The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-10-09
THE DOCTORS FEE.

What vast difference between SIM
pie country village and the crowded
city "a difference not only in the
structure of buildings and the width of
streets, but In the manners and customs
and even in the thoughts and feelings
of its inhabitants.
We do not pretend to Judge where the
greatest degree of happiness may be
found. Perhaps not in one more than
in another, for happiness Is not con-
fined to place, and is less dependent
upon external than upon internal asso-
citation.
But it would sometimes seem as if
there were more of sympathy with the
fellow beings arOund him, in the unpre-
tending villsger, than In the busy citi-
zen. True, this benevolent interest in
the concerns Of others may at times be-
come annoying by it's prying inquisi-
tiveness, but the heart Graves sympathy,
and even this is preferable to the fash
ionable Indifference and total Ignorance
of neighbor and neighbor.
What a sensation is caused by q birth
or a death, a wedding or a funeral IL
the little world of a country village. All
seem to participate in the JOY or the
sorrow. To find person ignorant of
the event, would be a source of exceed
! ing surprise and wonder. News spreads
like wildfire. The very birds of the air
! seem to carry tidin8s.
Sam Brown, an intelligent, active
! little fellow, well known ii the village
| of F., has been seen to run at full
! speed from the machine shop to the
doctors office apparently not finding
| that worthy at his post, darts across
! the way to house where some new
tangled practitioner had lately hung ont
his sign, and. in a moment, with the
last mentioned parsonage at his side,
takes his way 30 the shop again. This
is enough. Every one III that part of
the village knows that some sad acci-
dent has happened, and curiosity and
| sympathiziDg interest are expressed on
| every couutenance.
Good Mrs. Walton, as she peeps
| from her door, Is " thankful to provi-
dence that none of her folks work at the
shop" and ''hopes to goodness" that
it is not the engineer, ''poor Mr.. Whit
man." b cause ne has such large fam
| lily dependent upon him.
| Anxious wives and mothers, who are
| less fortunate than Mrs. Walton, and
| have husbands and sons exposed to the
| danger, whatever it may be, are seen hast
| lily approaching in different directions.
wishing to put an end to suspense, and
know the worst at once.
| All Is soon told. In spite of Mira.
! Walton's hopes it is indeed poor Mr..
| Whitman who has met with the acci
| dent, and a serious one it is likely to
prove, for his right arm has been er tan
! gled IN the machinery and IS shockingly
| man9led.
What sympathy and sorrow is felt by
ali, when the unfortunate man is car
ried' nearly insensible from the shop to
his own home, which fortunately is
near by. There is no lack of assistance.
Men, women and children stand ready.
Every one is desirous to do something.
But there is one source of almost uni
versal regret. Good old DR.. Pembroke,
the experienced physician who for q
long series of years has been the only
one to look to in an emergency of this
kind, being, in fact, the only medical
man in the village and of course re-
garded as an oracle, has, as it we're,
been defrauded of his proper rights by
this young DR.. Lansing, a new conner,
whom nobody knows, and who for some
unheard of reason (for surely he was
not wanted in a place where DR.. Penn
broke had ruled supreme for nearly half
a century, has lately established himself
in the pleasant little village of F..
The young man certainly had much
to contend with, for, with the exception
of few enlightened minds who had a
glimmering perception that the science
of medicine might in the lapse of years
have left the old doctor in the rear, he
was universally regarded as a very IN
necessary interlOper.
And now to think of his having the
charge of poor Mr.. Whitman. Surely
if he was any gentleman he would not
take advantage of the family physicians
having been absent at the time of the
accident, but would politely resign the
case into his hands.
This was the opinion of the good
wives of the village, and publicly and
privately was it expressed,
DR.. Lansing might have heard it, at
any rate he must have felt it, but it ap-
peared to make little difference in his
proceedings. He was unremitting in
his attentions to the injured man, and
so established himself in the good
graces of him and his wife, that they
were quite deaf to the remOnstrances of
their benevolent neighbors who earnest
ly desired that they should dismiss him
at once.
The arm is certainly doing better
than we could have expected why
then should we dismiss the doctor 2"
asked the sufferer, as a deputation of
the village worthless appeared at his
bedside, and again began their remon-
strances.
Why, you see, neighbOr. the case is |
this" commenced Philip Benton, who
was to be chief spokesman on the occa
sion. (Philip Benton had received some
early advantages of education and was
regarded as having a "power Of learn |
ing. y " You are a poor man, and, |
having met with a severe accident, en- |
dangering life and limb, or may Justly |
say, injuring limb if not life, your
neighbors holding you in high estima- |
ton, are willing to lend yOu a helping |
hand, for which purpose a subscription /
was set on foot, and quite a sum raised |
for your relief. Now this money we of |
course wish to be expended for the |
benefit of yourself and your family, but |
we do not feel willing that a large por
tion of it should be paid to this smart
young doctor.
"Now if it were good DR.. Pembroke, !
the case would be different" ehimed IN /
Isaac Dobbs, the miller; 81 ne should |
not mind paying him moderate bill, ]