The Doctor's Fee.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1469, 1 October 1885, Page 3

The Doctor's Fee.

PETER BENNET WON HIS CASE.

In an American court a doctor named Royston sued a patient namod Peter Bennet for a claim for medical attendance on the defendant's wife, who had been laid up with a sore leg. The plaintiff proved his case, and the defendant asked leave to address the Court. In tho coarse of his remarks the doctbr interjected, " ask my other patients if I am not a doctor." This seemed to be the straw that broke the cataers back, for Peter replied with a look and tone of unutterable sadness : '• That is a hard savin' gentleman of the jury, and one. as requires me to die, or to have povyers as I've beam tell ceased lo be exercised since the apostles. Does lie expect me to bring the Angel Gabriel down to toot his horn before his lime, and cry aloud, ' Awake, vc dead, and bill this cocrt your opinion' of Royston's practice !' Am I to go to the lonely churchyard and rap on the silent tomb, and say to urn as is at last at rest from physic and doctors' pills, ' Get up here you,; and slate if you died a naturaldeath or was hurried up • by some doctor!' He says, ask his patients, and gentlemen of: the jury, tJiei/ are all dead ! Where is Mrs Beazlev's man Sain ? Go-ask the worms in' the graveyard where he lies. Mr Pen he's woman Sarah was attended by him, and her funeral was appnhiled, an 1 ho had the corpse ready. Where is that likely Bill as be.longel'to Mr Mitchell ? Now m glory a-expressin' his opinion of Royston's doctrin'. W here _ is . ■ .tho.-haby ■ girl of Harry Stepheris's? She are when; doctors cease from troubling and the infants are at resit. "Gentlemen of the jury, he has et chiekon enough at my house to pay his salve, and I furnished the rags, ami I don't suppose he charges for makin' her worse, and even he don't protend to v charge for curin' of her, ami I a»i humbly thankful that he never give her nothing for her in'ards as ho did his other patients, for somethin' made urn all die mighty sudden- " Here the applause made the speaker sit down m great confusion; and tho doctor lost and Peter Bonnet won. '