Dr. Dumany's Wife

1848 he took an active share, and after the catastrophe of Világos he was seized and imprisoned at Olmütz. At that time I was a lean, overgrown youngster of sixteen. I was co

filled by Germans and Bohemians. I did not wish to follow in my father's footsteps, for I saw that what with his neglect of business matters, what with his liberality in furnishing all patriotic ent

er upon the subject, and told him that I thou

ome paltry office in the distric

o study as a phys

ounded so that they themselves may keep out of danger when their betters fight? Imagine a scion of the Dumanys,

shall not be left in possession of a rifle or any other shooting-iron; and surely you will not butcher me? Come, fathe

dare to follow such an insane course, you may be sure of my m

maledictions, you are much too kind and good-natured to utter such stuff; and, besides, curses are just as harmless and useless as blessings. The Frauenhofer lines tell us all

es, which can't be helped, and will soon cease to trouble us. Why, there is your uncle Dion, with eighty-seven winters on his head (may God rest him!) and not a soul to leave his large fortune to, but you, his only nephew! Bless my soul! what a nuisance is this boy! Instead of goin

lready, and have told

word! A

reliminary expenses, and I hope t

away anything but advice! It'

providing against the future; fo

hen where is the need for your troubling yourself

; neither do I care for his money. All I wanted

ins were meant to be given monthly, or only once for good and all. However, as I did not ask for them, I never got a penny, and soon learned to

. He lived on baked potatoes, nuts, honey, raw fresh eggs, and all sorts of fruits and vegetables which might be eaten raw, and which grew in his own orchard and garden. Out of his large herd of cattle he selected a cow for his stall. This cow he attended to with his own hand, carefully examining each stalk or haulm she ate, in order that no poisonous weed might be consumed by her, and thus poison the milk. Each morning and evening his own hands milked her, and he churned all his butter, and made all his cheese himself. He never ate anything but what I have mentioned, and he never went out without two loaded double-barrelled pistols in his boots. He never read any other newspaper than the Slavonic Narodne Novine, which he got from the village parson; but, before reading it, he held it over a charcoal fire, on which he had thrown some juniper berries, to kill possible malarial germs. His land was all farmed out, and the rent had to be paid to him in gold or silver, which he locked away in a great old iron chest. Occasionally, thro

n established physician when my father died, and immediately a

rs or dependent younger brothers, and had long ago relinquished the hope of coming into poss

ot approve of this sort of advertisement, but I found that it could not be checked, and so grew indifferent to it. One day I received a registered letter containing money. It was stamped all over with the cheapest kind of sealing-wax, and, on opening the env

a step without being well paid, I send you the enclosed bank-bill, and p

ANY

t into a fresh envelope, an

re really in need of a physician, and want me in that capacity, then please let me know, without enclosing money, f

NY KO

e the answer-"Yes, I

ng without an eye-glass. Even his grafting he did without an artificial help to his vision. I remembered well the old custom for guests arriving at his house: coach and servants had to be left at the inn, and dinner had to be ordered there. Whoever came to visit the lord of the chateau, quite a magnificent old-fashioned country seat, had to enter through a narrow garden-gate, just wide en

udge money to secure rare specimens. His flower-garden was a real fairy bower, and the old man, with the flowing snow-white hair and beard, pruning

nged my appearance. He was looking just the same as he did ten years ago; not altered in the least. He was as dry, as wri

d. "I should have known you wherever I met

a moustache and beard. But I must return your compliment. You have not aged in the least

ken; but sit down here in the bower: my room is not quite

at the inn and also my dinner. I had a hearty lunch half an hour ago, and so you need not wor

d far better than most others at my age. I am ninety-seven, as you know, and that's no trifle. It wou

s! Come in, and let me examine you professionally, for su

superstitious. For you fellows of the present day are so sceptical and matter-of-fact that you refuse to believe in anything that cannot be proved by optical inspection or by evidence. It was, as I said, just four years ago, on my ninety-third birthday, when St. John the Nepomuc appeared to me in a dream, and said-'Dionysius, my good fellow, make the

an. I can cure bodily diseases, and release you from the clutches of cholera, or sometimes even of death; but if the saints have got hold of you, and such a tight hold, too, then you had better g

imen of honesty, who don't think it worth your while to cajole an old fool for the sake of hi

d like two pieces of cracked iron rubbing together. There was a merry twinkle in his eye eve

rehension; not at all as sharp as others of the family. S

yer or a notary. I am neither of the two

bill which you returned to me strongly interested me in your favour. There was a time when I was not the shrewd hard fellow that I am, but a true Dumany and a spendthrift. I can show you a heap of signatures from nearly all the members of our family-that is, the elder members-every one given me as security for money I have

s swallowed by the lawyers, although I know that, after paying all of his debts, there must have been a handsome penny left, and I could have recovered that money if I had cared to s

ate, the house, the money, and all-no, don't run away! I am not crazy, and you need not be afraid that I want you to live here with me in this old hall as it is, mouldy and dirty and desolate. Neither do I wa