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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1889)
THE WEST SHORE. 359 The minister's wife, the moat intelligent of them all, stepped forward and said: "I know a little bit about it, deaoon, for when I was over at Spearstown, jaflt before we came here, there was some of the same kind of doctors there, and my very next door neigh bor was treating with them. I used to heat her say a lot about ' beliefs in disease ' and such expressions, and when her youngest was taken down with the soar, letina she kept calling it his 'chemicalization.' I re membered that, it being snob a queer word, and we've bad lots of arguments on that very thing. But I know that when her Johnnie got real bad her hus band jaflt up and said his wife might go experiment ing and fooling around, but he wasn't going to sit by and see his boy killed. They always say you're hav ing your chemicalization if you have a sot back, and they're great for having all the big words in and out of the dictionary for their use." " Deacon Tibbits, it's 'most dark now, and ef ye want to find yer Betsy ye'd better be a-gittin," spoke np one woman, jealous of the prolonged monologue the preacher's wife had heretofore maintained. " Reckon I had," said Hozia, " I have stopped too long already," and amid a general farewell, each one trying to get in the last word, and some natural em barraBsment on Hozia's part, he started off. He muttered, " Them was curious things she told about, an' no mistake, but I won't go fer to believe Betsy Cornelia hev been imposed onto that fur." He hastened briskly down the street, around the corner and up the steps of a stone howe, directly even with the street He lifted the iron knocker and brought it down with considerable force on the pan elling. It was answered by his cousin Ebenezer Hinks, who lifted an astonished face to Hozia's per plexed one. "Eb, is Betsy here?" " No, ain't my wife to your house? " The two deserted husbands stood looking at one another for fully two minutes, Ebenezor being the first to speak. " Marier, she went over to your house about half past three, with her new perle8e an' bunnit on. Them two women has been oonfabbin', an' where do ye sup pose they're gone to?" . .. , " Pears to me, Eb, we'uns hed better be a-findin out; it air most dark now, an' I don't like to Lavo thorn two women galavantin' around so late at niKbt Besides that, I hain't bed no supper yet to-night " Well, Hozia, ef you be so worrited about your Botsy I'll go along, but I'm about thinkin Mner about equal match fer any coke-burnm UK e that's what ye mean. Ef they meet, her lfc , rf they meets her, an' ef they sarcs up my sympathies air with the men," and Ut chuckled to himsolf in very much the same manner that a sly and posted better backs the winning filly. The two men started off in tho same direction. They passed Mr. Tibbits' bouso, but all was dark and comfortless, for the lato August twilight had deep ened into night " Hozia, this is the biggest wild goose chase I ever hearn toll of. Botsy is with Marier, an' trust Marier fer a-pilotin' of hor home safe." " As fur as that's oonoornod, Ebenezer, Betsy kin take care of herself, ef she ain't in one of her spells, an' they air like to oome on most any time." While they had boon talking they had reached a square whore four roads diverged, and Ebenezer stopped. " Hozia, which way are ye goin' ? " he demanded, when, suddenly, a brilliant thought struck Hozia, judging from his faco, which shone as if inspired. " Ebenezor, I hov it; mam's got a now disease mam's took an' there's my hand on it" Ebenezer Hinks looked knowing, assented, but still did not seem to think the theory throw much light upon the subject He waited for Uczla to speak, for he never rushed matters. Maria was the motive power, Hinks was the machinery, and be knew it Habit, thon, made him always look to others for the initiative. " Eb, do ye want to know where Betsy Cornelia is, surer 'n shootin'? She's down to them Christian doctors. There was some sense In what thorn chat term' women said-more sense than usual." Christian doctors! Ef Betsy hain't the liveliest case to hunt np thorn doctoral But I call that a down right blasphemy, I da Er be they anything like ministers of the gospil, a-curin' of souls an' the like? " ' Tain't that Ebenezer, 'tain't that but they're a prayin' institution though. I've heard as how they was come to town, an' ye mark my words, Betsy halu't (t no time a-findin' of 'em out" As there was only one main street the doctor's house must be somewhere on that street and, guided by that certain knowledge, they hastened down toward town. Just as they had reached the vicinity of the big hotel, Hozia, who was oonsldorably in the lead, stopped suddenly and began to scratch a match, with great reverenoe, upon his pantaloons. Ebenezer has tened to join him, and by the tiny light of the matob, pawed backward and forward over a small wooden lign nailed to the front of the houie, they were able to make out this inscription, painted In rather small characters ( IIIU.xTlAX M IKXCK JKKTOH. (iftliu tp. FfMHmtll. Coin J tlil r ll'lf"1. n,l d '" " "'