A SHORT time since, a young man living in Ogdensburgh, N. Y., whose name
we shall call George, took to drinking rather more than usual, and some
of his friends endeavored to cure him. One day, when he was in rather a
loose condition, they got him in a room, and commenced conversing about
_delirium tremens_, directing all their remarks to him, and telling him
what fearful objects, such as snakes and rats, were always seen by the
victims of this horrible disease. When the conversation had waxed high
on this theme, one of the number stepped out of the room, and from a
trap which was at hand let a large rat into the room. None of his
friends appeared to see it, but the young man who was to be the victim
seized a chair and hurled it at the rat, completely using up the piece
of furniture in the operation. Another chair shared the same fate, when
his friends seized him, and with terror depicted on their faces,
demanded to know what was the matter.
"Why, don't you see that cursed big rat?" said he, pointing to the
animal, which, after the manner of rats, was making his way round the
room, close to the walls.
They all saw it, but all replied that they didn't see it--"_there was no
rat_."
"But there _is_!" said he, as another chair went to pieces in an
ineffectual attempt to crush the obnoxious vermin.
At this moment they again seized him, and after a terrific scuffle threw
him down on the floor, and with terror screamed--
"Charley! run for a doctor!"
Charley started for the door, when George desired to be informed "what
the devil was up."
"Up!" said they, "why, you've got the _delirium tremens_!"
Charley opened the door to go out, when George raised himself on his
elbow, and said, "Charley, where are you going?"
"Going!" said Charley, "going for a doctor."
"Going for a doctor!" rejoined George; "for what?"
"For what?" repeated Charley, "why, you've got the _delirium tremens_!"
"The _delirium tremens_--have I?" repeated George. "How do you know I've
got the delirium tremens?"
"Easy enough," says Charley; "you've commenced _seeing rats_."
"Seeing rats!" said George, in a sort of musing way; "seeing rats. Think
you must be mistaken, Charley."
"Mistaken!" said Charley.
"Yes, mistaken," rejoined George. "_I ain't the man--I haven't seen no
rat!_"
The boys let George up after that, and from that day to this he hasn't
touched a glass of liquor, and "_seen no rats_"--not the first rat.