Middletown transcript., 1874-08-01
Buying a Practice.

He is but landscape painter" as
Tennyson sings in The Lord of Bur-
leigh; but once he was physician, and.
if his knowledge Of medicine was equal to
his knowledge Of art, he was very good
physician. He was younger then than he
is now, and he is not old, and he was
greener-greener than any spring foliage
he ever painted, and spring foliage. by
the way, is specially of his City born
and bred, he made short summer visit
into the country, and, while there, heard
incidentally of country doctor who wish
ed to sell his practice. He was hesitat-
ing. was our young friend, about his final
choice of profession, having failed to
procure any but poor patients, who could
not pay, and having also failed to paint
any but poor pictures, which would not sell.
1t was an even thing with him whether he
became starving artist or remained star
wing physician. He was earning no money
as either, nor was he likely to, in the city
Why not try the country? Its inhabi-
tants were honest, and simple minded, he
had somewhere read, and what, with the
heat of the sun, and other novel peculiar
tiles, they wero, he thought, more liable
to sickness than the denizens of crowd
ed city Certainly the children were, for
were they not perpetually eating green
fruit! Yes, he would try the country, if,
after looking into the practice that was to
be disposed of, he could see living in it
He called upon the disposing practitioner,
who was but little older than himself
an atfable. good-natured young fellow,
though rather verdant, he thought. The
verdant one was willing to "vamoose the
rancho" as he remarked, "for, between
ourselves, there is a lady in California
who is attached to me, though you would
not think it, perhaps" "Rut about your
practice ?" 81 won't sag anything about
it. But tomorrow, if you like, say to-
morrow forenoon, I'll harness up, and you
can see for yourself. 1t is not sickly now.
l must tell you, but it's going to be soon,
especially among children and old folks.
Men like you and mil ght live forever here
only they have no such men. Plenty of
money though. My horse remembers the
house of every patient in the neighborhood,
and stops of himself at their doors. You
can jot down the number as we jog along,
and decide whether you'll buy me out or
no. And now suppose we adjourn to the
tavern Care you stopping there p and have
something cool. I'm thirsty, and want
to smoke Mustn't smoke in my Office,
you know. Here's.a cigar, you can smoke.
Try it," They adjourned to the tavern,
had something cool, smoked, and came to
an agreement regarding the sum tc be paid
for the practice, past, present, and future
especially the future!
The next forenoon the pair drove
through the town, or rather the country
doctor did, and was considerable time
about it, so often did the noble animal
that drew the buggy stop. Why, Doc
tor, nearly every person in the town must
have been under your hands, remarked
our delighted cit, keeping mental tally
Of the stoppages. g Yes,-suppose so.-
at ono time or another. ''Get up!' 1t
was constant ..get up" to the horse,
who appeared to remember his masters
practice better than his master did.
1t was purchased at once for good
round sum in cash, and that very after
neon the retired practitioner proceeded to
the station, accompanied by two or three
acquaiutances who were enjoying some
thing hugely. &C Best thing out" said
one. 3" Beats all, replied another; "eh,
Doc. 2" "Tol lol." he answered coolly.
The train stopped, took him on, and went
screaming away with its precious freight
that atfable. good-natured verdant
young person, who was going to Calfor-
mia. where he had tender attachment.
Days passed, and no patients. More
days passed, aud still no patients. What
did it mean Mean ?-it meant that
there was no practice there. The coun-
try NJ D. had borrowed the horse of the
milkman! That's all
"Only this, and nothing more."-
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