Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-12-28

tirely upon nature to be healed. II
this way, simply through want Of tend
ance, hundreds perished in that war.
fare Of privation, whom, with few
simple specifics. medical care woulc
have sent again into the combat, aftel
few weeks nursing, hearty and un'
impaired. The present circumstance.
of Coughs condition were not OF 6
character to lead him to hope for 6
better fortune, and he gave himself w
despondingly to his fate. after having
made brief effort to bribe his keeper
to assist in his escape. But attendance
was at hand, If we may so call 1t, and
after a few hours suffering. the ap.
proach Of Doctor Oakenburg was an
nounced to the patient.
The doctor was a mere cutler Of SIM
Piles, a suffer Of birds and reptiles. a
digger of roots, bark and poultice
doctor-in other words, a mere pre-
tender He was wretchedly ignorant
of every thing like medical art, but he
had learned to physic. He made bev-
erages which, If not always whole
some. were, at least. sometimes far
from disagreeable to the country
housewives, who frequently took the
nostrum for the sake Of the stimulant
Doctor Oakenburg knew perfectly the
want, If he cared little for the need.
Of his neighbors; and duly heedful of
those around him who indulged In pipe
and tobacco he provided the bark and
the brandy A few bitter roots and
herbs constituted his entire stock of
medicines; and with these, we'll armed
at all points and never unprovided, he
had worked out for himself no small
reputation In that section Of country.
But this good fortune lasted only for
a season. Some of his patients took
their departure after the established
fashion; some more inveterate, with
that prejudice which distinguishes the
bad subject turned their eyes on rival
remedies; many were scattered abroad
and beyond the reach Of our doctor by
the chances of war; and, with de-
clining reputation and wofully dimin-
ished practice. Oakenburg was fain,
though a timid creature. to link his
own with the equally doubtful for
| tunes of the partisan militia. This
decision, after some earnest argument,
and the influence Of a more earnest
necessity. Humphries at length per-
suaded him to adopt, after having first
| assured him of the perfect security
and unharming character Of the war
fare in which he was required to en-
| gage.
With O dress studiously disposed In
order, q head we'll plastered with po-
matum, and sprinkled with the pow
der so freely worn at the time, a rag
ged frill carefully adjusted upon his
bosom to conceal the injuries Of time,
and an ostentaIious exhibition Of the
shrunken shank, garnished at the foot
with monstrous buckles that once
might have passed for silver, Oaken-
| burg still persisted in exhibiting as
many Of the evidences Of the reduced
! gentleman as he possibly could pre-
serve. His manner was tidy, like his
dress. His snuff box twinkled for ever
between his fingers, one Of which
seemed swollen by the monstrous
paste ring which enriched 1t; and his
gait was dancing and elastic, as II his
toes had volunteered to do all the duty
OF his feet. His mode Of speech too,
was excessively finical and delicate
the words passing through his lips
with difficulty: for he dreaded to open
them too wide, lest certain deficiencies
| in his jaws should become too conspic-
| uously notorious. These deficiencies
had the farther effect of giving him a
| lisping accent, which not little added
to the pretty delicacies Of his other
| features.
He passed through the swamp with
infinite difficulty, and greatly to the
detriment of his shoes and stockings.
Riding a small tackey "a little, incon-
siderate animal, that loves the swamp,
and is usually born and bred in it,,
he was compelled continually to be on
the lookout for, and defence against,
| the overbranches and vines clustering
about the trees, through which his
horse, in it's own desire to clambor over
the roots. continually and most annoy
ingly bore him. In this toll he was
compelled to pay far less attention to
his legs than was due to their we'll
| being. and II was not until they were
well drenched in the various bogs
| through which he had gone, that he
was enabled to see how dreadfully he
had neglected their even elevation to
the saddle skirts-a precaution abso-
lutely necessary at all times in such
places, but more particularly when the
rider is tall, and mounted upon a short,
squat animal. such as our worthy doc
tor bestrode.
| Dr. Oakenburg was in the company
under the guidance in fact-of a
person whose appearance was an ad-
mirable contrast with his own. This
was no other than the Lieutenant
|
ready given US an account. II Oak
enburg was as lean as the Knight OF
La Mancha. Porgy was quite as stout
as Sancho-a shade stouter perhaps,
as his own height was not inconsid-
erable. yet showed him corpulent still.
At a glance you saw that he was a
jovial philosopher-one who enjoyed
bis bottle with his humors, and did not
suffer the one to be soured by the 9TH
er. 1t was clear that he loved all the
good things of this life. and some pos
sibly that we may not call good with
sufficient reason. His abdomen and
brains seemed to work together. He
thought of eating perpetually. and
while he ate, still thought. But he was
not mere eater. He rather amused
himself with a hobby when he made
food his topic, as Falstaff discoursed
of his own cowardice without feeling
It. He was a wag and exercised his
/ u-bopoSpavar he Travelled