Arizona silver belt., 1893-12-30

 school did. Seemed as if all the scholars had turned oyor new leaf. Even wild, ornery, no account Ephe Dodge couldn't help but get ahead somebut then he was crazy to got the scheolma'am, and sho never paid no attention Co hiia, just went with Abe. Ahe was teachiu her mathematics, seeing that was the one thing whore heknowed moro than she did outside of farmin, Folks used to say That ig Epbe had Abe's head or Abe had Ephe's face the schoolmaam would have half of the Dodge farm whenever ol man Dodge got through with it, but neither of them did huve what the other had. and 30 there it WIS you see.
 We'll you've heard of Squire Caton of course. Judge Cation they call him since he got to bo judge of the supreme court and cheC justice at that, Well, he had q farm down there not far from Fox river, and when he was there he WIS inst a plain farmer like the rest of us, though ID in Chicago ho was a high up lawyer. leader of the bar. Now 1t so happened tIat young doctor named BrGuard. Daniel Brainard had just come Co Chicago and was starein ia. and Squire Catou was helpin him, gave him desk room in his office and made him known Co the folks -Kiuzies and Butter fields aud Ogiens and Hmmiltons and Arnolds and an of those folks about all there was in Chicago in those days Brainard had been to Paris Paris, France not Paris, Ills, you understand and knew all the doctoriu there was to know then
 Well, come spring. Squire Caton had Doc Brainard down to visit him. and they shot ducks and geese and prairie chickens, and some wild turkeys and deer too Game was just swarnin Gt that time. All the while Caton was doin what law business there was Co do and BrMnard thought he ought 10 be doig some doctarm to keep his hand iu 80 he asked Caton r there wasn't any cases 10 could take up-surg,ry cases especially he haukered after. seein be had more carving tools than you c0ud shake a stick at IIe asked him particularly if there wasn't anybody he could teat fox ,stlGUsmus The squire hadn't heard of anybody dying of tha; complaint, but when Che doctor explained that s.rabis mas wos French for crosseyos he natu. rally thought of poor Abe Dodge, aud the young lawyer was right mp on hls ear. He anelled tho battle afu oii and most before you could say Jaes Robinson tho squire and tae doctor were oa horseback and down to the Dodge farm, tool chest and all
 Well. it 50 happaned that nobcay was at hJme but Abe aud Epaa aud it diiut take but Gow words before Abe was reldy to sct right down, chen anl ihorc. and let anybody do myshing lac vas q mind to with his missortuuale eyes NJ | he Wouldnt wat LII the old folks c3ne hofne le didn't want to ask no advice Ha wasn't afraid of pain nor of what anybody could do to his eyes couldn't be made any worse than they were, what ever you did to 'em, Take 'em out Gud boil 'em and put 'em back if you had @ mind to- ouly go to work. lie knew he was Of age and he guessed be was maateT Of his own eyes such as they were Wen, there wasn't nothing else 10 do but go ahead. The doctor opencd up his killing tools and tried to keep Abe from seeing tbem but Abe. he just comerislt over and peaked at 'em, handled 'em and called em splendid. and co they were | barrin havin them used on your own 1 Gesh and blood aud bnnes.
 Then they got some cloths and basin 1 and one thing another and set Abe right ! down in chair (No such thing as 1 chloroform in those days, you'll renem- ! ber.) And Squire Caton was to hold an instrument that spread The eyelid wide | open. while Ephe was Co hold Abe's head 1eady. First touchuf the lancet and first 1 spurt of blood, and what do yon thinki i That ornery Ephe wilted and tsil dat on Che floor behind the chair.
 Squire, ' said Bramard, step around and hold his head
 I can hold my own head, says Abc as steady as you please But Squire Ca ton he straddled over Ephe and held his head between bis arms and the two han. i dlas of the eyespraader with his hands 1 It was all over In half q minute and 1 then Abe he leaned forward and shook ! tbe blood off his eyeiashes and looked straight out of that eye for the first time aimee he was born. And the first words he said were:
 Thank the Lord She's miner
 About that time Bphe he crawled out doors, sick as a dog. and Abe spoke up l Says he.
 "Now for the other eye, doctor"
 "Oh," says the doctor we'd better lake another day for that
 "All right, says Abo, if your hands arc tired of cuttinyou can mako another job oft Ny face ain't tired of bein cut, can tell you"
 "Well, if you're game, ] am"
 So, fl you'll believe me, they just set to work and operated on tue other eye, Abe holding his own head as he said he would aud the squire holding the spread CT. And when il was all done the doctor was for putting q baudage on to keep things quiet till the wounds all healed 1 up bpt Abe just begged for one sight at himself, and he stood up and walked over to thc clock and looked in the glass and says he;
 "so tbats tho way look, is it. Shouldn't have known my own face- never saw it before. How long must keep the bandage on, doctorf"
 "Oh. if tEe eyes ain't very sore when you wake up Tn the morning you can take it oa if you'll be careful.
 Wake upl Do you s'pose can sleep wien such a blessing has fallen on me! l I'll lay still, but if l forget it or you for one minute this night I'll be 50 ashamed Of myself that it'll wake me right up" i Then the doctor bound up his eyes, 1 and the poor boy said Thank God" two or tareo times and they could see the ta-..a rl1.aui1.. dau.n Me chaal.a from nn.