Year: 1878

These are the tribulations of Mr.. Moore
commonly called Old Father Moore
Of Deep Canon, Col, in respect to his leg:


Old Father Moore had always been re
garded favorably by his fellow-townsmen
They had conceded that he was not a
particularly useful old man, and that his
intellect was not of a G; !antic character,
Jut as he was always quiet, peaceable
old person, with patrlarchal head oil
hair, they rather liked him. The trouble
was he was altogether too amiable. He
always agreed with the last opinion that
anybody expressed. and never could be
drawn into maintaining an independent
opinion of his own. He lived with his
son, who supported him, and beyond
making feeble preteXt of cutting wood,
he abstained from all kinds of work. As
he was in good health, this had rather an
appearance of laziness, but still he was
not considered a lazy man. This extra
ordinary want of independence and self
assertion so greatly impressed his neigh
bors that they did not judge him as they
would have judged another man. He
was being devoid Of "spunll," and there
fore, in the estimation of the citizens OF
Deep Canon unique man, and they held
that the ordinary rules by which human
conduct is criticised did not apply to him.


One day last June young Mr.. Moore
went away to be absent for week, and
old Mr.. Moore promptly fell over the pig
and broke his leg below the knee. A
neighbor saw the accident, and, having
first caught the pig and put him in his
pen, picked up old Mr.. Moore, put him
on his bed, and went for the Doctor. In
course of time the Doctor-who may be
called Smith-and who was physician
of the old school. came to the house and
set the broken leg, surrounding it with
splints and bandaging it in the proper
way. Then, promising to call the next
morning to see how the patient might be
getting on, he went away, and assignin &
his lien on the leg to the keeper of the
Montezuma Saloon, spent pleasant, if
not profitable evening.


The next morning one DR.. Brown, who
despised the traditions OF medical schools,
and claimed to practice IN accordance
with modern precedents, called to see
Mr.. Moore, and told him that DR.. Smith
was just running his leg. If Mr.. Moore
had any further use for that leg, he must
throw away the splints and rely solely
upon mud. With his customary weak
ness, the old man did not venture to
contradict his visitor, but said "Certing
ly, certingly, splnts as you say, amt no
manner of good" Whereupon DR.. Brown
removed the bandages, threw away the
splints, and covering the leg with a thick
coating of moist clay, withdrew, feeling
that he had gained substantial victory
for the cause Of free medical practice.


| 1t was late in the afternoon when DR..
Smith made his promised call, and it Is
needless to say that he was surprised and
indignant at the treatment his patient
had undergone. Old Mr.. Moore explain
ed that he had no confidence whatever
in clay, but that he had been unable tc
resist DR.. Browns opportunities. Il TOLD
him" said the old man, that that WASH
his leg; that you was runnin' OF that leg,
and was doin the right thing by it, bul
he just yanked them splints off, and
being a cripple couldn't help myself. =
Somewhat soothed by this explanation
the doctor removed the clay-an opera
ton that was exceedingly paintul-anc
replacing the splints warned the patient
not to permit that impudent quacb
Brown to enter the house again.


The next morning DR.. Brown returned
and when he saw the spints was greatly
enraged. He wanted TO know II Mr.
Moore really had no more sense after al
he had said to him than to allow tina
old idiot Smith to spoil his leg. Mr.
Moore was profuse in his apologies. g