Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-10-27
w. ID. WALLACH.
THE WOMAN WITH ONE HAND.

ances Whatever 4 Deg any one who may Pc
rude this narrative to understand that am NO
superstitious creature, afraid Of my own shad-
ow, lending an attentive ear to old women's
stories, and seeing ''some thing white" in every
corner where the shadows gather thickly after
dusk. 1t is scarcely likely that an old sur
geOn, who has stood beside so many dying pill
lows, and watched so many spirits take flight
from racked and wounded bodies, should trem-
bic at the thought of . disembodied soul. i
know too well the release death often is to poor,
pain-stricken mOrtals to fear their voluntary
return to the scenes Of their unhappiness and
suffering. Neither am the victim of disor-
= dered nerves or fevered imagination. have
performed operations in which one tremor OF
NJ The hand would have been fatal-where, had
my hand swerved but 8 hairs breadth to the
right or lefs, would have been a murderer
Nay, L, DIR. Greystock, can do what many able,
energetic men have found impossible, for /
have had those dearest to my soul beneath my
hand, and though each moan of anguish, each
futter of the heart went through nv every
nerve, the kindly cruel knife worked on as
steadily as though it carved a block of sense
less wood
vas born in squist and retired country vii
!age. My father mingled the professions of doc
ter and apOthecary, and at times drew teeth, or
set afractured limb-anything for living. poor
man, for he had large family, and neither
property nor expectations Of a legacy. His pa
tients were distributed over a wide tract of
country, and during an unhealthy season he
was often upon horseback from morning until
night, enduring the scorehing sun of summer,
the cold blasts of winter, or the miasmatic va
pOrs of the marshy ground over which he was
called to travel, upon many a rainy midnight to
prescribe for some poor creature who was
Every low with the fever" During his fire.
quent absences L presided over the pills and
potiOns, mixed washes, made up prescriptions,
and amused myself by the pefusal of several
r61w aNar, -. - IL Ill
shelves of the room behind the shop. This sci
eDce was my chief delight, and in a little
while the determination to become a surgeon
filed my mind. Much experience had made
me doubt the power Of medicine. The mys.
teries of the unseen machinery within us might
batHe the most learned, but the surgeon, deal
ing with the outward man. could see his work,
and really benefit his fellow creatures knew
the strength Of my nerves and the value they
would be TO me in the surgical profession, and
declared my intention TO adopt il before
had reached my sixteenth year. My father
was pleased and gave bis consent at once but
there were some preliminaries to be arranged
and some funds TO be accumulated before
could enter upon regular course Of study
Meanwhile / stayed at home, impatiently and
gathered all could from books and from my
father sinstructions. The time passed tediously
enough, for L was anxious to commence my
career, and start upon the high road to weait b
days and sleepless nights which spent ere the
time arrived which witnessed my departure
for the city. At last, however, all was ready
bade adieu to my mother, my father, and my
young brother. from whom / had never yet
been separated for one night and with heart
which beat with high hopes, even amid the
grief of parting, took my place in the stage,
and left, for the first time, the home of my
glad childhood.
In month had become accustomed to the
separation, and thought only Of my profession
Medical students are generally wild, reckless
and dissipated. Twas neither. The discretion
OF old age seemed ~ have come suddenly upon
me. / shared my comrades studies, but re-
fused to mingle In their orgies, for / had de.
termined 70 retain my strong nerves and un-
shaken hand to the last. Nevertheless, L was
general fayorite, and formed many friend
ships among the giddy band, which lasted long
Z after they had become grsy-headed men,
! There was one among the number whose name
, was Robert Redlaw-a gay, handsome boy he
was, full Of fun and frolic, and terribly sd-
dicted to practical jokes; but, nevertheless
kind hearted and generous to fault; for be
would have given lis last penny to any one
who seemed in need of it. To the living he was
all tenderness; to the wounded wretch at the
--hospital his hand was as soft as any woman 8.
and L have seen his eyes fll with tears while
he inflicted necessary pain; but to the dead be
,, seemed heartless-a lifeless body being of no
= more value, in his eyes, than the trunk of a
dead tree ..--E.. ..-r 81
"Woald you value your old violin case,' he
would say, when any one demonstrated with him
upon the subject. "The strings broken-nay,
the instrument destroyed-of what value is
that which was but formed for its protection .
For my part, when my soul has taken fight, I
care not what you do with this compilation of
nesn and bones which now contains it." And
, upon this principle he seemed to act involun-
tarily.
One night-oh, how well I remember it "a
cold, black evening in midwinter-I sat alone
:. beside ny fire, absorbed in meditation. The
book had been reading lay beside me, upon
: the table, and my candle burnt low within the
socket, for it was nearly one o'clock, although
u ! had not yet retired. Suddenly was aroused
by loud ringing of my door bell, and sound
: of sand thrown against my window from with
',s sat, and, lighting another taper, descended
snnd opened the door. -
~ There, upon the steps, stood Robert Redlav
= and four other fellow-students, all the worse
: sor liquor, and ell in boisterous spirits ",Let
- US in, old fellow" cried Robert; ~ we want 10
ten you Of our lark. By George we've made
-sanight Of il. Such punch as we've been bav.
ing at Tom BIS, while you have been mopiny
1sroyer your musty books. You mast 20 with us
next time" -
'~ There was no use of remonstrance, and. one
by one, my unexpected visitors mounted the
~NS sS~N sASaA fAoOSo aEVuuu my 1re-
side.
81 say, Bob frightened us all, while ago. %
began one OF them, after a temporary silence
!" How ?" I asked.
How ?" laughed Bob; "why, with this. ~
And, without another word Of preface be drew
sfs folded kerehief from his pocket, and unfold.
ing it, exhibited a human hand
Bob, where did this come from !'' asked,
jnvoluntsrily drawing back q step or two.
He took it from grave which the rain had
vashed open," answered tall young fellow,
turning away with q shudder. "Cut it off with
MS knife as cooliy as he might q bit Of wood,
i.aaltAough I'll swear a sigh or grosn or scream,
'-se, an OF them together, came from the body
- War ne hrst laid his finger upon it,"
Bah ~ laughed Robert Redlaw, 'syour ven.
t1ioqaist tricks can never impose upon me- I
the little hand in spite Of them and shall
.-ekssp IL A pretty creature it must have be.
t11o1ged 70! Look at the almond shaped nails,
a Guy stock 10 t-..,
os "a woman's hand, ~ said; "and, oh, Bob,
Is wedding ring upon the finger %
50 there is, !" said the boy, leanlne across
the table; $50 there il. Strange that I did NOT
.w<<tr. kafor a.