The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-03-24


The patient nodded.
care you ready to submit to the treat
ment, young man. Have you every conf
deuce in me!"
1--WE every confidence, Doctor" replied
MacTaggart. uneasily, "but l heard that
your fees were high, and thought, perhaps,
as I'm only an art student you might cor
sent to make a little reduction
young man, said the physician in an
indignant tone, "do not trifie. The palry
honorarium | exact is but to cover the cost
of the balsamic drugs used in the treatment
of such cases; they have been produced from
the deserts of Central Asia, after I'd
penditure of much time, blood and tre%
but be assured, young man, that the trihe
wrung from your parsimonious clutch will
be Immediately distributed by me to the de-
serving poor.'
'And you wont take any less?" said Mac
Taggart, as he stretched out his reluctant
hand and deposited five guineas upon the
physicians table. is the process very
painful, Doctors" he said.
"There are two means of achieving the
object" said the physician, who took no
notice of the fee. "The one is purely me
chanical; it is gradual extension; considera-
bic pain has naturally to be endured The
other course, which is equally eficacious
and quite painless, is by means of a medica-
ted bath, but not more than four inches iss
crease in height can be obtained.n
II shall be perfectly satisfied, doctor, with
four inches"
VERY good, young man, very good. You
know your own business best. Retire be.
hind that screen, divest yourself of your APP
parel: in a few moments all will be prepared.
So powerful are the effects of the drugs
that your clothing were it exposed to the
potent vapors, would be utterly destroyed.
Strip, young man." said the doctor, emphat-
ically, and he pointed to the screen.
Mr.. MacTaggart retired behind the screen,
and did as he was bid and the venerable
benefactor of the human race disappeared
into the bath room.
The first thing Dacre did was to empty his
bottle of turpentine into the bath, and then
he turned on the hot water till the bath was
nearly full.
Are you prepared, young man." he cried
in aloud voice as he re-entered the reception
room.
Pm quite ready, sir said Mr.. MacTag-
CART, from behind the screen. Il can smell
the potent odors of the drugs, even here"
Don't trife, boy" cried the American
physician; take your watch with you and
proceed to the bath. You will find it very
hot and the odor of the Eastern balsams is
pungent but do not let that deter you; en-
ter it as speedily as possible, for the hotter
the bath the more rapid the osSeous change
Remain extended in that bath and perfectly
STILL and every five minutes by your watch
and not more frequently on any account
let your head disappear beneath the bal
samic film with which the surface of the
water is covered. Do not speak, and breathe
only through your nose | will warn you
when the process is complete"
Mr.. MacTaggart entered the bathroom
watch in hand. The odor of the balsams
made him sneeze violently the water was
evidently very hot, and was covered by a
thick oleaginOus film. But young Mr.. Mac
Taggart had paid his five guineas, and he
was determined to have his moneys worth
After little time he entered the bath
Every five minutes his head disappeared
beneath the steaming, oily surface
In the meantime Cecil Dacre was not idle
He rang the bell; Pippa and her mother ap-
peared; the one carried little chafcon
brazier and flatiron, the other a very
small work-bag and big pair of scissors,
They laughed immoderatelY as they set to
work upon the clothes of the young Scotch
man. Three inches were cut off from the
trousers legs, the sleeves of the coat and
of the shirt; Pippa's mother worked with a
will with her needles to refashion the ex-
tremities of the garments, and as she fin
ished each, Pippa herself carefully pressed
the newly made seams with the hot fiat
iron. Then the physician dismissed his two
assistants; he flung open the bathroom door
and addressed the bather.
"Come forth, young man," he said. ''You
entered that bath a miserable and puny
specimen of humanity; you will leave it, in
all human probability, well-grown youth
of prepOssessing appearance"
Mr.. MacTaggart did as he was bid He
dried himself to the best of his ability; but
the balmy odors of the balsams of the East
still chung to his hair. No sooner was he
dressed and had emerged from behind the
screen than the mock doctor addressed him.
young man." said he, and his voice was
apparently momentarily cho5ed by emotion,
"behold the result of the wondrous bath of
Bokhara. There is considerable change,
think he said, solemnly.
Mr.. MacTaggart had evidently grown out
of his clothes; his arms and legs protruded
Don't thank me- continued the Ameri-
can physician, hurriedly; don't thank me,
but hasten home to bed to sleep off the
powerful effects Of my patent indictments 3"
Mr.. MacTaggart bowed as gracefully as he
could and left the premises.
The very first person he met in the street
was his acquaintance, Orlando p. Jones.
MacTaggart's appearance was sufficiently
striking His ordinary straight red hair
was curly and extremely odoriferous from
the effects Of the turpentine His face and
hands were the color of a boiled lobster and
his eyes were bloodshot from the same cause.
Goodness me-" said Jones, Il wouldn't
have known you. What have you been do
ing to yourself?n
"Don't ask me-" said MacTaggart; 'my
happiness is too great for words" and his
scarlet face was illuminated by smile of
celestial beatitude.
Before he reached his own house he had
met at least twenty of his acquaintances
Each one interviewed him with a slaJar
result.
But the cup of happiness was ruuery
dashed from his lips when his extremely
pain and elderly sister, Miss Flora MacTas'-
CART, on her arrival, addressed him in thcre
indignant words:
"Ehl Donald, man, is it foul We aree or
simply fatuousl that e have been making a
Merry Andrew of yerself by cuttin' doan
yer claitheS -