The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-03-03
The Doctors Vindication
An Unperformed Miracle.

THERE was once 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:
sThat 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 paw for the water he drank. He de-
cded there would have to be a 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: "We
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.
Ii he succeeds, we will applaud him; If
not, we will hiss him out of the coun-
tryside. Let him bring a man TO 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 doc
tor 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 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 abb
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? Silnone Capannaro, who
died OF pleurisy year ago%'
"ktNcuse me, signor dottore," said
Caterina, poor Simone's widow. Ser
tainly he was fine fellow; he made me
very happy, and / will mourn him as
long as l 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
aceeptedthe PRESENTS"
"You did well to tell me, Caterina.
then Will raise Nina Garcia, who died
(anulemas day..
For heaven'ss sake, signor dottore!"
cried Giacomo Garcia; 'sNina was nv
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 mule.
lazy and quarrelsome, and slovenly
and ragged! And that is not ali
Wasteful, and a tongue!-a viper's
tongue that would have set st. Josenb
to quarreling with the Made ma.
might add. But that's better left un-
said"
Yet, my dear fellow"
Excuse me for intercupting. sieuor
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 an Ib.va
married again-so, you see, it is USE
less"
Wei and good. 1 can conceive II
would be martyrdom to have two
wives IN the house; one is more than
enough sometimes. Then whom shall
restore to you, my dear people?
must find some one. How about Master
Fietro?'''
An. my poor father." cried a voice
May Cod rest his soul! A good man
Constipation,
Headache, BiIiousness