Year: 1870

my father. He was the prOudeSt man in
Europe; wouldn't touch the handle of the
door with his love; always touched it with
the tail of his coat. But he was a true gentle
man, every inch He used to say to my faith
er: " Row, you must have a holiday. Go
down to my place, stay week or a month, and
tell the butler and housekeeper to make you
comfortable" "


My father if he pleased, might have been
one OF the magistrates at Marlborough street
Police Court Lord Groogroo sent for him one
morning. and when he came into the room
said:


Row, you We been smoking


" assure your lordship, have not"


" Then you We been in room where other
people were smoking. Go home and change
your coat, and come back to me directly"


My father went home and put on another
coat and when he came back his lordship
said:


Row, you are to be the new magistrate at
Marlborough Police Court. have spok-
en- to SldmOuth, and he has promised to &C
cept my nomination"


" But, my Lord, don't think l am fit for
the position +,


Z" | say you are We want such men as YOU
are on the bench. It's worth your acceptance.
Six hundred year, and house to live in.


have heard, my lord, that Lord Henry
Petty has applied on behalf of Mr.. Conant, the
bookseller. "


{" l know it. Petty's twopenny Wing, and
has no chance. I've arranged the matter with
Sidmouth; so think it over, and let me have
your answer in week


i" My father went home and talked over the
offer with my mother; but he loved his old
bOokshOp, and as he had his hands full of pub
fishing business he decided on not acceptinp
1t he wrote letter of thanks, declining to
take the place.


lie always used to say that two rainy davs
were the luckiest days of his life. The first
brought him prosperity in business the second
perhaps saved his life, certainly saved his leg.


There was parish feast at the Marlborough
Head tavern, at which one of the vestry had to
put dozen Divine on the table My father
was there, and had taken more than he could
comfortably carry; so when he got home and
looked Tor the keyhOle, latch key in hand be
could not find it. Not wishing to disturb nv
mother, he thought he could get in at the first
door window. So he climbed up the spout
outside the house until he got to the lead cop-
Ing, but, there missing his footing, he fell
heavily into the street. The watchman picked
him up, and at first thought he was killed; he
got the street door open and took him into his
bedroom In short time he came to his SEN
seS, but could not move one of his legs Mr.
Swift, a celebrated surgeon, was sent for: he
=.
that 1t was broken. He could do nothing to
it then, but at four o'clock in the afternoon he
would bring his instruments and cut it off. NV
mother was in dreadful way at hearing this
and so was my father. In the morning when
the shop was opened and the apprentices were
told of what had happened, there was good
deal of crying, for they all loved the old gen
tleman. just about midday it began to rain.
A gentleman wearing cloak came in, and said
be was on his way to the evee, and as he could
not afford to spoil his court dress might be stop
few minutes until the rain was over? but,
says he, what are ye all crying for p


One of the shOpmen tells him that my father
broke his leg that morning, and that at four
o clock Mr.. Swift was coming to cut it off
That's sharp work y said the gentleman.
have ten minutes to spare. | am a sur
geon. 60 up stairs, and say | would like to
look at the lint" !"


My father made no objection and the gem
tieman went upstairs and, after examining
the leg, said This leg is not broken. Run
and get in a half-a dozen men, and bring me a
couple Of thin boards


They called in some of the neighbors, and
after the gentleman had cut the board into
lengths he got the joint right again. which had
been twisted out of its place, and having bound
1t up in spllnts, went to the leVee, promising
to call on his return


MIR. Swift looked in, about an hour before
four clock, and told US to get up the kitchen
table and make things ready while he went for
his amputating instruments.


One Of the apprentices told him that a gen
tleman had been there, and what the gentleman
had said and DONE


" Tell him for me he's quack," said Mr
Swift. " | say the leg must come off,


Mr.. Swift went away, and almost immediate
atterWard the gentleman came in


Well, how gets on my patient?" said he


20 Mr.. Swift has been here aud says you
are quack:


" A quack, is it? Surgeon O'Brien of the
Six Hundred and FOrty-tourth quack I'll
wait for the gentleman, and ask him to explain
his small mistake"


Mr. o. Brien went into the bedroom, and
waited for Mr.. Swift, who came at the appoint
ed time.


" II you don't have the leg off directly" said
Mr.. Swift to my father, you had better make
your will. "


e You think so, do you?" says the other,
coming forward; chad mt you better be think
ing about your own will irst?'' You called
me quack Surgeon 0 Brien of his Males
!iy Six Hundred and Forty fourth, who was
IN Bunker s Hill and halfa-dozen other battles
10 America But you are an old man, and
that saves your bones. Get out of this house
by the door, if you don't want to be thrown out
by the window. And, mark my words I'll |
have this gentleman down in his shop in a fort |
night, better man than ever he was in his
life ~


Mr.. D Brien kept his word; he cured my
father and for thirty years they were the firm
est friends.


A paragraph is going the rounds about Girl
In Chester, VT, dying from tight lacing. An
editor. commanding ON the Gnct snus tt TLn.o