Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-02

A SKULL AND BONE SKETCH.

years agO-a young doctor. who had just re-
ceived his license to practice. established him
self in one Of the thriving towns of western
New York, and. through an advertisement in
the weekly newspaper. respectfully informed
the inhabitants of / that he had taken
the Office OF the late DIR. Handy, and offered his
professional services to the public. The late
DR. Handy. whose 81 gn ROW gave place to that
Of " DR. Vernon" had been one of the largest
Practitioners of the country, and our young Es-
eulapius hoped to step into his practice as well
a. his Office But he soon found that this was
not 50 easy. for, during the last Illness of DIR
Handy. his patients had been left under the
care OF the ORl other physician in the place,
Dr Bugbee. who had managed to retain most
Of this addition To his practice. He was an
elderly man. and one of the class who would
now a-dIyS be ranked among the E. old fOgies -
He bled. bliStered and administered calOmel
nnd JalaP without any stint. and. with all his
practice. seemed to be exceedingly jealous OF
the new doctor; not even extending To- him the
clyIllty Ot call. which was due to him. not
only as a stranger. but "a n neighbOr, for Dr.
Bugbees small garden and orchard were all
that separated his house from the Office of DIR.
Vernon.
The latter was obliged to content himself with
such small practice among the poor as DIR. Bug
bee other engagements did not enable him To
attend To; but he dill iSenty mprOv Ell the leisure
thus left him i'll qualifying himself the better
for full professional occupation when il did
come. He had studied in the Office of country
physicisn. and had been thoroughly grounded
in the elements. but had enjoyed few of the Op-
pOrtunItIes for lectures, cliniques. pOSt-Horfens
and hospital practice, which possessed by
students in the large cities. Not only were the
books in his small library Te-perused. but Occa-
sionally diSsectiOns of dogs and eats were car
Tied on there, and on one occasion he was lucky
enough to purchase of travelling mcnagerie
that next thing to "A dca.l man. a dead monkey
which he took To pieces with all due science TO
the great marvel of many a boy who had seen
II carried from the show and to the horror
OF the sosSipS. who thought it showed little
too much zeal in this new doctor AMI soon
after. rumOr being circulated that grave in
neighbOrlng village had been opened, all sorts
OF insinuatiOns of bloody murder AMI resurrec-
tiOn excited the prejudcc- OF the old folks de-
eldedly against our hero, while il aroused, on
tine other hand. powerful host of defenders
among the young people. especially the young
ladies, who probably thought none the worse Of
young unmarried and agreeable man becaUs Sc
he tried to learn his profession; and. indeed.
Ihey went farther, and said il was pity DIR.
Bugbee hadn't in his younger days done some
thing Of the sort. for in that case he wouldn' {
have killed so many people.
Fortified thus with the support of the rising
generation. DIR. Vernon could not doubt that in
course of time his turn would come to stand in
the medical shoes of the late DR. Handy or
even OF a greater that he; but meantime the
calls for his services were sensibly affected by
the talk Of the village. One beautiful evening
in spring, when he had taken his seat on the
little back porch Of his Office 10 watch the set
ting sun. and snuff the sweet scent of his neigh
bOr'S peach blossoms, his eyes were suddenly
arrested by slyph-like form, which he recog-
missed N that of DIR. Bugbee's niece, Miss Ellen
Nathalie, young lady recently returned from
boarding school. and who, it Was understood.
took the principal chsrge OF the establishment.
Vernon hal observed her in the morning as she
Watered her plants. and admired her then; but
now his iSSOmewhat susceptible heart was kindled
into raPtures by the poetry of the scene. rs she
moved to and fro upon the green sWard. beyond
the tees, ut that most melting hour Of the day
Never did he feel before So fOreible the incon-
ysnience of not knowing her uncle, and conse-
qlently not being Oh visiting terms st the house
Suddenly a scream was heard in the house. she
entered and Immediately returned and called
out in the sweetest of voices: DIR. Vernon.
won you come here jumping over the fence
and running Across the lot. he went into the
kitchen, AMI found. stretched on the floor. u
srTaPPIng big Irish servant girl. apparently in
nj. while Miss Nathalie bent over her. bath
Ing her temples with water. DR. Vernon pro
cured from hi- Office medicine which partially
revived her; but she soon sank back again into
4 second fit. and continued IL alternately revive
and sink until DIR. Bugbee himself returned
from visit To distant patient. Vernon ex-
planned the circumstances under which he had
found her. and his method of treatment when
difference Of opinion was expressed between
the two physicians a. 10 the natute of the malA-
dy. DR. BugDee remedies were tried without
~ much effect in reyiving her IA those which
bad been first applied. In short time she
died. DR. Vernon suggested that the attac k
had been, IN many respects. peculiar, and that
II would be we'll Ia institute an examination
To this DIR. Bugbee objected. stating that il
would subject him to remark should there be a
w. in hon kn.l e
OHH servant, although she was Il stranger. DIR
Vernon reminded him that the examination
could be 80 conducted IA To be over very ssOn.
aud - that the deceased would show 10 signs
Of IL when placed in her coffin and 40 one 10 be
the wiser, but he was Oyerruled not without a
suspicion. on Vernon paFt. that Bugbce feared
lest he sho Ild he obl cd 20 admit that his Young
rival was light. and that this wa the true rca
son Of his objection.
On the evening after the funeral NJ Vernon,
was seate l. II, usual ou hiJ little pialEa. Mir
Nathalie Imc toward that side of The orchard
apparentl: to secure peach blossoms fJr a b ia
quet and n shs plucked them. remarked, hur-
Iiedly:
Doctor, D,ctor say nothing but if You
have dead body Oh your premises. remove il
that s OH ''
And thel she vanished. before the doctor
could que ion her The mex, morning he re-
ceISed visit from q constable. armed with n
search warrant. "h" examined every place for
The purpI~e of finding a certain dead body
late "t OnC Catherine Quiglry deceased. which.
however. he did Not hni, and there nil legal
proceedings apparently ended. although fresh
buzz OF gossip was excited through the village
az the news that the sexton had found that the
grave Of DIR Bugbcc's servant girl had been
dag up and the CORPSE carried Off md how
they searched all the doctors dens and
could md nothing of it, In vain did the young
doctor strive agHin tO see and converse with
the beautiful ncice of his neighbOr who hal
given hum -uch friendly warning but she
studi"uSly avoided hihl--a circumstance which
only seemed 10 make him more anxious to .,e
her.
Al the end IF s1!ne three or four months he
went of ia hi> Sulky To pay a visit to his old
lreccptoT, snd also To purchase. at Geneva n
trrsh supply If medicines On his return after
'n ah,eu.c uf n week or two, there was aided
a. The anstuinicsl treasures .. his back ufficr &
skeleton -airesh skeleton. newly put together
Vow there nothing very remarkable in
Fhy ysiciau hA, Ing IA skeleton; il was known
L. De = part Of the furniture of almost every
medical ,tHi. lint ala