A GATHERING OF SQUINT EYES. Ill 



original purpose, Dr. Cabot mentioned that he would 

 perform the operation upon all who chose to offer. 

 We certainly took no trouble to spread this notice, 

 but the next morning, when we returned from break- 

 fast, there was a gathering of squint-eyed hoys 

 around the door, Avho, with their friends and back- 

 ers, made a formidable appearance, and almost ob- 

 structed our entrance. As soon as the door opened 

 there was a rush inside ; and as some of these slant- 

 ing eyes might not be able to distinguish between 

 meum and tuum, we were obliged to help their pro- 

 prietors out into the street again. 



At ten o'clock the big table was drawn up to the 

 window, and the mattress and pillow were spread 

 upon it, but there was such a gathering around the 

 window that we had to hang up a sheet before it. 

 Invitations had been given to Dr. Bado and Dr. 

 Munoz, and all physicians who chose to come, and 

 having met the governor in the evening, I had ask- 

 ed him to be present. These all honoured us with 

 their company, together with a number of self-invi- 

 ted persons, w^ho had introduced themselves, and 

 could not well be turned out, making quite a crowd- 

 ed room. 



The first who presented himself was a stout lad 

 about nineteen or twenty, whom we had never seen 

 or heard of before. Who he was or where he came 

 from we did not know, but he was a bisco of the 

 worst kind, and seemed able-bodied enough to un- 

 dergo anything in the way of surgery. As soon as 



