all the neighbors feel as how Tom is young and have just hung out
his shingle here, and I ain't expectin' of 'em to have no confidence
in him. I think it my duty to just go on with my usual doctoring of
my friends. I hope you won't hold this mistake against Tom."

"Well," said the Squire in a mollified tone of voice, "I won't say
no more, but you must tell him to stop fooling with these here
Providence people. Stopped Ezra Pike's wife feeding her baby on pot-
liquor and give it biled milk watered with lime juice. It'll die--
it'll die!"

"Oh no, Squire, it's a-getting well--jest as peart as can be,"
Mother said in a mollifying tone of voice.

"It'll die--it'll die! Cut one er the lights outen Sam Mosbey's
side--called it a new fangled impendix name--but he'll die--he'll
die!"

"Sam's a-working out there on the barn roof right this minute,
Squire, good and alive," said Mother Mayberry with a good-humored
smile, while Miss Wingate cast a restrained though indignant glance
at the doubting old magistrate.

"And old Deacon Bostick drinking cow-hot milk and sucking raw eggs!
He looks like a mixed calf and shanghai rooster! So old he'd oughter
die--and he'll do it! Hot water and me in tormint! Hot water on his
middle in a rubber bag and nothing inside er him! He'll die-he'll
die!"

"Oh no, Squire, the good Lord have gave Deacon Bostick back to us