The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-12-17


noticed that this last peculiar stage OF
period of existence, and it is noted as
fact that the afflicted district wasn't
entirely able to be out and around as
usual until the tavern keeper gave
notice that there wasn't drop of any
thing left that the last stage of the
kicking fever called for.
During the time the fever lasted
three leading citizens of the Sinnema-
hone were carried off in their bloom by
1t, not one of whom even had the con-
ISOLATION of enjoying the treatment for
the last stage. First, there was Abiram
Hinkle. When the kicking fever first
struck the district, the doctor said that
the harder the victims had to kick the
better it would be for them, for If they
couldn't kick hard it would strike in
and that would be the end of 'em. The
kicking always came in the right leg.
Now Abiram Hinkle didn't have any
right leg, it having been taken off clean
in the saw mill. When the attack seized
him he couldn't kick. 1t struck in and
away he went.
"Next was Simon Shelly. Simon
swore By Elijah Pink, the horse doctor,
who could cure anything, according TO
Simon's belief. Elijah had'cured kick
ing horse for Simon one time by rigging
| him to some sort of contrivance
that threw him every time the horse
kicked. Simon made up his mind that
| he was just as apt to have the kicking
| fever as his neighbors were, so he sent
forEliiah to rovide against 1t. He had
Elijah fit him with a rigging some
thing like the one that cured the kick
! ing horse. The very next day the all
ment seized him. Simon was standing
by window In his house. He gave one
tremendous kick. The rigging worked.
| Ii threw Simon. 1t threw him out of the
window and head first into a barrel of
rain water that stood beneath 1t. They
didn't discover Simon in time, and that
made two fellow citizens the epidemic
carried away.
ats third victim was Erastus Sleeper.
Erastus went out to milk his COW one
evening. and just as he began the kick
ing fever took hold of him. He shot out
kick 1t hit the COW in the shin. The
disease was so very contagious that just
that one kick gave it to the COW. The
COW kicked. Her kick landed in Erastus'
stomach. and knocked the wind out of
him so far they couldn't get it back.
Erastus' widow married Jeff Roner. the
sheep-pelt buyer.
"Well, this brings me round to my
own deep disappointment. Jepheniah
Biffkins had been paying more atten-
ton to Deacon Peeler's daughter Nan
cy than seemed to me safe, and when |
came back home that time l made up
my mind I'd settle the matter right
then and there and know whether Nan
cy was destined to be a Bffkins or a
Pettibone. I went straight to the dea-
cons that very evening, before l had
been home half an hour. This was Just
at the time the kicSinAfever was get
ting in its best ticks, but didn't know
thing about it. Nancy was home, and
I hadn't been there long before shehad
promised that her name should be
Pettibone. Twas happy, tell you, and
just before I got ready to go Deacon
Peeler himsSlf came in. We had very
cheering talk for minute or two, and
started to GO Just as opened the door
l felt a tremendous shock. and at the
same time rose in the air more than
three feet. When landed was stand
ing out in the yard a as saFe had come
entirely to felt Countyapgain. Again
l was lifted and swet ~ several feet
further out in the yard. Then looked
back. Nancy's father was just behind
me with queer look on his face. His
right foot rose up and shot out, and the
shock came a third time. Deacon Peeler
was as strong as an OK, and his foot
was shod with a No. 10 cowhide boot
This time the shock lifted me over the
gate and set me down in the road Nan
cy had come running from the house.
and she cried out:
Father amt kicking you, Praxy!
It's only the fever that's workin' on
him! lie amt kicking you'll
We'll! If he wasn't kicking me
| didn't know what they called kicking
along the Sinnemahone, and | think
made a remark to that effect as hur-
ried home in sorrow and went to bed
Next day | heard about the kicking
fever for the first. and then l knew
what Nancy had meant when she de-
clared that her father wasn't kicking
me. l went right back with heart
lighter than feather, but Nancy made
it heavy as lead in less than half a min
ute.
"'PraXiteles Pettibone!" she said,
'you went and ran away from father
last night when he was sick and suffer
ing! You're too heartless for met
THAT ended it all between Nancy
Peeler and me. The kicking fever had
done it-although, as | remember it,
now, | saw Deacon Peeler out in his
garden hoeing potatoes that morning.
as quiet and steady as ever he was.
But Nancy married Jepheniah, and the
broad acres of old Deacon Peeler to this
day spread themselves out over yonder
along the Sinnemahone as the Biffkins
estate, actually calm and peaceful and
smiling. as If they hadn't missed the
opportunity Of being this day on the
tax list in the name of Praxiteles Petit
bone."-N. Y Sun.
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MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.