Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-05-06
A BARREL OF
COMMON SALT
Surprising Effect II Had In
Shaping a Mans Destiny.

know a man whose present condition
Of wealth and head of family, all he
is, came from the overturning Of a
barrel of salt"
81 don't believe 1t, Golightly, but
am ready to hear about it."
"Let me see. You know the man.
and don't want to give you his name
till after you have heard the story;
then well see If you can guess who he
Is. For the present his name is Tom
lkins. When he was a youngster he
studied medicine and on graduation
settled in a suburban place where
there were people OF all degrees, from
millionaires to washerwomen. At the
end of the first month he had not had
a patient, so he resolved to go some
where else. The day before his intend
ed departure q liveried servant hur-
ried Into his Office and said that Miss
Buckman's favorite saddle horse was
dying and would he waive profession
nj repugnance at doing veterinary's
work and go to see the animal.
"Tomkins needed money to square
up before leaving, so he concluded to
make veterinary OF himself for that
once. When he reached the stable
yard there stood girl of twenty,
pretty as a picture. evidently much
distressed, watching a horse lying on
his side.
"'Oh, DOCTOR she said on learning
of the groom who he was. II you will
only cure Bob I'll love you forever!
"Of course she was so ratified she
didn't know what she was saying, but
somehow 1t came to the doctor that he
would cure Bob and the girl would
love him forever. 1t takes young
man, you know. to build castles out OF
air. He went up to the horse that was
gasping for life, but before the doctor
could get anything down the beasts
throat he collapsed. and there he lay
with his tongue hanging out, dead. At
least If he wasn't dead there are no ap-
pearances by which a horse can be
known to be dead.
What could Tomhns do-a dead
horse on one hand and a fearful girl
on the other? He pretended to work
on Bob by rubbing here, feeling there
pouring u mixture of bran and water
down his throat-he had nothing else
but 1t was no use; the horse was dead
as q doornail Tomkins wouldn't own
| 1t to the young lady, but told her to &c
in the house and he would remain to
observe and take advantage Of the first
sign OF returning consciousness.
".Don't leave us. DOCTOR she pleaded
| Remain all night Your room will be
| on the second story. back, where you
can look down on the stable yard
"Tomkins declared he would never
| leave Bob so long as there was any
hope. and the young lady dragged her
| self away and into the house, looking
back often to see IL Bob had come Il
| life. Tomkins remained by the horse
| till servant came out and said tina
I IL the doctor felt that he could leave
| the invalid he was to come into din
ner OF course Tomkins could leave {
/ dead horse, SO he went in to dinner
/ but broke away after hasty meal t.
avoid the storm OF questions as to thu
| horses chances of getting well. al
had promised to stay all night. BE
sides. the more time he spent the big
ger bill he could make for services, 81
at II o'clock he told the hostler tina
If Bob showed signs of life to call hin
and went to bed The hostler knew a
well as Tomkins that Bob was dead
so he went to bed, too, leaving poo
Bob's body where 1t lay in the stabl
yard. But before retiring he telephon
ed the town scavenger to come tn
next morning to remove the carcass.
"Tomkins hadn't ever slept on sucl
4 downy bed before, so he didn't wax,
up the next morning till late. Thel
he took bath, dressed and befor
going downstairs drew up the window
shade to have look at the corpse.
mo miracle ever astonished any on
as the sight he saw astonished Tom
kins. There was the whole family II
the stable yard and Bob up on hi
four legs eating sugar out Of Mis-
BuckmRn's hand.
"'Oh, doctorr cried Miss Buckmar
Can one ever repay your When di
the change conner
"'My dear young lady said the doc
tor evasively, at no time In my pre-
fessional career have been so please
at saving human patient as an
now at saving your horse
AFTER looking Bob over and seein
that he was in excellent health tn
doctor whispered to the hostler:
"'When did he get upr
"sDon't know, DOCTOR replied tn
man and ran to the gate to head Of
the scayenger who was coming to r.
move the corpse.
!5"well. Tomkins got the secret of til
horses recovery from stable boy
The boy had shortly before overturne
a barrel Of salt where the horses hea
rested. The tongue, hanging out, ha
come In contact with the salt. The
the horse. having been revived, licke
It. and It proved to be what he neet
ed. Tomkins married the gratef,
girl and is today successful pract
TONER. Now, Quackenbos. guess VIII
he is"
"You. Your story is well enough
but fate only required that you shout
meet the young lady for a sure cas-
OF mutual love. The overturned So
! had nothing to do with IT,
mot at all. maintain that all
am is due to barrel Of salt"
Never Hits II.