Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-05-18
A PHYSICIANS STORY.

continue the practice Of my profession. -
Yet. as matter Of habit, as kind O
second nature, . day rarely passes with
out finding me At my Office. Is still cal
the little dusty den away out Of hearing
Of the sssise and crash Of the street. e.ss.
Yesterday. - / was sitting there alone
friend camein and gave me long. gar.
rulous account f skeleton that had been
but an hour before disinterred in the hear,
Of the city by some workmen digging fol
the foundation of = byiading. 1t was the
skeleton Of a woman, said. I looked
a. him SHARPLY. and listed myself tha,
he told this merely asa pisee offintelli.
gence. Heaven helped msto Nep com.
posed, think. This was my dread Sc.
cret eEs ewSe
"And some physieitns gave IL as thei,
opinion that this skAlefSA had lain under
ground quite fifty years." he continued
l bit my lips; they were white enough
before. Cunning fellows, these brothes
physicians of mine. 1t was exactly Fifty
years So.
"But nobody could recognize the bones,
Of course" -
l brcathcd more freely.
"There was one remarkable thing, k6w-
ever. about this singular exhumation. -
Upon the fourth bony finger of the lef,
hand brilliant diamond ring was dis
covered. which sparkled and scintillated
as clearly as though it had not been for a
half century covered BY the mold"
The speaker did not notice at that point
how nervously ] closed my left hand.
did not care to have him see the counter
part of the ornament he described ut that
moment.
Somewhat more than fifty years ago,
and in this very room where I write. I
concluded the long weary probation of my
student life, and entered singly upon the
practice of my profession. My success
was immediate aud gratifying. Those
who had been long and firmly y established
in the city were astonished to find them
selves supplanted in day, as it were. by
one whom they had hitherto affected to
despise To be brief, was successful al
most beyond precedent business and mo-
ney came at my command. and the city
resounded With prs3ses of nv skill. and
the wonderful cures which had perform
ed
was called from my bed at midnight
upon one occasion, and directed in the
most urgent manner to repair at once to
the residence Of Judge C. The house
indicated was the house of one Of the
wealthiest and proudest families of B,
and | obeyed the summons as soon as pos.
sible. 1t was with difficulty that ascer-
tanned. amid the sobs and tears, which
greeted my arrival, that Helena c..
the only and idolized daughter of the fam
lily. and the acknowledged belle and beau
ty of the city, had been suddenly attack.
ed with violent malady.
1t needed but one glance at the suffer
er to assure me Of this. Although per-
fectly we'll an hour before, she was now
far nearer death than life. The disease
which had seized her was one of the most
malignant and quickly fatal with which
my experience had yet made rue CONVEX
SAINT. She lay perfectly motionless, her
lips rs rigid as those of death, and the
closest scrutiny could detect no respiration;
while upon each cheek burned single
fiery spot, the sure mark Of the destroy
er.
"Can you save her 2" was the fathers
agonized question.
THE chances are ninety nine in hun
dred against her living an hour" was the
reply. Nevertheless, I will leave moth
ing undone."
My end was accomplished. For thirty
six consecutive hours sat BY her bedside,
warily combating the fatal disease which
had assailed her; and when l at last pro-
nouuced her out Of danger. 1 felt that
had almost wrought miracle. This was
another triumph added to my list, and the
report Of my fame was in every mouth.
But this was not the only consequence
of the occurrence. The discovery that
my lovely and amiable patient regarded
me with warmth Of emotion and graft.
tude which only her own warm heart could
conceive. filled me with feelings Of the
liveliest pleasure. She regarded me as
her benefactor, her savior--in short, she
loved me most fervently. I knew ii
long before her recovery-in q hundred
different ways she betrayed it-and the
consciousness Of the fact gave me an exul-
tation which carried me with q buoyan,
step through the labors Of the day. To
be loved by one so pure, 50 fair, and so
good, was well worthy to be made the
grea. ambition of an ordinary lifetime.
For several weeks after Helena's perfect
restoration to health, was q frequent and
welcome visitor TO the house. Neither Of
US had ever spoken Of love. and yet
knew she, equally with myself. was Sc
cretly hoping for future Of welded hap
piuess-as least this hope was the cherish.
ed dream of nv life. and alas like every
other dream, it had It's end. Buoyani
and elased With my false hopes, l ven.ur-
ed one day to ask Heleua's father 70 sane
ton our love. The revelation was q new
one TO him +; snd with frown. the haugh-
ty, purse-proud aristocrat bade me leave
his house and never approach it again.
/ demonstrated. but to no purpose; even
the poor privilege Of farewell interview
With Helena was denied me. and I lefl
that mansion cf pride and heartlessness
utterly vrctchcd and sick at heart. And
l quickly discovered that no opportunity
was lei tos clan9etine interviews with
Helena The severity Of paterual despo.
t;sm had even. as I ascertained. imposed