did it rather reluctantly; but then, _they did it_.
The sufferer lay panting, as if the struggle was almost over. "Don't you
think he is struck with death, doctor?" whispered one and another and
another. Almost out of patience, the doctor at length replied: "Struck
with death? What do you mean? No; he is no more struck with death than I
am. He is struck much more with the heat and bad air. Raise another
window."

The window was raised. "Now," said he, "set that door wide open." It was
quickly done. "Now bring me a bowl of water, and a teaspoon." The bowl
of water was quickly brought. "Put a little water into his mouth with
the teaspoon," said he. "O doctor," they replied, "it will only distress
him; he is already struck with death."--"Try it then, and see."

Tremblingly they now moistened his parched lips. "Put a little of it in
his mouth, with the teaspoon," he said. They shuddered; the doctor
persisted. "Why," said the attendant, "he has not been able to swallow
any thing these two hours." "How do you know?" said he. "Why, he has
been all the while struck with death."--"Nonsense! have you tried it?"
"Tried it? oh, no; by no means."--"Why not?"--"Because we knew it would
only distress him. He is too far gone to swallow, doctor; you may rely
on it."

The physician's patience was now well nigh exhausted, as well it might
have been, and seizing the bowl and teaspoon with his own sacrilegious
hands, "I will see," said he, "whether he is struck with death or not."

He not only wetted his lips and tongue, as they had partially done
before, but gradually insinuated a few drops of Nature's best and only
drink, into the top of his throat. At last he swallowed! The doctor's
hopes revived; while the family stood as if themselves struck, not with
death, but with horror. At length, he swallowed again and again. In half
an hour, he opened his eyes; before we left him, he had become quite
sensible, and, had we encouraged it, might have spoken.

To make my story as short as possible, the next day he could swallow a
little gruel. The third day, he could be raised upon the bed. The
fourth, though still weak, he was dressed and sat up an hour. In a
fortnight, he was once more driving his team; and for ought I know to
the contrary, unless debarred by reason of age, he may be driving it at
this very moment!

Going home together from our visit, already so fully described, the
conversation turned on the silly notion which so extensivel