The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1851-09-17
Fton the American Courier.
"REMINISCENCES OF A PHYSICIAN OUT OF
PRACTICE.
By PROFESSOR RrrIh
KEEPING Up A FAMILY NAME.
FATHER AND DAUGHTER
LEAF |.

One evening found message waiting for
me, desiring my immediate presence at MIR PEN
dletnn Nlxons, to see his sick daughter.
Nixon was wdower of fifty, with just sufii
cent pecuaritirs about hiln to be by his friend,
considered character. His chief possessions
consisted of dignified person, five feet by four,
handsome establishment, an easy fortune, a
most obstinate temper, and pretty daughter
all but the last having been hereditary in his
family 50 long, that, the law books say, 'the
memory of man runncth not to the contrary.
But the last, the daughter, was source of much
anxiety to him, not to be wondered at, when it
is considered, he himself often remarked,
that his family was not used to having daugh-
ters--Lucy, his own, being the first that had
existed in his branch OF the Nixons tor some
three generations. He must marry her, of
course, but that would change the name and in
terrupt the family line, and he was at his wits.
end how to avoid this catastrophe. The reader
will learn how he proposed to do it; meantime
let us turn to the daughter.
When reached her bedside, | found her
flushed in the face, and under some nervous ex-
element; but as neither tongue, pulse nor en-
quiry as to her pain gave any indication Of. sick.
ness, turned to her look of perplc kitty which
she answered by requesting that we might be
left alone together.
was cleared, 81 see | shall have to make con,
hdant OF you, and o! | beg Of you, "--(casp
ing two very pretty hands earnestly together.)
"not TO betray me. If you do, | shall die, for
cam and won't do what papa wishes"
Family physicians, especially if elderly gentle
men, are more often young ladies' confidants
than the world knows anything about More:
over, had known Lucy during her whole nine
teen years OF life,-knew her as very sentimcn.
tai, very obstinate, (she got that from her
father,) and withal a very charming little crea.
ture, with one Of the best hearts in the world
naturally, but already nearly spoiled, partly by
her fathers indulgence and partly by indiscrini.
mate novel reading. SO preparing myself for
something very romantic, but not very impor.
tant, assented to the proposed confidence, and
she proceeded
81 am not sick, doctor, you see that, but
told them was, tor particular reason. You
know how proud papa is OF his family and the
old name? | wish had been son instead OF
daughter, and then the name he is SO proud
OF would never have been changed. But I'm
girl, and though he wishes to see me married
he doesn't wish to break up the family line, so,-
would you believe 1.-THE has promised me to
my second sousin, George Nixon, of N, an
oio bacherlor, thirty years old, that I've never
seen and never wish TO see. Isn't it shame,
continued she, speaking through the tears
forced out by this recapi,nlaton of her wrongs
'to bargain me off, as if | were part of the
plantation or one Of the servants, Just to keer
up the family name?
"Papa fist told me Of his arrangement about
six months ago, and has ever since been trying
to persuade me to receive letter on the sub
ect from my cousin; and this morning he told
me that George is to be here in a week to see
me,-to look at the purchase he has made, as
though were a horse he had bought. / de-
clare il is too bad. don't want to marry any
body, for don't love any body-that is, any
young man. And will never marry George
Nixon; have pretended to be sick, mat
may have an excuse 10 Keep my room all the
time he is hvre,--l hope that won't be long; il
Il. Is, don't know what III do, for | won,
marry him and | won't see hun
"But, Lucy, you've made your father very
uneasy about you, and i
80. you may tell him I'm not going to die
very soon, only shall have to keep my roon,
for week or two Dear doctor, you are the
only friend in the world that can help me now
don't you desert NEEDN'T betray me. And,
indeed, if am obliged even to look at that
odious George Nixon, shall be really sick
i IL