The Swamp Doctor's Adventures in The South-West: Containing the Whole of The Louisiana Swamp Doctor; Streaks of Squatter Life; and Far-Western Scenes; In a Series of Forty-Two Humorous Southern and Western Sketches, Descriptive of Incidents and CharacterRobb, John S.
General
The Swamp Doctor's Adventures in The South-West: Containing the Whole of The Louisiana Swamp Doctor; Streaks of Squatter Life; and Far-Western Scenes; In a Series of Forty-Two Humorous Southern and Western Sketches, Descriptive of Incidents and Character
Robb, John S.
Southwest, Old -- Social life and customs
But lo! behold what a sudden transformation! Has Jerry struck some
discordant note in his sweet melody of the future--for Mary's features
are contracted, as if with pain, and her pretty face, in spite of
herself, wears a vinegar aspect. Rather early, I opine, for ladies to
commence the shrew--if I am wrong, lady reader, attribute the error to
the ignorance of an old bachelor. Jerry, too, seems to partake of the
sour contagion--he stamps upon the ground, writhes his body about, and
presses his hand upon his stomach, ignorant, I presume, of anatomy.
He meant to lay them over his heart, poor fellow! he got too Jow down.
Mary, too, is evincing the ardency of her affection; and with the same
deplorable ignorance of the locality of the organs. Verily, love is
affecting them, singularly. It may be a pleasant passion, but that
couple, who certainly have a fresh, I will not say genuine, article
of lo\e, look like anything but happy accepted lovers. What can be
the matter? They have just read an extract from one of Cowper's
bu-_colics_--but can poetry produce such an effect? They groan, and
writhe their bodies about, and would press their hearts, if they only
lay where their digestive apparatus certainly does. Can the grapes have
anything to do with their queer contortions? “Heavens!” Jerry cries,
as a horrid suspicion flashes over his mind, “The cholera! The cholera!
Dearest, we will die together, locked in each other's arms!” and Jerry
sought to embrace his lady love; but she was _scrouched up_, I believe
the ladies term it, and as lie had assumed the same globular position,
approximation could not be effected, and death had acquired another
pang, from their having to meet him separate.
Fortunately for them, the Major had got his sleep out some hours before,
and, becoming anxious at their prolonged stay, set out to seek them. As
the garden was a quiet, secluded place, he thought them most likely to
be there, and there he found them, labouring under the influence, not so
much of love as--the truth must out--an overdose of grapes: and you know
how they affect the system.
A boy was despatched post haste after me. Fortunately I was at home,
and quickly reached the spot. I reached the house, and was introduced
immediately to the apartment where both the patients lay. A glance at
their condition and position explained the cause fully of their disease.
A hearty emetic effected a cure; and the first child of Jerry and
Mary Wilson was distinctly marked on the left shoulder with a bunch of
grapes.
HOW TO CURE FITS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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