The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-29
The Doctors Vindication.

guano, where he had settled, no one ha6
, faith in him. Meeting him always with g
book in his hand. the Cucuganese saids
That doctor knows nothing-he is al
ways studying. If he studies SO much. ii
means he has need 10 learn; if he needs
10 learn, it means he does not know; il
he does not know. he is an ignoramus."
doctor without patients is like lamp
without oil He decided there would have
to be a change. So one day he managed
TO spread abroad through all Cucuguano
the report that his science was so sub
lime and all-powerful that not only could
he heal the sick-Tnere child's play-but
raise the dead as web; miracle of God,
surely.
Few gave credence to the report. Yet
even the incredulous said: I'VE will let
him attempt it. anyhow. Let's see him
at work-the proof OF the pudding is the
eating. He may succeed-he reads so
much. and nowadays such wonderful dis
coveries are being made. If he succeeds.
we will applaud him; if not. we Will hiss
him out Of the countryside Let him bring
| a man to life again and we will say he is
the cleverest doctor we have ever had"
Finally it was settled that on the follow
| ing Sunday, at the stroke Of noon in the
| cemetery of Cucuguano, the doctor would
| raise a man from the dead-nine or ten,
some old women went so far as TO say.
That Sunday. long before noon, the
| graveyard was as damned as is the
! church on Holy Easter day. True to his
word, on the second stroke OF the bell
| appeared the DOCTOR all in black He ell
| bowed his way TO the steps of the central
| cross There ne saluted the crowd, spat
on the ground, blew his nose and be-
gan:
MY friends, I have promised to bring
one of your dead back to life. 1 intend
! to keep my word. Be silent and hearken
to me. 1t will cost me absolutely no ef-
fort to raise from the tomb Giascomo or
Giovanni, Mamma or Beta, Amadeo or
Simone. Shall 1 raise Simone? Simone-
what was his last name? Simone Capan-
.laro, who died of pleurisy year ago?"
Excuse me, signor dottore," said Ca
terina, poor Simones widow. Certainly
he was a fine fellow; he made me very
happy; and l will mourn him as long as
I have eyes for tears. But, pray, do not
bring him back; for, you see, toward the
end of the month I'm to put off mourning,
and, to please my family, I'm to marry
Pasqualone. The banns are already pub
iished, and I've accepted the presents"
You did we'll to tell me, Caterina. Then,
I will raise Nina Garcia, who died Can
dlemas day.
For heavens sake, signor dottore!''
cried Giacomo Garcia: Nina was my
wife we lived together ten years-ten
years of purgatory, as all Cucuguano
knows. Let her stay where she is, for
her rest and mine. What a peppery tenn
per, doctor! Obstinate as mule lazy
and quarrelsome, and slovenly and rag
ged! And that is not all. WaSteful, and
tongue!-a viper's tongue that would
hay Cof 20 ola J,
the Madonna. 1 might add. But that's |
better left unsaid.''
yet, my dear fellow"
Excuse me for inturruptng, signor dot |
tore. A new broom sweeps clean. Nina |
left me three brats who certainly do not |
take after their father, and, as l could /
not handle them at ALL 1 have married |
again-so, you see, it is useless"
We'll and good. 1 can conceive it would |
be martyrdom to have two wives in the |
house; one is more than enough some
times. Then whom shall 1 restore to you,
my dear people? 1 must find some one.
How about Master Pietro?"
''Ah, my poor father" cried a voice
May God rest his soul. A good man was
he! But don't bring him back, pray, doc
tor! He who wished SO much TO see us
a united family would be heart-broken to
find our affairs in such a mudde After
a dozen law suits, the six of us-four sons |
and two daughters-have finally divided
the property into six little strips. Each
Of US has a swarm of children; each of
Us has to shift for himself. There is not
one of US who has anything to spare"
so, it can not be-"
NO; If you should bring him back we
would have to make up a little income
.or him among US all. Only the times are
so hard, doctor, you know"
Enough; we will let Master Pietro
sleep on. But 1 have not come here to
tring beads and to have the crowd gape
1t me. Tell me whom to raise
''Ghita-bring back Ghita my Ghita," .
ried a poor old woman, weeping like
Nary Magdalen D,
mo. no, doctor. do not wake her, in :
girl. "Oh, no, pretty creature, ;
is all well she died. Before she left us ,
he told me ALL We dressed he in white /;
M put a wreath on her hair till she :
ooked like a bride. Leave ner in holy ;
round. The man she loved deserted her ;
or some one else !.
Poor Ghita. But you must admit Won l.
re making it hard on me. To put an end ;
o it all l will bring back GringaIetto, =
yho choked to death eating Goldfish rot >
month ago"
You must not; yo', mast not, cried :,
ina Paparero, writing tt"r aanis. lie =
old me tIat vineyard of his on the in =,
tallment plan. For ten long years I've =
cen paying in hard coin far more than :
s value, and now would you have me :
egin all over again? It's not fair. signor .
ottOre" $
What a state Of things. But we will u
t that 60 l will now propose one who =
fl to mourn him neither brother nor ,
ster, wife nor parent; one who left on
a blessed memory, an example Of all the
rtues, and his little savings to the hos \,
tall mean your good priest. who loved :,
on well, whom you regretted so deep q,
, who made, you remember, such :.
readful journey 10 the other world, seek
x, poor pilgrim his Cucuganese in every
Irner even in yawning hell itself, not
issing a single one. Shall l restore him =
your" n,
No, no., cried various devout members -
the flock. No, no." added Lena Rus :.
lima. the mother of the congregati ton. =,
He was old, poor man, and deaf as =
,st. so much so that at confession he :.
ways absolved US OF sins we had never
mmitted Leave him in glory, especially
nee We now have young and hearty !
rate. He is as good as a saint, be sings
le an organ, he breaches Ike a se-aph.
ID he swiTns with the current"
What's to be done? I'll Try some one
Sc. 1 see over there HttIe white wood y
cross; the harebells seem trying 10 N
de IL the tall grass is almost on a level
IN it. You can read that that narrow
ave holds a 10-months-old baby True
sear,s haf r,f.y hiring I