The Funny Philosophers, or Wags and Sweethearts. A NovelYellott, George
General
The Funny Philosophers, or Wags and Sweethearts. A Novel
Yellott, George
Fiction
The Professor was a benevolent little fellow, with a high opinion of his
medical skill; so he proceeded to the cabin, and brought forth a bottle
containing a beverage much more potent than that in which Adam was
accustomed to drink the health of Eve when in the garden of Eden. He
first applied to Hercules; and holding the neck of the bottle in close
proximity to his lips, earnestly exhorted him to try the infallible
remedy of absorption, assuring him that it was a sovereign cure for his
ailment in particular, as well as for nearly every other ill in this
sublunary state of existence. But Hercules, grinning "horribly a ghastly
grin," turned quickly away, and gave expression to his abhorrence of the
proposition in loud and boisterous sounds, which seemed to come from the
very bottom of a soul intimately acquainted with sorrow.
The kind-hearted Professor then proceeded to the Long Green Boy, who was
rapidly projecting out and drawing back his head in a horizontal
direction, and giving utterance to a succession of sounds which
resembled a small hurricane of hiccoughs. The verdant youth cast a look
of disgust at the sparkling fluid, and waving his hand impatiently,
turned away, and continued in the awkward but faithful performance of
his part in the exercises of the morning. Moses gave the Professor a
look of indignation, while Old Grizzly so far forgot himself as to
advise the benevolent little fellow, in the emphatic phraseology usually
employed by the sons of Belial, to locate himself in a certain remote
quarter of the universe not proper to be mentioned to "ears polite."
The Professor then entreated M. T. Pate to imbibe from the bottle
containing his catholicon. But poor Pate was busily engaged in the
performance of sundry remarkable and difficult evolutions; thrusting out
and drawing in his head with unexampled vigor.
"He is trying to swallow his own head," said Toney, taking the Professor
aside and pointing to Pate.
"And actually seems to entertain the most sanguine hopes of succeeding
in his hazardous undertaking," said the Professor.
"What undertaking?" asked Tom Seddon, who just then came on deck.
"He is seeking to swallow his own cocoanut," said the Professor.
"Who?" asked Tom.
"M. T. Pate," said the Professor. "Look at him! I am apprehensive that
he will succeed."
"You could not induce any of them to imbibe?" said Toney.
"No," said the Professor; "they are teetotalers, and Hercules is the
President of the association. Come, let me introduce you to the
amphibious animals who inhabit the forecastle."
The Professor and his two friends walked forward, and saw seated on the
anchor an old sea-monster, with a very short pipe in his mouth. His
original name was Timothy; but several reefs had been taken in it by his
shipmates, and it had been finally tucked up into Tim.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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