The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-07-14
Press-Gangs and Poison.
A STORY OF DEATH AND rnr DOCTOR


STORY OF DEATH AND THE DOCTOR
"This isn't altogether a story o
, press gangs, as you'll find before Nv,
done, and it made a good deal Of tall
, here at the time IS ] remember
though / was only lad; but YOU see
the crownors quest set all thing.
I right, and after that It was no us,
asking further questions. Itmu-t b,
nigh fifty years ago-flty years." h,
repeated, half closing his eyes apt
pausiBg, as his mind Travelled Over
the space which had brought so many
and great changes even TO that quict
little village-"that IN old sea farinl
man, they called Captain Meredith
lived at least, tiat is to say, lodgod
lin the house OF widow named
Pcnrhvn. You might see the spot
from the hill for the house itself has
been pulled down since then. Wen,
be might have been q captain or not
/ don't pretend 10 say, il is certain
he had bit of money put by and
lived comfortable enough Some
said he had been in the smuggling
trade, and had made money that way.
However, it don't much natter he
was well respected, and though hc
had no wife living, lie had daugh-
ter, as was called Ellen, and was the
iprettiest lass in Cowsand and for
miles round. Well, now, this old
widow had a son named Paul, and a
strange article he was! ! remember
him; little, bandy.leggei chap with
red hair, and the people used to call
him Doctor"
"Was he a surgeon, them I inter
ruptcd.
"Tm going to tell you. lie had
been 'prenticed TO chemist in Da.
venport, I'VE used to call il Dock in
those days, and after his time was
out, he had been stopping with his
mother TO care Of her, or perhaps be-
cause he couldn't get situation
readily for himself. The old widow
had put something by, ! suppose,
aud Paul had been al home about q
year, wlcn the captain came to lodge
there with his daughter. TIL, Paul'e
room was at tue top Of the house,
where his light would be seen burn
ing alta time ofni.ht when all homes,
iolks were in bed ami asleep. Some
times he would be outa. night, when
be WAS met in the morning wi-h hi,
arms full Of weeds and plants, whisa
he used TO take up stairs into Tia,
j doctors shop" as they called it.
"AL' . hotauist," | remarked.
al don't know ohnnL that," ropliu'
my friend, slightly puzzled: "hut thC
people said he made pizcn out u
I them. Any way, once when Paul
was passing by the blacksmi-A's, the
dog ran ont and bithim, and the nest
day Paul was seen TO give him .
piece Of hrcad,and the dog was dead
within an hour. The u.igIbor-
blamed him for IL, and / Ifyco,.oot
wien youuE,.,r. calling alter him
There goes d.. N,-hts,9l,, agH ii-
stopping and aaJ ing, If hal to doe
tor you, my lad, yau wouldn't shout
90 Loud Well, very shortly after
Ellen and her father had been lolg
ing at tlte widow house, il was clo1I
10 see that Paul wished to court her
wherever she went, sure enough Pau
wasn't far behind, and things wcn'
on in this way tor about six months
when one dark and wintry night tn,
wind blown, great guns, and the SO;
running very high, tho widow saw
signals Of distress from some ycssc
of the point there. There was nc
life boat in the place, and our smal
craft couldn't have lived a minute il
such weather. In the morning W,
saw no signs OF the vessel, and w,
supposed she had gone down, and al
aboard lost; however, we heard du
ring the day, that one Of the poor fcl
lows had escaped, and though cGt
and bruised, had contuyed to crawI
up the point there, whore he had been
found by Captain Meredith, who
brought him home to his own LODI
and nursed him.
He was q fine young fellow, an or
phan, as he said, by name William
Randall, and had been working his
way to Liverpool in hopes Of obtain
ing employment, The clergyman OF
the place--you may see the church
on the right rs you go towards Edge
combe Ferry--hcard OF this, and be-
coming good deal interested in the
young man, offered him a place as
gardener, or general servant, or some
thing or other. Bill was q handy
chap and soon made friends with
/ people, and they persuaded him tn
stop here, instead Of going to Liver
pool as he had intended. lie didn't
want much pressing, for any one
could see there was Il gal in tAc case,
and that IL was Ellen Meredith, and
il didn't want more than two eyes ia
see that she liked him. The folks
used to jeer Paul about lns nose being
out Of joint, and Tom Trcvellan Tho
blacksmith, rs owed him . grUdge fol
the dog, used to say, "Well, doctor,
how's your nose by this timer B3t
they said the doctor only used to
turn white and rub his hands, it was
a way he had, and he did the Same
when he gave the dog the bread ~
Well, things prospered so well with
young Randall, that at last lie made