London (England) -- Social conditions -- Fiction; Physicians -- Fiction; Poor -- Fiction
The same spirit of gentleness distinguishes his method of proclamation.
Mr. Binney does not use the cry of "Milk-ho!" which his fellow-milkmen
favour. I have already stated that the tone of his voice is deeper and
more profound than that which they employ. Pushing his little handcart
before him, he causes his utterance to correspond with his gait—which is
majestic.
"Milk! milk! _milk!_" he exclaims—or, rather, utters—in a tone which is
at once appealing and authoritative.
Mr. Binney so interested me that I reported him to the doctor. "What is
the mystery of this unusual milkman?" I said. But the doctor only
smiled.
A day or two afterwards, however, when I was seated in anxious
expectancy at the upper window, Doctor Brink came up and brought me my
answer. "Waiting for your milkman?" he said.... "Ha! I’ve just been
sent for to him. Come round with me now and see him in his little
home.... I shall want some help."
As we walked along, the doctor carried his explanation a little further.
"We shall have to take his clothes off," he observed. "If once we can
get him undressed he’s fixed for a week, because he cannot hold things
steady, and he’s fat, and his trousers are tight, and—oh, here we are."
A perfectly quiet and collected old lady received us on the doorstep.
"He’s cut ’isself this time," she announced; "fell agin the railings by
the church. But he’s very jolly and ’igh-sperited, Doctor, and I’m sure
the sewing won’t be any trouble to you. Is this your assistant?"
The doctor nodded. "Where is he?" he demanded.
"In ’is own old armchair," replied the woman. "Per’aps you’ll get ’is
clothes off, Doctor. It’s on’y the trousers that matter. They’ll puzzle
’im till Sunday _this_ time, they will."
We found Mr. Binney in the situation reported. He received us with
cheers and a poetic outburst.
"Dr. Brink,
Full of chink,
I _don’t_ think"—
he exclaimed; adding a personal couplet—
"I’m old Binney,
Not so damned skinny."
"Doctor," he continued, "’ave a drink?" Upon the doctor declining this
offer, Mr. Binney chuckled loudly and extended—or tried to extend—an
arm. "Feel me pulse, old buck," he shouted. "Let’s see if you know
yere business. If ye can feel old Binney’s pulse I’ll give you ’arf a
dollar, ’cause I’ll be damned if ole Binney kin feel it ’isself."
"Loss of feeling, eh?" said the doctor, in his suavest tone. "Ha!
you’ll feel _this_ all right." With which words he inserted a surgical
needle in Mr. Binney’s cheek.
"Oy!" cried Mr. Binney, "keep orf the grarse!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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