Year: 1871

WA


Perkins Has the Toothache.


When I went to bed that night I appre
hendcd trouble. Along one jaw, the left
one, occasionally capcred grumbling sensa.
ton. 1t kept me awake an hour or so trying
to determine whether that was all there was
or something to come after that would need
my wakeful presence to contend against
Thus pondering, l fell asleep, and forgot all
about the trouble. l don't know how long
I slept, but fell to dreaming 1 had made a
match for $50 side to fight cross-cut saw
in a steam-mill and was we'll to work on the
job, when the saw got my head between its
teeth. I thought this was favorable time
to wake up, and.I did 50. 1t Immediately
transpired that l might better have stayed
where. Vas, and taken the chances with
the saw.


found myself sitting straight up in bed,
with one hand spasmodically grasping my
jaw, and the other swaying to and fro with
out any apparent cause.


1t was an awful pain. 1t bored like light
ming through the basement Of my jaw, dart
ed across the roof of my mouth, and then
ran lengthwise Of my teeth. IF every pang
had been drunken plow chased by a de-
mon across. a stump lot, I thing the observer
-woul5s.aaas=ssa.a4ll cassaitiss~---I~-eeHla
NO more gst h0rc Of, the artufnggonyy-rtrar
was cavortipg around in me. than could pick
up piece Of wet soap when in great hur-
~,


Suddenly it stopped. 1t went, giving
me parting kick that fairly made me howl


thought I was rid Of the toothache, but
grumblng set in next morning. 1t was
just like the feeling ofthe night before; and
still voice said to me, "Look out, Perkins"


| did I went right away to the dentist
who has pulled the teeth If our family and
knew our peculiarities. There was an uneasy
smell about his Office it was very suggestive
of trouble, and as [ snufed it in expert
enced sinking feeling in the pit OF my
stomach. I looked at him, and sckly smiled.
He was never, even on holiday, the hand
soonest of men; but now his appearance was
very, very depressing. He looked like a
corpse with lighted candle inside Of it.


told him what was the matter with ME;
how | had been up all night with four
story pain; how my wife had been thrown
out of bed by the violence of my sufferingj
how


He asked me if I wouldn't sit down. l
sat down on what was once hogshead, but
now cut down and newly carpeted. He
held back my head, opened my mouth, and
went fishing around inside with a piece of
watch-spring


And while he angled he conversed. Said
he:


"You have caught terrible hard cold"
II have"


ut seems the trouble is with one of the
bicuspids."


! Of course I didn't know what bicuspid
was but 1 thought it wouldn't look we'll in
the head of a family being struck with SO
short word as that; so asked, with some
vigor:


"Whch one ?"


'The humorous" said he.


II am glad it amt any worse" I replied,
throwing sigh Of relief


'The frontal bone is not seriously affect
ed; the submaxillary gland i. somewhat en-
larged, but it does necessarily follow that
parotitus will ensue."


II am proud to hear that" said (which
certainly was, although if the parotitus
had ensued it is not at all likely that i should
have minded it much, unless it was some
thing that would spill, as 1 was dressed up
in my best.


He kept on talking and angling.
The nsophagus amt loose" he next re-
naked.


"Ahw said I winking at him.


"Oh, no, the ligaments are quite firm. l
might say"


"Did it hurt you?" he asked, as cool and
calm as the lid of an ice-cream freezer.
"Hurt me! Great Heavens did you ex-
pect to split me open with watch-spring
and not have it hurt me? What was the
matter-did you slip"


"Certainly not" he said II was just try
ing to get hold Of the tooth. Just hold your
head back an instant, and will have it out
at once"


~ guess I won't try it again." said I
with shiver. "The tooth is bad enough
but it is Heaven alongside of that watch.
spring. You may come up some time and
pull it out when 1 amt at home. [ think
could endure the operation if was off about
eight blocks. Come up when you can