The Winslow mail., 1898-10-08
The Doctors S YindiCatiOn
IN Unpenormed Miracle.

THERE was once a learned doctor
who had studied long and hard,
but in Cucuguano, where he had set
tied, no one had faith in him. Meet
ing him always with a book in his
hand, the Cucuguanese said:
THAT doctor knows nothing, he is
always studying; if he studies so much,
it means he has need to learn; if he
needs to learn, it means he does not
know; if he does not know, he is an
| ignoramus."
A doctor without patients is like a
| lamp without oil. Without other re-
| sources, forced therefore to earn liv-
| ing by hook or by crook, up to this time
| the poor devil had not been able even
| to pay for the water he drank. He de-
| cided there would have to be change.
So one day he managed to spread
/ abroad through all Cucuguano the re-
! port that his science was so sublime
/ and all-powerful that not only could
he heal the sick-mere child's play
but raise the dead as well, miracle of
God, surely. And this miracle he
promised to perform openly in broad
! day, in the graveyard amid the multi
, tude.
Few gave credence to the report.
Yet even the incredulous said: eve
will let him attempt it, anyhow. Let's
see him at work-the proof of the pud-
ding is the eating. He may succeed
he reads so much, and nowadays such
wonderful discoveries are being made.
If he succeeds, we will applaud him; If
not, we will hiss him out of the coun-
tryside. Let him bring a man 10 life
again and we will say he is the clever
est doctor we nave ever had"
Finally it was settled that on the fol-
lowing Sunday, at the stroke of noon,
in the cemetery of Cucuguano, the doe
tor would raise man from the dead
nine or ten, some old women went so
far az to say:
That Sunday, long before noon, the
graveyard was as jammed 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 elbowed his way to the steps of the
central cross. There he saluted the
crowd, spat on the ground, blew his
nose and began:
"My dear friends, have promised to
bring one of your dead back to life.
/ l intend to keep my word. Be silent
and hearken to me. 1t will cost me alb
solutely no effort to raise from the
tomb Giascomo or Giovanni, Mamma
/ or Beta, Amadoe or Simone. Shall
raise Simone? Simone-what was his
| last name? Simone Capannaro, who
died of pleurisy year ago?"
Excuse me, signor dottore," said
Caterina, poor Simone's widow. Ser
tainly he was fine fellow; he made me
very happy, and I will mourn him as
long as 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 published, and I've
acceptedthe presents"
"You did we'll to tell me, Caterina.
Then Will raise Nina Carota, who died
Candlcmas day."
| For heavens sake, signor dottore!"
cried Giacomo Carota; 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
temper, doctor! Obstinate as a mule,
and ragged! And that is not all.
Wasteful, and tongue!-a viper's
tongue that would have set st. Joseph
to quarreling with the Madc ma.
might add. But that's better left un-
said.'
Yet, my dear fellow
Excuse me for interrupting, signor
dottore. A new broom sweeps clean.
Nina left me three brats, who certain
~ do not take after their father, and,
as could not handle them all, have
married again-so, you see, it is use
less"
We'll and good. I can conceive it
would be martyrdom to have two
wives in the house; one is more than
enough sometimes. Then whom shall
l restore to you, my dear people? T
must find some one. How about Master
Pietro?"
May God rest his soul! A good man
was he! But don't bring him back,
pray, doctor! He who wished SO much
to see us united family would be
heartbroken to find our affairs in such
& muddle. After dozen lawsuits, the
six of us-four sons and two daughters
have finally divided the property in
to six little strips. Each of us has a
swarm of children; each of US has tC
shift for himself. There is not one Of
US who has anything to spare"
$50 it cannot be?'
mo; if you should bring him bach
We would have to make up little in
come for him among US all. Only the
times are go hard, doctor, you know!