Middletown transcript., 1892-01-28
THE JUDGES FILTRATION.

IN S DR.. Hoffman drove up the
~ avenue to Judge Cooper's
house he was startled by cries
for help-cries continued and vocif-
erous, then piteous, broken and en-
treating.
Above all the accompanying chorus
shouting a negative that might have
been heard in Ba5el, he detected the
voice appealing for aid as belonging
to the judge himself.
Bending his head from under the
cover of his carriage that he might
see the house he was again alarmed at
the unusual light and movement.
Good heavens could it be fire ? Was
anyone sick unto sudden death 1?
1t was the work of a moment to
spring up the steps leading to the
piazza, to open the shutters to the
library window, and look in. What
he saw seemed to satisfy and relieve
him, for he walked down the steps
with great deliberatiou, declined in
rather snappish way to the ho'tler's
offer to attend his horse, and acted
altogether like a man who resented a
false draft on his feelings,
Before peeping over the doctors
shoulder, it may be as well to say
that during the Christmas holidays
Judge Cooper's house-an old-fash-
ioned country mansion under whose
roof-tree five generations of the name
had lived and died-was literally an
"open" one. 1t stood at the end of
the main street, and just out of the
little village of c.. the avenue or
carriage way leading to the house
being continuation Of the street
itself. At this time it was filled with
Christmas guests and holiday cheer,
the first being limited to suit the gen.
erous capacity of the house, while the
latter never reached any stated limit
except the forced ones of time and
endurance
About midway between the two
more important days of Christmas and
New Years occurred the judges
birthday, when the mirth and fun
outran all bounds, when tricks were
played upon the unsuspecting, and
Jokes of the most practical and per-
sonal character were permitted with
out offense, the master of the house
being usually the ring.leader and
fountain-head of the uproarous jollity'
No distinction of age counted, and
from the judge himself to Louis, bis
fve-year'old grandson, the only condl'
ton demanded was to be wide-awake
and make as much noise as possible
while strength lasted.
DR.. Hoffman alone of all the guests
was allowed TO come and go indepen-
dent of time and occasion, his profess
sion making the exception necessary
and SO it happened that he missed
many of the peculiar scenes that were
enacted, and which would have shock
ed his rather prirn sense Of official
propriety and dignity, and he was al
the more scandalized when he peeped
through the blind.
"I agree with the judge when be
saws that for three hundred and fifty
FIVE days he keeps house, and the
other ten insane asylum" he wa'
saying to himself as be gave the horse
his supper before going in.
And who would not have beer
shocked, not having been present, ane
not understanding the situation, tt
see an elderly and ordinarily digni.
fed gentleman trying to balance him.
self while standing 10 the centre of
large library table? He was gestu
lating violently in the endeavor t.
make himself heard, as he read from
an ancient law book, which he retain
ed in his hand with great difficulty
and was surrounded by a shouting
multitude who would neither let hin
di.mount from his platform or lister
to his oration.
The fury of the mob subsided
little on the doctors entrance, only t.
turn its force on him, and a dozel
voices demanded
Isn't it cowardly in him to refuse
doctor, when he understood tn
| terms Z"
aDon't side with him, please, 70