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XXVI

 
He orders Euby then to split some wood, and take and build
A fire in kitchen-stove, and git a young spring-chicken killed;
And jes whirled in and th'owed his hat and coat there on the bed,
And warshed his hands and sailed in that-air kitchen, Euby said,
 

XXVII

 
And biled that chicken-broth, and got that dinner – all complete
And clean and crisp and good and hot as mortal ever eat!
And Cynth and Euby both'll say 'at Doc'll git as good
Meals-vittles up, jes any day, as any woman could!
 

XXVIII

 
Time Sister Abbick tuk so bad with striffen o' the lung,
P'tracted Meetin', where she had jes shouted, prayed and sung
All winter long, through snow and thaw, – when Sifers come, says he:
"No, M'lissy; don't poke out your raw and cloven tongue at me! —
 

XXIX

 
"I know, without no symptoms but them injarubber-shoes
You promised me to never putt a fool-foot in ner use
At purril o' your life!" he said. "And I won't save you now,
Onless – here on your dyin' bed – you consecrate your vow!"
 

XXX

 
Without a-claimin' any creed, Doc's rail religious views
Nobody knows – ner got no need o' knowin' whilse he choose
To be heerd not of man, ner raise no loud, vainglorious prayers
In crowded marts, er public ways, er – i jucks, anywheres! —
 

XXXI

 
'Less 'n it is away deep down in his own heart, at night,
Facin' the storm, when all the town's a-sleepin' snug and tight —
Him splashin' hence from scenes o' pride and sloth and gilded show,
To some pore sufferer's bedside o' anguish, don't you know!
 

XXXII

 
Er maybe dead o' winter– makes no odds to Doc, – he's got
To face the weather ef it takes the hide off! 'cause he'll not
Lie out o' goin' and p'tend he's sick hisse'f – like some
'At I could name 'at folks might send fer and they'd never come!
 

XXXIII

 
Like pore Phin Hoover – when he goes to that last dance o' his!
That Chris'mus when his feet wuz froze – and Doc saved all they is
Left of 'em – "'Nough," as Phin say now, "to track me by, and be
A advertisement, anyhow, o' what Doc's done fer me! —
 

XXXIV

 
"When he come – knife-and-saw" – Phin say, "I knowed, ef I'd the spunk,
'At Doc 'ud fix me up some way, ef nothin' but my trunk
Wuz left, he'd fasten casters in, and have me, spick-and-span,
A-skootin' round the streets ag'in as spry as any man!"
 

XXXV

 
Doc sees a patient's got to quit – he'll ease him down serene
As dozin' off to sleep, and yit not dope him with mor-pheen. —
He won't tell what– jes 'lows 'at he has "airn't the right to sing
'O grave, where is thy victery! O death, where is thy sting!'"
 

XXXVI

 
And, mind ye now! – it's not in scoff and scorn, by long degree,
'At Doc gits things like that-un off: it's jes his shority
And total faith in Life to Come, – w'y, "from that Land o' Bliss,"
He says, "we'll haf to chuckle some, a-lookin' back at this!"
 

XXXVII

 
And, still in p'int, I mind, one night o' 'nitiation at
Some secert lodge, 'at Doc set right down on 'em, square and flat,
When they mixed up some Scriptur' and wuz funnin'-like – w'y, he
Lit in 'em with a rep'imand 'at ripped 'em, A to Z!
 

XXXVIII

 
And onc't – when gineral loafin'-place wuz old Shoe-Shop – and all
The gang 'ud git in there and brace their backs ag'inst the wall
And settle questions that had went onsettled long enough, —
Like "wuz no Heav'n – ner no torment" —jes talkin' awful rough!
 

XXXIX

 
There wuz Sloke Haines and old Ike Knight and Coonrod Simmes – all three
Ag'inst the Bible and the Light, and scoutin' Deity.
"Science," says Ike, "it dimonstrates– it takes nobody's word —
Scriptur' er not, – it 'vestigates ef sich things could occurred!"
 

XL

 
Well, Doc he heerd this, – he'd drapped in a minute, fer to git
A tore-off heel pegged on agin, – and, as he stood on it
And stomped and grinned, he says to Ike, "I s'pose now, purty soon
Some lightnin'-bug, indignant-like, 'll ''vestigate' the moon!..