The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-11-12
A PHYSICIANS STORY.
MY FIRST CASE; a MALADY OF MIND AND BODY
'eIi is not all Of life to live,
Nor all of death TO die.n


three Or four weeks, but had been detained
attending church on the Sabbath by violent
storms; and, to confess the truth, did not
regret this as much as should from the fact
that dreaded my first meeting, as their sole
and newly established physician, with the
weakly aud saristocratic inhsbitauts OF that
pref lEiious village. shrank nervously from
the unavoidable introdnc,ons, and the crii-
cism which knew must as inevitably fol.
lows Jowexsr, ore morning was berefl
OF mr. Yf&cuss Of bad weather, and awakened
'belim6s ID Ind the day mos, obstinateIs
clear. N1hsi5l@t Mas not cloud in the hsa-
vensS,ht could reasonable persuade my.
self was the signal Of coming rain; there
fore to church We went, my wife and I-she
oil aglow with expectation, and looking, as
] thought unusually charming in her pink
ribbons, and somewhat oppressed with an
indefinable sense of doubt and dlsmay.
We were early. sealed myself quietly,
and having nothing 10 occupy my thoughts,
half unconsciously watched the entrance,
one by one, Of the villagers. Among them
| saw face, which, as beheld it then, has
haunted me for years. II was that of Man
in the prime of his life, handsome, well bred
aud intelligent, but SO inexpressi5ly sad, Sc
indicative Of evident stasnalioh and despair.
ing dissatisfaction, that turned away in
hotror that anything made by God should
dare 10 carry counienance like that.
The services began with slow, sonorous
notes Of prelude from the mellow-ioned Or
gan. Throughout the aisle of the little an
,ique church, up 10 the very raflers, noaIed
that rare sobbing music, penetrating all
hearts, sensitive either 10 good or evil, with
that DELICATE sorrow, which Lonefellow says
g. is not akin 10 pain" .rs
II faded as the burden changed from sadness
10 jubilant hope, and ended in sudden siac-
cato chords Of triumphant joy. All eyes were
then turned towards The pulpit, and all heads
teverently bowed as The minister, an aged
one, rose and uttered brief impressive
prayer. II was one OF tie most solemn
things 10 which ever listened. Its .6eauly
lay in its naturalness, undefiled, as il was,
by arts OF snowy rhetoric. Ii seemed TO pass
from the venerable clergyman's lips up TO
heaven, as the sincerest language in which
mau could address and adore his Creator
BY conuast, ths cuit brtitlancy OF the SER
mon that followed, lost all effect; il could
not touch me like thai simple. honest sup
plicaiion for divine mercy. All The after
services Of the day were nothing 10 me
had poured out my whole soul with that
prayer, and had no further power 10 desire
worship was satisfied.
/ discsrned no lack OF eloquence or minis
teral learning in that aged divine's exhorla-
lion, and although, as we left the church,
heard many speak Of it with expressions ol
lively pleasure, felt assured that he him sell
was disseminated with the discourse. II was
like thin, flful sunlight, yelling a lowering
December sky; OF like snow, binding the
the eyes with glitter, yet in its artual self,
very cold and uusubslanlial. perceived
that there was thai, beneath all this sparkle
of words, which few present understood
Was il private grief! Was it some hidden
agony, warning against unnatural restrain,
recognized the evidence of fnsincerty, but
whether Temporary OF habitual, | could moi
discover. When he ceased, fell merely
the silence; there was none of that strange
sensation at the csssion Of impassioned, no.
Bile earnest delivery which | had experienced
often before.
'Cerainly," thought "tha, man is eitheI
very heartless or very miserable"
The congregation was pouring itself qui
ely out, when, 10 the usual organ voluntary
came an abrupt but slight pause, followed
by deep stiffness. Immediately human
voice, full aud rare mans voice, commen
ced chanting that celebrated solo from Fe
iix Mendelssohn Barlholdy's "Messiah," 81
know that nay Redeemef liveth." Perfectly
in time and tune, although with no fur,hel
accompaniment than the few opening chords
.he voice issued from lhe choir, bearing te
the world-weafy listeners consolation ant
peace. II was moi the noble music, il wal
the expression gathered by the fine voice
from the two, uniting in one glorious whole
/, till The atmosphere seemed TO thrill with id
wealth OF melody. On the last notes of the
solo, as Il faded maguiicently into silence
the organ's accompaniment recommended
proving by the purest unity Of the two sounds
| the successful intonalion OF the unknown vo
calisi. Many curious eyes were directed
towards the gallery, but the curtains wer'
tightly drawn, and the mystery still remained
mysterious. Some casual movement, how
ever, momentariiy displaced portion of th'
floating screen and revealed 10 me glimps,
Of the dark, handsome face had before no
ticed, ard 1t was no less dark, handsome
or disconlented than when beheld it then
I asked myself in wonder II ,ha, soulful sing
ing and that morose, unhappy countenance
belonged to one and the same individual.
The close Of the Sabbath day was des
tined to reveal 10 me strange fragment Q
the life history Of this very mans q X
The night fell dewy and starry. bat witl
on oppressiveness Of atmosphere that wa
NOT, in that part of the county, an uncem
mon consequence on Icing continued rains
The g.ound was almost destitute OF mois
,urc, and the grass Of that harsh, vivi
! green, so destructive 10 vision. The air wa