Litchfield enquirer., 1856-06-05

happy rural population, capable already of
sending out surplus produce to the incubns-rid-
den Victoria But to my man.
"Peter Stouecrop was one of my very FIRST
patients, and he taught me one OF my earliest
lessons of caution. He came to me with o
violent inflammation of the pleura. He doubt
less selected me as young, and, as he hoped,
cheap practitioner. He actually passed on bis
way much nearer, and very able medical man,
and in agonies which nothing but the intensest
avarice could have enabled him to endure, ar
rived at my door. Amy other individual would
have sent for medical man to come TO him, but
| his penerious soul would not allow him such
luxury. / opened my door, and saw him seated
on white, bony steed involuntarily thought
! of Death upon the pale horse such was ms
CHASTITY and tortured aspect.
II took him in, doctored, nursed, and kept
him for month. As he grew nearly well, he
began to talk to me Of my practice and pros
poets. Said he knew it was anxious and MP
hill work for a young man in o new place.
candidly confessed it was, and he sympathized
AS I thought, feelingly-with me. He ire
quently shook his head seriously, muttering,
Yes hard work, very hard work but We
must help one another. My good doctor. let
me know what owe you. You've been very
kind to me, and I hope shall show myself
sensible of it,
"My impression was that he meant to make
me some handsome present cores
pondent to his ample fortune, and the services
had rendered him. ! therefore was careful
to charge him as moderately as possible. l
felt bound to rely on his generosity. He took
his bill, paid me exactly to the farthiag, called
tor his horse, and rode of. The land-shark
and the niser are one. 49,
Twenty years have flown since then. Old
age has only bent his iron frame nearer to the
earth which held his soul If ever there was
thing of the earth, earthly, it was Stonecrop.
Like Mammon, Stonecrop seemed only to see
the earth, and be anxious of its existence
Whether he ever saw the sky, with its trans
lucent and inspiring universe of suns and worlds,
is doubtful but certainly it never suggested to
him vast colonies of spiritual life, and oil the
sublime thoughts that claim for us kinship with
the Infinite. From time to time sad stories Of
hard dealings and oppressive acts towards Wild
ows aud orphans, over whose property he had
extended his mortgage net reached the public,
and Of wondrous sums of money, of no more
real use to him than so many oyster-shells.
From the day that / restored him to worth
and never did me the slightest kindness.
"Yet, the other day came messenger with
hot haste to call me to him. Stonecrop he
said, was dying, or feared so. A new settle
ment was laid out ON the western coast the
vultures of speculation had already focked
there, and Stonecrop was put in the field. He
had pounced on. various lots just where an acute
surveyor should have reserved them for the pub
c lie had possessed himself of the only site
for quays and wharyes for the erection of n
church, and for the supply Of spring water. He
had managed to monopolize woodlands lust
where their magnificent timber was at hand for
expectation. If they wanted market, they
must re-buy it of him.
From what the man could tell me. per
ceved that the very complaint of which had
formerly relieved him, had seized him once more
in his old age. believed his time was come.
but did not feel justified in refusing his cali
under such solemn circumstances, where no 9th
or aid was to be got resolved however. to
make stand for some fair remuneration this
time. When the messenger saw hesitated
to undertake the journey, he pulled from his,
pocket an open note. 1t was in Stonecrop's
own scraggy, scrambling hand, now almost il
legible from feebleness but it offered large
terms, which showed that he doubted Of nav
coming. / wrote ct the foot of the note that
accepted them, and made the messenger wit
ness it. We went.
"When we descended into this new town.
shipit was evening, almost dark, and there was
a fog SO thick that as my guide said, ven
might almost hang your hat up on IT,, I've
made our way through roods of mire a ward
deep ploughed up by bullock teams ; and niles
of sawn timber, and trunks Of feIled trees.
amongst blazing fires that blinded u.s. when
near, and which gave us no help at q distance
for the dense haze. In the midst of all the in
descrbable confusion, discomfort, and urliness
of such nascent settlement, we found orr
great man, domiciled in mere shed, which had
been erected by some sawyers. There he had
cooked for himself and, If one might lest ON
such q subject, had literally taken in and done
for himself The dampness Of that low. hollow
spot, and the incessant rains had again pro-
duced plcurisy. IS
"a kihd-hearted woman, the wife Of a drav.
man just by, had gone in at his cries, and nuysed
him to the best Of her ability. She described
his agonies and means as having been terrible
and when said, but he is still now !, shs
gave look fnIl Of meaning, and said:
Yes, and to my thinking win soon be
stiller.' ss.~s
"I went in. A candle burnt on "A deal box.
besides the bedstead, the only furniture a. ths
hut The wretched man lay wide awaks
! watching with keen look the DOORWAY snj
| as Il advanced he lifted an his risrht h...5 -I