Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-07-12
Shepherdstown Jefferson County, Virginia. Thursday July l2

before could turn round. "You saddle
the gray mare and get Doctor Sprigg, /"
she said "Huny %
Ii was hard work getting that bride on
with my hands shaking as if it were ten
degrees below zero, but finally did gel
il on, and was off "lickeiy-split." That
old mare had the sharpest backbone
ever straddled, but it wasn't until the
next day that | had time 10 think about
that.
The doctor lived only about two miles
off, and he was just coming out 10 his gig
when clattered up.
"Hello, Sam !" he called. whats the
riatter?"
"Uncle Bige's got the smallpox Aunt
Mary says you're TO come right away"
Smallpox p' He looked as if he
didn't believe me. "Where'd he get the
smallpox? There's none round here"
ale was talking 10 scabby-faced
tramp nine days ago." said. "He's
mighty bad"
The doctor stood looking at me for
minute longer; then he shut his lips tight
together and went back and got his little
medicine case.
"Get off," he commanded, land climb
into the gig. The mare'Il come home
herself"
In minute we were racing toward
home.
"NoN tell me all about it," said the
doctor briskly. "When was he taken
Sick?"
''In the field about an hour ago."
"What did he do?"
"He turned all purple down his neck"
"Huh Sounds more like apoplexy
than smallpox. I've told him hundred
times to stop eating so much. Just keeled
over seuseless, hey?"
mo-" said; che could talk all right"
"He could, heY?"
The doctor stared at me in astoniSh-
ment.
ayes, sir; he walked over 10 the cow
shed with William Briggs but he was
mighty weak" added.
Walked Well, that beats me That's
the queerest thing ever heard OF. We'd
better drive right over 10 The shed, !
guess"
We could see the men standing round
it, and one OF them came and let down
the bars for us.
"How is hep" asked the doctor.
"Mighty low, sir" said the man
Cant hardly hold up his head"
The doctor grabbed his little case,
jumped out and hurried into the shed.
followed him the doctor had said that
he did not think il was smallpox, and
anyway wanted to see what color Uncle
Bige has turned by this time.
II was pretty dark in the shed and for
a minute | couldn't see anything then |
made out Uncle Bige lying on a pile OF
fodder, and Aunt Mary holding his head
and wiping the cold sweat off his face
with his handkerchief. II wasn't till !
got real close that saw how much worse
he was; then fairly jumped, for his lace
had turned purple all over. He turned
up his eyes at the doctor and groaned.
The doctor stared down at him for a
while then he set down his medicine
case, knelt down and felt Uncle Bige's
wrist and looked at his tongue and touch
ed him on the cheek. Then he stared at
him some more and felt his wrist again.
"Can you talk, Abiiah?" he asked.
"Do you hear what say?"
"Oh yesr' groaued Uncle Bige. "Is it
the smallpox, doctor?"
"No |" snapped the doctor. at isn't
the smallpox. 1t isn't anything that !
ever heard Of"
He stopped and stared at Uncle Bige
while longer and at Aunt Mary wiping
off the sweat. Uncle Bige'S face kept
gettiug purpler and purpler, and the doc
tor kept staring at him. Then OF a sud-
den he gave snort, whipped out piece
OF cotton and dipped it in the pan OF
water Aunt Mary had brought along.
"HoId still, Abijah," he said, and rub
bed the cotton back and forth across Uncle
Bige's forehead.
You ought to have seen the way that
purple came off on the cotton. The doc
tor looked at il for minute, and then
snorted again.
"All you need, Abijah, is 10 wash your
face," he said. "And the next time you
buy cotton handkerchIefs. don't buy blue
ones. They always run"
He picked up his medicine case and
went out, and for little while thought
Uncle Bige would die Of shame. II was
more than month before he dared 20 to
meeting again.