Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-07-25

An old New Englsnd doctor 10 described
By Alice Morse Earle In her paper. The
Qasen's Closet Opened" in the Atsntic
s.,r Auxuss. II like TO think, she wfites, ''os
the rich and pompous old doctor a-ridins
out TO see his patients, clad In bis suis Of
sober brown or clsret color with great shii-
lag buttons made Of silver coins The full
.kiftsd cos. had great pockets and hsps, -
did The long waistcoAt that reached veil
over the hips. Rather shert we're the
sleeves Of the coat, to shov the white
nfas and fsills at the wrist: bu.
the forearm wss we'll protected 10 cold
y Gather by the long gsuatiets os his riding
gloves and by his munstees. Full knee
brseches dressed his sbs pely legs, while noe
Tx stockings and buckled shoes displayed
his we'll turned calves snd ankles But 10
a uidy weather high leather boots took the
placs Of the Ane hose aud shoes, and his
handsome breeches were covered with long
tor ovefaIls. or "torgs," % they we're
called. On his head the doctor wore
cooked bat and wig. He owned and wore
IN turn wigs Of different sizes and dignity
--ties, bags, psrivigs, snd hobs. His
portrait vas painted Ia full bottomed wig
that fivaled the Lord Chancellof's In size;
but his every day ridiug-wis va rather
commonplace horsehair affair with . sif
eslskin cue. One Wig he lost BY myste-
rious accident, one dsy while he was
attending . patient who was lying i'll OF .
fever, Of which the crisis seemed at hand.
The doctor decided to remain all night, snd
SIT down by the side Of table in the
,ick man's room. The hours passed
slowly away. Physician and curse
and goodwife talked and droned on;
the sick man moaned and tossed
In his bed, and begged fruitlessly
for water. At last the room grew silent;
the tired watchers dozed in their chairs; the
doctor nodded and nodded, bringing his
selskin cue dangerously nesr the flame Of
The candle that stood on the table. Bud
denly there WAS heard violent explosion,
\ hiss, q sizzle; and when the smoke
cleared, and the terrified occupants Of the
room collected their senses, the nurse and
wife were discovered under the valance Of
the bed; the doctor stood, scorched and
bareheaded, looking for his wig; while the
sick man, who had jumped on. OF bed,
in the confusion, and captured pitcher
OF water, drunk half the contents and
thrown the remainder over the doctors
had, Was lying behind the bed-curtAins
laughing hy.terically at the ridiculous
appearance Of the man Of medicine. In
stant death was predicted for the invalid,
Who, strange to say, either from the
laughter or the water, began to recover
from that moment. The terrified ply stefan
vas uncertain whether he ought to attribute
the explosion and conflagration Of his wig
to violent demonstration Of the devil in
his effort to obtain possession of the sick
mans soul, or to the powerful influence Of
some con- junction of the planets. or to the
new.fangled power Of electricity which
DR.. Franklin had Just discovered. and
vas making 90 much talk about, and was
20 recklessly tinkering with In Philadel-
phia at that very time. The doctor had
strongly disapproved Of Ffsnklin's repre-
hensible and meddIesome boldness. but he
felt that il was best, nevertheless, to write
and obtain the philosophers advice Is to the
feasibility, advisability, and best convent
snce Of having one Of the new lightning
rods rugged upon his medical back.
and running thence up through his
wig, thus warding on further alarming
accident. Ere this was done the mystery
Of the explosion was solved. When the
doctors new Wig arrived from Boston, he
ordered his Indian servant to powder it
well ere it was worn. He was horfided to
see Noantum give thetwig liberal sprink-
ling Of gunpowder from the powder-horn.
iastead Of starch from the dredging. box
SO the explosion Of the old wig was no
longer assigned to diabolical. thsumatur-
gical. or meteorological Influences.