Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-12-09
Taught By The Hickory.

II is peculiarly fortunate for ball play
er, swordsman, or a surgeon to be ambi-
dextrous. DR.. John Allan Wyeth was
not born to that good fortune, but he
achieved it. How he did so, with the
assistance OF long, 1.-the, extra tough
hickory, NOT applied in the manner that
has rendered that useful tree so unpopular
with boys,-he has related in his inter-
esting autobiography, recently published.
When he was boy of twelve, he at
tended school in country school-houSe
built on the backbone OF high, wooded
ridge that overlooked the village. Atre-
cess one slope OF the ridge was the girls
playground, and the other the boys; and
boys and girls met and played together
on the summit. A favorite sport was for
the boys 10 bend the tough young hickory
saplings down to the ground, and seat
themselves and their sweethearts upon
them for "ridey-horses."
81 had a sweetheart" the doctor ac-
knowledges, "and her name was Mugg-
Can you imagine in all the category OF
names one more suggestive OF ugliness-
am almost tempted to say OF 'muggli-
ness? But tMugg was only hernickname.
II was short for Margaret, and she was
the prettiest girl in school-to me.
"There stood in our grove a slender,
graceful, tight-bark hickory sapling,
toughest OF all tough timber, which bends
but never breaks. 1t lowered fully thirty
feet to its topmost bifurcation. There was
no other like it, as there was no other girl
like Mugg. ! made up my mind that |
would bend il 10 the ground, and that
she should have il; and to the top |
climbed, twisted the terminal twigs round
my hands and wrists, and swung boldly
out into space toward the ground. | had
struck the wrong hickory.
"Instead OF swooping to the earth as |
had anticipated, in long, graceful curve,
amid the plaudits OF an admiring throng,
with glance at Mugg and her approving
smile, bent that obstinate sapling not
more than three teet from the top, in fish,
hook shape and there dangled, help
less and hopeless, almost as much so as
if had had moose about my neck and
had been hanging from gibbet. could
not Chamber back, for the arc OF the circle
described by The bending tree top had a
diameter beyond the swing OF my wildly
gyrating feet"
His suggestion that half dozen boys
climbup and add sufficient weight to bend
the tree low enough for safety was dis
regarded in the laughter at his absurd
predcament. A rival called up 10 him to
stay where he was-he looked better al a
distance another amid a chorus of gig
giles suggested that if he would only drop,
the ground would catch him. Before they
realized that his plight was anything more
than funny, his hold broke, and he did
drop-Slashing through the limbs and
against them in such way that when he
reached the ground it was no longer feet
foremost, but headforemost. His out
stretched right hand saved his neck, but
his right wrist was broken.
The fracture was mistaken for sprain
and was not set, and during the prolonged
pain and weakness that ensued the boy
took to using his left hand and arm. He
became fairly ambidextrouS; and in after
years, appreciating the value OF complete
ambldexterity in his profession, he work.
ed almost wholly with his left hand while
teaching and studying anatomy. He was
finally able, in performing an operation
however delicate, 10 use whichever hand
was more convenient or useful, without
thinking whether ii were right or left.