Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-13
COnv8leScinH.

From Texas Sifhn9s.
When Mr. Boliver BascOm came into Kansas
City from a trip down in the Arkansas bottoms,
he looked like death just after the pale horse
had got away from him.
"Where have you been?" inquired an &C
quaintance.
''Sick, replied BOliver, lugubrlously
''You do look badly, for a fact" SAID the &C
quaintance. "You are convalescing, amt your"
"Not much" replied Boliver; "I'm done con-
valescing. It's too blamed expensive, this con-
yaleseing business, especially where I've been
every day, thank you; but don't let on to any
Of our home doctors that am slowly GONZALES
cling. If you DO, I'll kill you. You see
L had the malarial fever: was taken down
sick In small, yaller-dog town that
only had one physician to its back, and
was sick, sicker'n a horse and for plum
week didn't know whether / was in Ar
kansas. Oregon, or extreme danger About the
first thing remember, woke up and saw the
doctor, He had his watch out and his hand on
my pulse; and hadn't much more than taken
in the situation when he told me to run out my
tongue, and he looked at 1t until my jaws ached
holding them open so long, and then he leaned
back and closed his eyes and murmured:
Thank heaven He's better. He is now slowly
conyalescing. Bring up bottle Of brandy
He poured out a pretty good snifter, and told
me to take about four such drinks every day
while was convalesclng; and 80 bottle didn't
last more than two days, and each one Of them
cost S2.5O. Well, lay there, slowly convalesc-
ing and getting drunk every day. for three
weeks, and the doctor making two regular daily
trips at % a trip, and one day when 1 had q
lucid interval spoke to him about NV condi-
tion and asked him If was not pretty near we'll
enough to dig out and go home.
Well said the doctor, after a while You
are slowly c0nvalescing, and If you keep up the
brandy-increase say to six drinks-and I'll
have you out In three or four weeks
Then the doctor collected his 50 fee and went
away, while relapsed into mild species of
jim-jams, and tore up fifteen yards Of the CARPET
and broke all the glass out Of q book case. try.
ing to let In some fresh air and ventilate the
sick-rOOm. When the doctor came the next
morning asked him II was any better He
examined my pulse tried my temperature and
was convalescing all right.
"'ls there any danger OF its striking ins' l
inquired.
What do you mean?' said the doctor.
why, the the fact u.s. said, If this con-
Valesclng becomes chronic I'm busted
What" exclaimed the doctor.
"'Why, you see. I'm dead broke
'Meobe I'd better diagnose your case again,
said the the doctor
".Mebbe you had said I.
Then he went to work and felt nv pulse.
TOOK my temperature, looked at my tongue. and
finally said:
Please turn your pockets inside out
II did so, and then the doctor took his hat
and cane Of the center table and said:
Il don't see but you are all right enonph
You have had mighty narrow escape from a
relapse, young man, but guess you had better
De making arrangements to leave this locality.
l don't think the climate agrees with you. When
you get back to your friends you can remit the
$S you owe me-
'Then he lit out and I didn't see him again
| before LEFT. rolled up the mattress and tool
| out $75 had left, and started for home the
next day; but don't you let on to the folks
In this neighborhOod that I'm convalescinQ
| to slow music, because II you do some medi.
| cal sharp will want me to pay for II.