The Portland daily press., 1863-11-11


Who in this human world of ours, made up
of all varieties of character, have failed to OBJ
serve that dignified spirit, peculiar to no sect,
party or caste, which turns up its nasal organ
al the slightest invasion of its domain, and
lifts its lofty head in proud disdain when asked
% do an act which, before its judgment-seat,
Is not considered strictly in accord with pro-
fessional courtesy or professional selfrespcct?
The good pious parson is not wholly free from
1t, and occasionally is found drawing his dig
niIled garments more closely around him
when invited to perform some second part on
afuneral occasion, or when another man tres
passes upon his legitimate field either to
preach the truth, to bury the dead, tosprinkle
an infant or to solcmnize marriage.
The lawyer, usually so free from envy and
petty jealousy, is nevertheless human, and
sometimes delicately twirls his moustache, or
cuIs his lip, or clevates the extreme end of
his nose when the suggestion is made by a
client that some other man should present the
case to the jury, Or take charge of legal ques-
tions before the full court.
The physician-human also--knows, and if
he don't many of his patients do, how wise
and profoundly dgnifed he can look, and
with what stately air he can shrug his shout
ders when he discovers slight lack of i'm
plicit confidence in. his knowledge or skill, or
desire on the part Of patients or their friends
that anothcr physician should beinvited. TO look
into the sick room.
Editors-of course the most perfect class
slive, and the one least troubled with the weak
nesses that afiiict other men-even editors are
not immaculate. Let subscriber ever so del
icately intimate to one of the most amiable of
the corps, that improvement is desirable in the
mode Of conducting hispaper, and how quick
ly the professional dignity is touched, and the
conntenance, a moment before all wreathed in
sunshine and o'er-arched with bows of prom
Use, gathers darkness and becomes encircled
with portentious clouds from which thunder
IL not lightning may be expected to reveal it.
self.
Well, in all trades, professions and calings
we fInd the same manifestation inone form or
another. Afew mornings since, in coming to
our Office, we saw poorly clad man, evident
ly son Of toll, and perhaps a child of power
~ and misfortune, engaged in splitting a few
logs Of wood in front of dwelling where for
two days he had been working away at a
rough and spongy looking lot Of wood. Learn
lug upon inquiry that his job was about done,
that he had no other on hand, and that he
was anxious to he employed, We asked If he
could split and pile couple Of cords Of very
nice and straight wood, and il so at what price
"Do you wish me to saw it p said he "No,'
we replied, "another man is saving it, and
can finish by Saturday night IL he don't stop
TO split it." Strengthening up to his full
hight, and concentrating all his professional
dignity in an honest looking face, he replied,
In measured and emphatic@accents, 81 nerer
split rood Of other mems sa,cing. ,eoaId
sooner res,dia idlet'
The question, it was evident at glance,
was closed against argument. The language
was emphatic, but the dignity--so innocently
and unexpectedly provoked into activlty-was
still more emphatic. An hour later, when
another man, less dignihed, was earning his
two dollarsfor a single days's work in doing
what he had spurned TO do, We saw him upon
the woodstand, saw ia hand, waiting like Mi
cawber for something to turn up that would
give him employment without doing violence
To his keen sense of professional dignity.