Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-06-20
EVENING STAR.
TH E GENTEEL THIEf.
A SKETCH OF REAL LIFE.

SlOn OF meQlcine. lie showed early indl.
cations of talent, and on leaving school
was By his own desire articled to coun.
try surgeon and general practitioner.
Shortly after receiving his diploma, he
married and settled in a small town
within few miles of fashionable wa.
tering place. Being a young man oi
good address, exceedingly well read, and
possessing withal thorough knowledge
OF his profession, united to capacity for
the hardest work, he made his way
rapidly, and speedily became a popular
favorite. His success in the treatment
OF some critical cases extended his repu-
tation to the neighboring town, and he
was frequently sent for by the fashioua.
bic visitants who resided there during
the season of summer. There his abili-
ties recommended him to the notice of a
circle who were in q condition to remu.
nerate them well and moved By the en-.
couragement Of his patrons, and by the
claims OF young family now raising
around him, he took house in the town,
and removed thither in the eighth yea,
of his practice.
At G he continued to flourish. His
gentlemanly manners and conversational
| powers made him welcome in all comma
MES; his reputation increased, and in a
few years he had monopolized nearly all
the genteel practice Of the district. For
fifteen years more he went On prospering.
earning and spending upon his family.
for whose education be spared no eX.
pense, an income exceeding considerably
thousand year. He never relin.
quished his old practice in the adjacent
village, but rode out regularly to visit
the bed-ridden poor, to whom it was bis
custom to afford both advice and medi.
cines gratuitously. 1t was for their ben.
eft chiefly, and that of the poor of the
town, that he had established in a wing
of his house small dispensary, where
young man was always in attendance
to make up prescriptions and to admin.
lister to trif1ing cases or accidents.
One day, when DR.. JohnStone had lust
finished bis morning levee, and was pre-
pairing to go forth Oh his daily round, his
assistant brought him o prescription
which, being old and creased, he could
not well decipher. My cid friend, when
he saw it, determined, for some reason
or other, to compound the medicine him.
self. he stepped into the diSpensary
where stood young girl in morning
dress and requesting her to be seated,
began collecting the necessary ingre-
dients. As he stopped to reach vessel,
ne looked accidentally into a small mirror
| that lay on shelf, and distinctly saw
the girl take from side-table gilt phial
, OF costly perfume, and then place it in
her pocket. He at once led her into the
house, charged her with the theft, and
. had her searched by his wife and daugh.
tiers. The delinquent did not DENY the
crime, but refused to reveal her name.
and became excited and furious when not
allowed to depart. Poor Johnstone, who
never dreamed of the consequences, sent
for an officer, and had her conveyed to
F! prison. That act was the ruin of him.
The girl, who was a young lady, the
! daughter Of Gel. j, who, and whose
family, led the fashions of the place
The young lady was bliled out, owing to
his influence, for tritiing sum; and the
bail was forfeited under the pretence that
she was too sensitive TO appear in answer
to such All odious charge. The town
was iull of military sparks, who united
with the Colonel in spreading most infa.
nous reports about JohnStOne-reportS
which placed him in the most abomina,
BILE light, and blasted his character for.
ever. In less than a month, every house
In the town was shut against him. Even
the poor. to whom he had been bene.
factor for twenty years, hocted him as
he walked the streets. His eldest son,
whom, after making interest in his be-
half for years, he had at length placed
advantageously in the town bank, was
abruptly discharged his daughters were
shamefully expelled from the school
where they received their education /;
and his whole family consigned to gen.
eral ignominy and execratiOn.
Johnstone lost his practice almost at
one Swoop, and as consequence he lost
his credit. He had saved but little, al.
most nothing; and was obliged to sell off
his property and retire from the town.
The breaking up of his household, the
loss of his character, the distress of his
family-all together had such an effect
upon his spirits, and indeed upon his
health and faculties, too, that he was
never the same man afterwards. He
came to London, and endeavored to omen
a connection in middle-claSs district in
Paddington; but the vile reports which
had ruined him at G followed him
here, and defeated all his exertions. He
fell rapidly into poverty; his charming
daughters declined into governesses and
ladies maids; his two boys went off to
Australia; his wife died broken hearted:
and be himself doomed to solitary CAR
ret, and with nothing to subsist on but
the hard.earned wages of his girls, fell
gradually into premature dc cay. To me,
the sight of him, for the last few years of
his life, was most melancholy specta.
Gle. Though mere wreck of man, be
made heroic efforts to retain the bearing
and the garb of gentleman.
About two years ago, he was in the
L Il