Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1860-12-05
MiSCELLANEO Gus.
WINNING A HEART
By Cutting Hole in the Head

You urge that there is no romance in our
profession?'
To be sure do; things happen queerly
sometimes. and We make strange acquaintain-
ces In the course Of our practice l admit ii,
bat that anything positively romantic. as the
word is understood, occurs in the practice of
surgery, deny
Thus discoursed two young gentleman who
wrote N. d at their names
Charles. said the elder OF tbe-two. light
your segar and listen. Two years before [
received my degree, the events here narrated
occurred He opened portfolio and COM
menced reading as follows: During peri
od of time occupied by me in a tour the New
England States, in the year IS5-. | was on
board Steamboat crowded with passengers.
The State Of Maine had attractions for me.
and to one Of It's towns | was destined.
Among the many groups that we're enjoy ing
the sight Of the sea from their chosen posi-
tions on the steamess deck, few hours after
our departure. the attention of many obser-
vers was attracted more particularly by fam
lily Tarty of peFsons-an elderly gentleman of
intellectual appearance. and two young ladies.
his daughters; one an invalid, the other an
incarnation of health and beauty The OBJ
ject of their journey was the restoration of
the health of the Invalid one by change of
scene, and the magic potency, in many cases,
of the invigorating sea breeze Having Sc
lec;ed a seat near this party for no motive of
listening TO their discourse. the earnest man
ner of the elderly lady preventing any other
result, heard her fathers repeated cautions,
and he earnestly entreated her to be careful
if she remained on deck alone.
There is no danger, father said she. I
would not wish to live, if l am to be the
slave of fear
For the fret time had become interested
in her character, and g slight PRAYER went
forth from MY heart. that her path through
life should be guarded from any cause for the
fear she seemed with all her soul to despise
L left her father, ending fresh caution with
Ellen, my dear. [ hope no harm will come
of your want of care, led the younger sis
ter to the cabin below
a short time afterwards while standing near
the place appointed for the engineer, watch
ing the movements Of the complicated ma
chine, with powerful precision propeiling US
against wind and tide, some dozen miles an
hour, on q sudden the engine was stopped 10
obedience to a signal BELL and heard con-
siderable hustle on the deck above. A fsh-
log boat had attempted to cross the track of
the steamer, and to avoid collision the alb
rupt stoPpage had been deemed necessary by
the captain. The fshing boat had passed in
safety by. and the steamer was again under
full steam. As | walked lelsurely to the af-
ter part of the boat, l saw a crowd near the
ladies cabin, and borne In the arms of her
father, apparently dead, was the young lady
whom had left, and who subsequently, be-
came an object of intense interest to many
on board. [ hesitated in forcing my way to
her. supposipg that it might be case of
fainting, and there was enough TO supply the
remedies on such occasions. After a lapse
of a few minutes from rbe asitated appear
auce of those who had accompanied the
Young lady into the cabin, it was evident to
me that a serious accident had occurred. l
entered the cabin with the captain, and be-
held reclining settee, the form of that
lovely girl to all appearance, dead her father
and sister bending over her in agony. cha6ng
her temples, pressing her white hands. cal
ling upon her name IN VAIN; their anguish
subsided IN foods of tears. Messengers had
been despatched to different parts of the boat,
to ascertain if there was among the passeu-
gers surgeon, who could ascertain the
ture and extent of the injury. No one had
vet been found. | asked how the accident
occurred, and was Informed that when the
boat stopped, the young lady was leaning
over the ralllbS oi tue pIohneu1uc uech, Tue
passengers anxiously rushing to one side, as
the fishing boat passed, caused the steamer
/ to careen. when the por girl fell to the deck
below, striking her head upon a corner of the
chain box A medical gentleman entered the
cabin-a young man came in with him. Up
ON examinatiou it was found that the skull
of the young lady was fractured. and every
indication of compression of the brain. This
intelligence was impaired to the unhappy pa
rent of the unhappy girl, with the
candid Acknowledgements that her situa-