinacious-- But
I'll spare you this time. All have to say is
that the man who tries to argue you into any
thing"
"What in the world were you arguing
about, my dear2" interrupted Mrs. Langley
"Wolfgang and myself were discussing the
maidstone. He refuses to believe in il"
II certainly do. Am wrong, dear Madame
Langley 2"
II am afraid you are, Doctor" the lady
said. 81 have heard Of so many cures it has
performed, that think there can be no doubt
of them"
"a good specimen of human reasoning"
growled DIR. Wolfgang, soto g0ce.
"Only few months ago a Mr.. Carpenter
was cured by the stone"
Carpenter again I'll see this Carpenter
before I'm day older" muttered DIR. Wolf
gang. 80 you believe in the maidstone,
madame 2" he said to the lady. eyes or no ?"
"Yes," said Mrs Langley, smiling. "If
I'm ever bitten by mad dog hope they
will send for it,"
As the young lady spoke, she fondled the
little lap-dog in her arms, caressing the shag-
gy head with her small white hand covered
with rings.
Poor Remy,' she said, addressing the dog
in the tone of person speaking TO a baby,
''dd they think it would ever grow mad and
bite people Remy is too good TO be bad,
and snap and snarl-"
Suddenly Remy snapped and snarled.
"What is the meaning of that 2" said DIR.
wolfgang, stopping all at once as he was ap-
plying a lighter TO his meerschaum. Lang
Icy turned his head
~ did not notice what you refer to" he
said.
"Why is that ap-dog snarlingy"
Mrs. Langley uttered ringing laugh, and
pointed under the centre table. They looked,
and saw a large black cat, with her back erect
and her yellow eyes blazing She was gaz-
ing with fiery eyes at the lap-dog, and spit
ting"
1T is that cat" said Mrs. Langley, hold
ing the lap-dog close to her bosom, and sooth-
lug MIN. que anu hSuly hhte ehcu otuef.
1t is a wild cat, as the servants say that is, it
does not belong here"
DIR. Wolfgang looked thoughtful.
81 hope nothing is the matter with the
dog, " he said, looking at him keenly.
"The idea :" exclaimed Mrs. Langley
''You gentlemen must have talked yourself
into nervous state that ought 10 be left to
the weaker vessels. To fancy that anything
was the matter with Remy Even if he was
raving mad, he would never hurt me. He
loves me too much. Poor Remy, did they go
and abuse him 2"
She smoothed the dogs curls, and he closed
his eyes, nesting down, and apparently fall
ing into a doze.
''Well, perhaps you are right, madame" "
said DIR. Wolfgang. 81 have no doubt it was
my fancy, and nothing ails the animal. But
you must let me say one thing l never see
one of your charming sex fondling one of
these creatures without thinking two things
one, that he is not worth it and the other,
that if he ever be attacked by rabies, the
hand fondling him will be the first he will
bury his teeth i'm
Having uttered these words in tone of the
utmost gravity, DIR. Wolfgang had recourse
TO his usual bow, after the fashion of his
country and then reminded his friend Lang
ley that he had promised TO show him the
American system of budding peaeh-trees.
Langley assented at once, and they went in
| the direction of the peach orchard, Mrs.
Langley having seated herself, with Remy on
| her lap, and opened the last magazine.
As the friends went across the lawn toward
the inclosure containing the peach-trees Wolf
gang said in a thoughtful voice, do you
know, my dear friend, what l would do if l
were in your place ?"
"What do you mean-what would you
do?"
81 would wiring that lap-dog's neck"
Wiring his neckI"
"Or. if that seems too violent proceed
ing would purchase five or ten grains of
| strychnine, and quietly administer it."
Langley looked at his friend with surprise,
and said, "You don't mean"
II mean that don't like the looks aud
ways of that charming animal do not say
that he has rabies or is going to have it but
| am perfectly familiar with the symptoms
from my stay in the veterinary school at Ly-
ons, and 1 say don't like his appearance" "
| "His appearance 2"
II will explain what mean The vulgar
opinion is that hydrophobia-tha is, hatred
OF water-is the main indication of canine
rabies. That's all blunder. Neither mad
dog nor the person bitten by him hates wa
ter he only can not swallow it. Instead of
hating it, he Graves it but the muscles of
the throat contract violently, and prevent
deglutition, hence he elects it violently. The
real symptoms are uneasiness, swapping and
snarling at trihes, or at nothing.
Langley looked little uneasy, but made
no reply.
"To be plain, this dog which Madame
Langley holds in her arms and caresses may OF
may not have incipient rabies. Watch him,
and you will soon discover. If he goes un-
| der SOFAS or into corners, as il to hide him
self and turns round frequently, or changes
his position, or snarls at nothing, or looks up
In the the air-wring his neck That last
symptoms indicates halluoination, and hRllu.
cination means incipient madness The brain
and nerves come first when they are fully
affected, the venom forms. 1t forms on the
gums at the base of the canine teeth, and
soon pervades the saliva Then bite is NOR
tai. The teeth make the incision, and the
poison enters. Then, in ninety cases in q
hundred, death follows maidstone or no mad
stone"
"You frighten me-"
'T mean to do so. You are my friend, and
your wife is an angel. l have said, Watch
this dog, and if you observe the symptoms
have mentioned, knock out his brains. DOM
go near him"
AS DIR. wolfgang spoke, cry came from
the house.
HeB HimmeI! what is that !" he cried.
"Can it be-"
And he began running toward the house
followed by langley.
III.
DR.. Wolfgang and his friend rushed intC
the drawing room side by side,
Mrs. Langley was standing erect in the
middle of the floor, looking very much agitat
ed. Her right hand was tightly claspet
around her left arm just below the elbow.
''What has happened? ?" cried DIR. Wolf
gang, Fastening toward her.
"Remy bit me-" faltered the young lady
with nervous tremor in her voice and frame