IT’S GONE, ALL GONE, AND I’M GOING TOO.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7066, 11 February 1893, Page 4

IT’S GONE, ALL GONE, AND I’M GOING TOO.

For many a year did the same man sweep a certain street-crossing in the Hampstead. Through all seasons and all weathers, there he was, sweeping the crossing and taking such gratuities as were given him. Time wore away, and he came to be 80 years old. He appeared at his post no more. A lady district visitor looked him up at his lodgings. W bat a picture of squalid destitution. No fire, no food, no friends. Wife and family he bad not—never bad. The poor old fellow was perishing of starvation, of want. Some money was raised for hie benefit and he was removed to a London Hospital. Here be lay several weeks sinking daily. One night he was clearly very low. Near him stood one of the hospital physicians and a nurse. Seeing him olutoh nervously at bis pillow, the nurse, supposing the patient desired to be raised up, put bis arm beneath him to perform that service. In doing so the nurse’s hand came in contact with an object which he withdrew. It was a dirty little canvas bag tied with a leather string. As it was laid aside the old man perceived what had been done, lifted his skeleton frame partially from the bed and, trembling with excitement, said in a shrill whisper. “Ah my treasure, my treasure 1 It’s gone, all gone, aud I’m going too !” and sank back dead. The bag contained £6OO in notes —the savings of bis miserly’life. And he, there, dead of starvation, even more than of age. Well, what of it ? you say. The wretched old man was better dead than alive. Quite so, but most human events have a moral, a lesson, about them, if we keep an eye out for it. What, for example, can we learn from the following facts ? —One night about ten years ago a man whose name wo can furnish went to bed as usual, apparently in good health and spirits. A few hours later he lay unconscious on the floor. In explanation he stated that he bad been seized, suddenly, with a pain of such violence that he was compelled to rise, —a pain in the chest. After rising he lost his senses and sank down on the spot where be had stood His wife aroused by the noise struck a light and saw her husband in that situation, the afterwards declared he had gone black in the face, and that bis eyes looked as if t hey were starting out of his head. 1 Restoratives were applied, which brought him to, but he was not as before. So quickly and unexpectedly do we cross the boundary line between two opposite bodily conditions. It is like stepping from the broad blaze of day into a damp cavern, packed with darkness. He felt weak aud sick, with a strange “ all gone ” sensation throughout the whole system. His mouth tatted badly, aud was filled with a slimy sort of phlegm, bis head ached, and he was unable to take a deep breath, he walked with difficulty, and went about his business like a man who is haunted by a paralysing dream. Perplexed and alarmed he consulted physicians, who prescribed for him, without, however, producing auy noticeable improvement. The strong, clear headed man of previous years was gone—changed as if by the hand of a vicious magician into the feeble being he now was. Even with this dismal prospect before him our friend travelled not on level ground ; his path led downward; he grew worse. In December, 1888, he had a distinct and bad attack, gave up business, and went to bed. There he remained for a weary painful month —thirty days, as long as thirty years of power and occupation. The doctor said there was something wrong with the stomach and bowels. After he once more rose from his bed he still suffered dreadful pain and could rest □either day nor night. Indeed, some nights be never slept a moment. So weak bad he become that when he attempted a short walk he was obliged to abandon the effort, return and go to bed. His own words are these:—“To give you an idea how reduced I had become I may mention that I lost over three stone weight and was wasting away. I kept on like this until January, 1891, when Mr Everson, of Ocoold, told me of a medicine called Mother Seigel’s 1 Syrup and the good it had done. I tried it and in three days I felt better. Cheered and encouraged by this I continued to use it, with the result that I wholly recovered from my mysterious malady. 1 am now strong and hearty, and business is again a pleasure. The Syrup did me more good in a few weeks than all the ten years doctoring put together " (Signed) Albert Tborndyke, Proprietor of the “ Grapes Inn,” Church Street, Bye, Suffolk. May Ist, 1891, What do we learn from this ? We learn that while a miserly fool like our crossingsweeper may starve for money, a wise man with more reverence for his bodily temple, seeks and finds a remedy for a tendency to starvation, induced by disease :—that the disease was indigestion and dyspepsia, and the remedy Mother Seigel’s Syrup.