DR. POTTS' MISTAKE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3798, 17 June 1880, Page 4

DR. POTTS' MISTAKE.

Young Gluckerson met old Judge Van Snyder on the ferry the otho.' day, and, after shaking hands respectfully with that venerable friend of the family, said, casually : — "Did you hear of that terrible accident up at Potts' the other night ? " " Accident?- Why, my dear young friend, no. Nothing serious, I hope ? " said the judgp, much interested. " Well, I'll tell you how ifc was," eaid Gluckerson, in a mournful voice ; " you see fche old doctor was oufc until about fcwo in the morning attending some patients, and, supposing he would bo hungry when he came in, Mrs Potts put a large pan of mush and milk — the old doctor's favourite dish, you know — under the stove to keep warm for him." "Yes! yes!" said the judge, eagerly, as Gluckerson stopped to light a cigar. "Go on — what then ? " " Well, the doctor came in after awhile, and went groping round inthe dark for hs mush— couldn't find a match, you know — and, as luck would have ifc, he picked up instead a pan, containing bTead, put there _to raise over night. He was too tired to notice the difference — besides, he had taken two or three nips as he drove round— and so he actually ate up all the dough ! " " Gracious ! " said the judge. "It is a fact, though. wWell, towards morning the doctor began to swell, and swell — the yeaßt was getting ita work in, you know — and pretty soon the whole family was up and rushing around, half ;disfcracted. The doctor kept on groaning and shrieking and swelling until he looked like a Saratoga trunk. Afc lasfc they found what he had done, and the whole family piled right on top of him and sat there while they Bent for a cooper." " A cooper?" " Yes ; you see, they saw at once that unless something was done the doctor would burst before morning. So the cooper started in and pufc nine of those big half-inch beer keg hoops round his stomach. Of course that stopped hiß swelling, Bnd by keeping a tin tube down his throat for the gas to escape, he just managed to pull through." " Oh ! the doctor pulled through; did he ?" "Oh ! yes ; he's all right now, excepting >» " Excuse me," said the judge, grimly as ho took out his notebook, " but will your favour me with your middle name in full. They are getting up a medal for the champion liar in the State, by order of the Governor,.. and I think I'll send iv your " But the boat had landed, and the promising young candidate had melted away into the crowd. , :