The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-04-11

In the year Is was at Shetland for
the Distinguishing. and one afternoon,
when I was but newly risen from a
sick-bed, I attempted a fooihardy feat
by way of shencing the crew. who were
making fun Of me for my white face 1
knew nothing more till opened my eyes
in the bunk. and saw my brother Joseph
bending over me with the tears running
down his cheeks.
What's the matter wi ye, joseph l
said.
'Jeems." said he. "ye're lynn there WI
a broken leg
They had turned shoreward on my &C
count and were making for the nearest
Village in a very surly humor. ] was
miserable at the prospect of having to
dree the days in some lonely cot in INST
when my friends would be gone from
the Shetland seas; but. sure enough
there was a ferry boat on its way 10 US,
and I was lifted 10 the deck. The ferry
men no sooner heard for what purpose
they had been signallcd than they NUT
tered sullenly together. and began 10 put
their oars in motion. It was all we could
do to get them 10 argue the matter; nor
would they as much as look at me till
my brother had shown them a second
half-crown. As they rowed me ashore
only saw that one was a gray man and
the other red man: it was cleaning
and my eyes were dim with tears.
For thirteen weeks lay in the house
Of one John ThursOn. a crofter, and II is
what happened between me and that
man and my extraordinary experience
as a fugitive on the sea that l am going
TO relate.
On the night Of my arrival my leg was
set by the Free kirk minister, a sicIly
man with a mufier of shepherds tartan
round his mouth But the next day
(Which was Sabbath) a little red-nOsed
gentleman burst into the room. tore off
the bandages and probed about the
breakage till 1 roared. This was the
doctor. He had good dram in him, and
while he was doing up my leg he cursed
and swore seldom using the same oath
twice Mrs. Thurson. d big melancholy
woman. returned an equal fire of texts,
the first that came TO hand.
I'll have Dougan at the law, the
sneck-drawing devil
BE still and know that am God; I
viii be exalted among the heather, I
Hold your tongue. you foOl!'
How goodly are thy tents. Zion.
and thy tabernacles. o Israel
That was the way they went on: it
was awful for the day Of rest in place
like INST.
For an hour afterward the woman
deaved me with abuse Of the doctor: but
] could see that the chief cause of her
hatred was that he belonged TO the Es-
tabiished church. As for my leg she
said If ] were ever able to walk with a
cTutch / might be thankful, and the
crofter, when he came in, said the same
thing. They advised me to get the doc
tor from T. one Rose or Ross.
What kirk does he go to?' 1 asked.
winlxing TO myself.
The Free kirk
y was thinkin' that
They dropped the subject for that
My brother Joseph came to see me the
day before our boat was to leave the
Shetland waters. He brought me my
chest. and handed me thirty-seven
pounds nine shillings as my share of the
seasons profits. / saw the minister pass
ing the window, and heard him going
into the kitchen. The landlady called
Joseph. and Joseph went out. In about
ten minutes the three came to my bed
side, and Joseph said:
Yer legs been bungTd, Jeems, by
that drunken doctor"
'tWeel." I said. that's possible
Joseph: but in my opinion it's gaun on
RIGHT enough"
'Bungled. bungled,' sounded from be-
hind the tartan muller.
I've sent for the T. DOCTOR" said
Joseph; its better to make sure
And before I could say a word the
minister gave out the first sixteen lines
of the eighth paraphrase. As my
brothers voice Joined in, l covered my
face and wept. During the prayer fell
asleep and when ] woke all were gone.
After two days DR.. Rose. a genteel
young man with wateTy eyes, appeared
on the scene. The first thing he did was
TO pray. Then, turning down the blank
cts he said:
WHO did ths?"
DIR. Wilson" said my lsndlady.
Shaking his head, he undid Dr. Will
sons work.
''Ay. yes" he went on. ITS as well
you sent for me-
So my leg was set for the third time
The same day. in my landlady's pres
ence. Dr. Wilson came in half-drunk. He
looked a good while at my leg. and the
more ne looked the more he smiled.
"Good-by" he said. Pm s-sorry for
you. nv man. Mind, you owe me
. th-three guineas.'
The last remark gave me a fright at
the time. but. as [ discovered afterward.
fl was a joke. That DR.. Wilson was my
friend and the only friend I had in that
cursed village. as viii presently appear:
yet. whether he did well or in for me
(albeit I am living NAM, I cannot be
certain.
Before I got upon my feet il was wear
ing on 70 Christmas. For week or two
] walked a bit every DAY with the help
OF two sticks. fretting sorely for home,
especially when my eye caught some
south-going SAL. And then I began 10
think that l was fit TO travel One
thing / was resolved upon-that New
Years day would see me at a tolerable
distance from the Thursons. Ny pur-
pose was likely 10 be thwarted by the
frost. which was so intense at Christmas
that my thigh ached whenever ven
tured out of doors: nor was il owing 10
any change in the weather or any fool
hardness in me that 1 was quit of the
place before the year ended.
The crOfJer. YOU are TO understand was
man that made a great show Of re-
ligion. There was not a night but ne
held family worship in my room. and he
would talk by the hour about predestina-
tion, effectual calling. and so forth
STU. never believed in the man. In his
prayers he said that our hearts were de-
ceitful above all things and desperately
wicked; yet be himself wished to be
taken for pattern Of holiness: and
can picture the rage that would have
wrinkled his face had / charged him with
any particular fault such as malice OF
love Of money. which / knew him to be
guilty Of He was no man To look at
was a good head taller even when
resting on my sticks. and for the matter