Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-02-18

grew old and began to feel the natural in
trmities of age creeping ON, he was
never content unless he could be squirting
all manner of things into his cars and his
eyes TO make him feel better, and improve
his sight. He had his dinner pills regu-
larly, whether he had any dinner or no.
He denied himself wine and spirits, but
drank steel, quinine, and bark, and all
manner of tonic medicines to excess. He
was certain income to any doctor who
would put up with his whims and fall into
his ways, but as fond of changing his
physician as the hsbitusl topper is of chang
ing his publican. What is more, though
near" in most things he never Objected
to q doctors bill,
AS soon as Doctor Gryant was installed
next door, my father paid off his last
medical man, DR.. Ross, who lived at
Spedminton "a neighboriug village), and
gave himself up to the advice of his new
tenant. 1t was always a great day, and
one To be remembered by my father, when
he commenced with new doctor. There
were all his ailments to be gone over -
his eye.symptoms, his ear symptoms, his
indigestion, his nervous debility, his liver,
sc, that, as he said, CHS conStitu
tion might be properly understood "by his
adviser. .....
Doctor Gryant tickcd off every item in
the long catalogue very sOlemnly with n
nod of his fat white chin in his shirt col
lar, and though he knew these to be pure
ly imaginary complaints, he said, "Ah ~
and "dear met and Every true!" and
promised to send corrective medicines for
each. One symptom, however, was that
Of a real disorder, and demanded more
careful attention. My father complained
aAl gNf
i'll his limbs. Doctor Ross, who had be-
come accustomed to the fancies of his pa.
tient, had taken little notice of this, but
Doctor Gryant laid more stress on the
symptom, and mentally determined to ex-
hibit minute doses of strychnine.
Il get very nervous about these twitch-
ings," said my father, "and my health be.
ing altogether in precarious state, l am
glad to gave doctor living handy. Ii
should happen to want you, either by day
or night, have only to pull your bell.
Don't be surprised if should not wait for
you to answer the door the weather is so
chilly, and l am so susceptible of cold that
can't stand draughts. l shall ring your
bell if want you, and come indoors again,
where you will find me. You can never
mistake my ring; know the bell better
than you do. Oblige me by going to your
surgery now, and listening"
DR.. Gryant did so, and in few minutes
he heard this identical bell ring, not as it
usually does, in peal, but in slow, meas
ured beats Zone, two, three, four" and
so on. 1t rang in this manner for nearly a
minute, then stopped.
The unusual sound of the bell struck
painfully on DR.. Gryant's ear. For an
instant he was conscious of a cIeeping
rrin Of
some one were walking over his grave
but, shaking it off, he laughed at himself,
and saying, "It's only whimsical old fool
ringing the bell his own way" went to
the door. Old Isaac Morley had not wait
ed in the cold, but had left the front door
of his house open for the doctor to enter,
who found his patient quietly seated at the
dining-room fire awaiting his return.
"You see," said my father, "my dining
room being on the ground floor, l may
just as well wait here for you by the fire
as on your doorstep"
"Quite So" assented the doctor.
"And you are not likely to mistake my
ring for a strangers p
"Certainly not. But that is very
queer bell, Mr.. Morley. Do you know il
has not a pleasant sound when rung as
you rang it?"
at has distinctive sound, DR.. Gryant
that is all l want. Whenever you heal
the bell rung in that way, remember it is
land want you. Whether night or day
will you kindly remember this? And if
should not be at the door you will find me
in the dining-roOm."
| The doctor said he would, and on re-
turning to his house made several expert.
ments with the bell-handle to repeat the
| off hNy fnf
very poor success.
"Well," he thought to himself, "there
is no doubt shall know the old fellows
ring"
My father was, certainly, a great plague
for any doctor to live next door to. Doc
tors were his weakness; and to get doc.
tor living so near-a tenant too, witt
forty pounds year rent to credit against
a score for physic-wasa sore temptation
| Nearly always once day Doctor Cry
ant would be certain to hear that harsh
grating summons on the most trivial er
rand, until he got so accustomed to the
bell that il ceased to affect him in any
other way than business-viz. morley
! visit, three and sixpence," except when ht
! happened to think about the sound, anC
then it did certainly fit across his minC
that he wished old Isaac would ring lik,
other patients. srsrs.
DR.. Gryant's practice was not large. Ii
small country town especially, most peo
! pie are chary of exchanging an old docto
whom they know for Il new one they dt
not, and with some disagreeable rumori
attached to his name, his brother prac
titioners fought rather shy of him, willis
members of kindred profession were un
pleasantly familiar. He was continual,
getting lawyers letters about outstanding
debts contracted in another part of tn
country. He STAYED these off as best h
could, paying installments where he wa
most worried, but living precarious an
unsettled life in Crankf0rd, cOntinuaII
treatened with process, whilst it was sale
with what truth do not know, that h
did not dare face the Court Of Bankruptc
for fear of revelations which might prov
still moro injurious to what lit.le reputs
tiOn he had.
Fix, if you please, in your mind thes
two bits of Crankford gOssip-that Doe
tor Gryant was in want of money, presse
for it on all sides, and that he was col
stant, and the only constant, visitor !
Isaac Morley's-a man supposed by man
people with far worse opportunities
judging) to be very wealthy and miserly
and you will be prepared for part of whi
follows.
: Late one evenir G in the following Marcl
Dr.. Gryant WAS sitting alone in his stud,
: With his head on his hands, he was gain
into the fire as earnestly as if the shap,
in the burning Goals could show him in
, picture some way of escape from his dia
culties. Letters lay on the table CONTAIN
: ing peremptory demands for none
: While he was thinking and worrying no
| TO meet these demands he heard m
} fathers summons, Ii was Just after /
| o'clock at night, and the measured beat
2 the iron bell, like ghostly clock slow
striking the hour, Jared on him-it WI
: so harsh. 1t was some minutes before /
l answered it-he had papers to put ava
and his desk and drawers to lock- The
| he took his hat and went to the door. n
9 one was there; but he saw, as usual, tn
r his patient had left his own front door ali
] for him to enter, The dining g-room do,
4 was, however, closed. DIR. Gryant open,
}. it. .'r'N - -
(; Isaac Morely had fallen down prostra