The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-11-06
MtLLH LANCE.
ICONTINUED.I I

CONTINUED.
The coachman treated himself to a
furtive smile whenever he read
Calthorpe street in the list. The
doctor had patient there, of course.
But then, as the coachman noted,
his master went there oftener and
stayed there longer than anywhere
else. Of course, the patient might be
IN a more deplorable state, might
stand more in need of protracted
visits from medical adviser than
any other of DR.. Dendy's patients;
but the coachman was inclined to
think that such was not the case.
On the first floor of the house in
Calthorpe street visited by, DIR.
Dendy, there lodged one Captain
Lance, retired Indian officer, and
his only child, Miss Milly Lance.
Captain Lance was in feeble health
from distressing asthma, and from
other infrmities of g painful nature.
He did not bear his sufferings pa
tiently; was indeed very peevish aud
petulant and hard to please; exhi-
bited all the selfshness and want of
consideration which long course of
ill-health is apt to develop in almost
any one, however great may have
been his original stock of equanimity
and good nature. But Captain Lance
had not begun with much excellence
of temper; and now, a confirmed in
valid, it may be said of him that he
had no temper at all, except of the
very worse sort. He was attended,
however, with ceaseless solicitude,
an untiring affection, by his dangh-
ter Milly, slim, fair girl of eighteen
or 80, not very remarkable looking,
beyond that she possessed a profusion
of glossy brown hair, and pair of
large, luminous, dove-like eyes.
No wonder she was pale. She was
always by the side or within call of
her invalid father. She was hardly
ever permitted to stir from his room.
1t was dull, firing work. ''Don't go,
Milly," be would say, sharply, ''I
may want you-there's no knowing"
She could only escape when he dozed,
his asthma lulled for while by
anodynes. Awake, he would have her
near him, waiting upon him, Staying
for him, nursing him. Now and
then he would upbraid her bitterly
for some fancied neglect of him, the
poor child with q twitching face,
patiently standing by him the while,
replying only by her tears, her
caresses, and her increased exertion
for his comfort. Then he would
make her the audience of his re-
pinings, tell over and over again the
story of his sufferings, bursting out
occasionally into passionate lamenta-
tions over his broken health and
ruined fortunes. What could she
saw? What could she do? It was
firing, cruel work for poor Milly
Lance.
He was poor. The fact was too
often harped on and groaned over,
for Milly not to be conscious enough
of it.
Yet it must be said that DR.. Dendy
had made no inroads on the sick
officers Strengthened means.
"No, my dear" he said to Milly,
on his first putting from him, with a
smile, tine prottered fee, sit mustn't
be. We doctors have all our crotch
cts. Each Of us has his free list.
One enters clergymen uponit another
artists; third, authors. For my
part, I never take fee from soldier.
/ should be ashamed to do it. My
own father was soldier, and served
in India, as your father has served,
only he was more fortunate. He was
a general of division when he died.
Don't let us hear any more talk about
fees. 1t mustn't be thought of for a
moment.
ooh, DIR. Dendy, how good OF