Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1857-01-30
Nj | $ G. T. Lila n Y
THE DOCTORS BRIDE.
Ir EMuERsoN nLNNITT.

'''N ''''' N''"N"'f ''NlN'HH N"HN
the secret history Of some Of your proics.
sion IL written out'in detail would make a
work Of thrilling interest"
Il DO not know rs exactly agrco with
You in regard to detail. "rcjoincl my friend
4" Tor we medical men, like every one elsc,
meet with great deal that common place,
and therefore not worthy Of Icing recorded
but grant Us the privilege of you- noyclist-,
u select our charactcrs and scenes, and work
them IDlo a Lind Of plot, with striking
dSHouom1i, aud doubt not many of us
could give you a romance in real life, com.
pri'ng only what We have sccn. which
would equal, It not surpass, anything YOU
ever met IN tho way Of fiction. lIy the 10y,
believe never told YOU of the most strange
and romantic adventure Of my lie?'
You never told me of any Of your al.
ventures, Doctor | rcplicl "but IL you
have story to tell, you will dnl me an
eager listener"
Very well then, rs | have a few minutes
to spare tell YOU one morc wildly roman.
tic. more incredibly remarkable. il may
'P,as, than You probably ever found in a
work " fiction.
Twenty I've years ago." pursued thc
Doctor. 81 entcrd the medical college at
-, as a student. was then young,
inexperienced. and inclined n b. timed and
sentimental and well do I remember the
horror experienced when one Of tho senior
.tuicnts, under rreicnee Of showiag me the
b,autics uf the institution suddenly thrust
me into the diss,cting room, among several
dead bodies. aud closed the door upon me
nor do forget how my scrccchcs of terror,
and prayer. Of release from that awful place,
mad, mc the laughing stock ol my older
companions.
"RiIiculc is hard ,hins n 5yar, the
coward bccomc. brave 10 escape il, and tie
brave man fears it moro than be would =
bslshu: cannon. suffered from i, till |
could b,4r It no NOR, and wrought zap 10
a pitch Of ie.p'ratiou, I lemapded 70 know
what might DO to redeem my character,
AMI gain an honorable footing among my
fellow students.
"lwill tell YOU" ail one, III. csc spark
lipr with mischief; "Ir YOU will 20 at the
miiuisht hour, and dig up a subject. and
uEc 4, 70 your room and remain alone with
It ull morning wewIll le, you or, and mover
ay another worl about your vomsnly
fright"
- saull.roi, Il was - fearful al,srna-
tive. bu, /, .,cmcI lr,, terrible To suffer all
,ha horrors tina, nigh, ba concentrated into
a single nigh, than to b'ar, day after day,
tac Jrcrs Of my companions.
whcrssh4lI GO and whcn'' was my
tImrl inquiry, and the very though, Of such
AN aI,,u,ur, made my blood run cold.
"ro the Eastern Cemetery tonight, at Il
o'clock" replied my tormcntcr, fixing hi'
ar,n hack eye, upon ruc. and allowing his
Thin lip. to curl with a ,mIlc u contempt,
d. But wha, is the Use Of asking such a cow
arl a, you t, perform such a manly fcat''
hc aId,I dcrdrlly.
=" III, words ,tuus me to the quick and
without further reflection, and scarcely
auar, Of what va, saying, Ircjoincl bold
g-
Lam no coward, .ir, ns will prove to
YOU by performing wha, YOU call manly
feat"
"Y.n will 90 3' lr a'kel quickly.
"Iuill."
"Brayrly .lii, my lad,' he rcjoincd, in
a tone Of approval, and exchanging his cH.
preston Of surprise and admiration. DO
th, Morrr., and the fir, man that insults
you al,crwarl, makes an enemy ormc."
Again icl,a cold shudlcr pass through
NY frame, at the thought of what was be-
for, me, but had accepted his challenge in
tie presence Of many Witness, for this con-
yrs,a,ion had occurred as wc were leaving
the hall, after listening 10 an evening lee
ture. and was resolved to make my word
c1od. should il even cost my llc; in fact, !
knew could no, do o,hcrwis, now, with
out thc risk Of being driven in disgrace from
the college.
81 should her, observe that in those days
there were no professional rc'arrcctionisis.
and as i, was absolutely necessary to have
subj,cts for dissection, the unpleasant busi-
mes, Of procuring them deyolycd upon the
students. who, in consequence, watched
every funeral eagerly, and calculated the
CHANCES of cheating the scItin OF his charse
and thc grave Of it, victim.
"Therc had been funeral that lay Of a
poor orphan girl, Who had he,n followed to
the grave by very few friends and this
wa. considered favorable chance for the
party whUss turn it was u procure the next
subject, as the graves Of the poor and friend
loss were never watched with the same keen
yirilanc, a, those OF the rich and influential.
sail. it was no trilins risk to attcnp, to
e.hume the bodies Of the poorest aud hum
b!s.t-lor not unirrquently persons were
found ON the watch even over these, and on.
ly year before, oue student while at his
midnight work, had been mortllly wounded
by a rifle ball and another, month or two
subsequently,, had bocn rendered a cripple
for life, by the same means.
Al this was explained to me by party
Of six or eight, who accompanied me to my
room-which was in building belonging to