Smyrna times., 1881-12-14
The Wrong Pig.

Old DR.. Johns lived in the little village
of Honeyhurst, and for forty years he
had been the sole physician in the district
where he resided. No one cared to enter
the lists against him in that locality. for
the simple inhabitants fully believed that
there was not such another master of the
healing art in the known world, and so he
drove his red-wheeled gig over the lanes
and byways of the country side without
rival, and dared and bullied the inhabi-
tants in his rough and kindly fashion to
his hearts content.
The doctor lived in a great rambling
house half way down the village street.
with wide expanse of q lawn in front
and his little brick office in one corner
next to the sidewalk. His wife had died
many years ago, so his household was con-
Quoted by housekeeper. But as the
doctors family was small, and he loved
society, he was hardly ever without a
student, to whom he taught the healing
art in the back Office. Thus It was that
Charley Horton came to Honeyhurst to
study medicine with the doctor. and. as
his predecessor had done before him. occu-
pied the back office and the northwest
chamber. He came from a town some
what distant was unknown to the town
folks, and, like every stranger who came
among them, was made the subject of
much critical examination as he walked
up the broad aisle of the village church
the Sunday evening after his arrival.
Well, doctor, how are you?" said
Farmer Smith, as he leaned over the gate
of his corn field the next morning. as the
doctor came driving by.
''Ah, Smith, how do you do?" replied
he, as he drew rein on the gray mare and
stopped. =" How are your folks?"
Toler'ble, thankee; wife's little ailin'
this mornin'. See you've got new young
man; seed him at church yesterday.
Coin to make doctor of him, ell ?"
Yes, think SO" replied the doctor
Think you amt got the wrong pig by
the ear, eh, doctor?" said the farmer,
laughing.
"Well, don't know" said the village
Esculapius, " can't tell yet"
Now getting the wrong pig by the
ear was one of the doctors great expires.
sions, in fact his favorite one. Like
Shakespeare's justice, he was { full of wise
saws and modern instances and had a
proverb or apt quotation upon every occa.
sion. With kim, if man made mis-.
take, it was getting the wrong pig by the
ear OF course this popularity was well
known throughout all the country about
where he practiced, and hence the quota.
tion of Farmer Smith.
Time passed on and Charles Horton
became fully domesticated in the doctors
household. He was fine young fellow
somewhat over confident perhaps and
needed the rein little. This the doctor
was not slow to put on, and he mingled
his instructions in the healing art with
admonitions about getting the wrong pig
by the ear" until Charles was heartily
tired of the homely proverb But he was
a good fellow, nevertheless, and great
favorite.
Two years passed away, and Charles
studies with the old doctor were drawing
to close, when suddenly the idea popped
into his head that he would go to Paris
and finish his medical education with a
course through the continental hospitals
DIR. John pooh-pooed the idea, and thought
it utterly useless.
why, boy" said he, 'what do you
want to be galvanting off to France for 2
What have you got in your bonnet now
Can't you be satisfied with home learning
but must go and tack on some new tangled
foreign tomfoolery, that will knock all
your sensible knowledge out of your
head?, Go to Paris? Nonsense Don't
get the wrong pig by the earl"
But Charlie was not to be talked out ot
his new idea. He was bound to go to
4 Paris to study and see the world, and SC
one day he packed his trunks, bade his
friends goodbye, and mounting the stage
coach, was wheeled out of the village
world.
But before going, the old doctor called
him into his Office, and shutting the door
thus began:
snow, Charlie, you are off to foreign
parts, and hope you will enjoy yourself
Stick to your books and get what knowl
edge you can out of those fellows over
there, although don't suppose they
know SO much more than other people
But, nevertheless, you may learn few