Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-10-07
Tales and Skstehes.
THE LITTLE OLD GENTLEMAN.

ting UP and poking the fire vigorously,
''reminds me of a little incident that oc-
| Cured to me in my young days"
The scene is the best parlor of the Wall
lsend Arms at Cossop on the Sore, where
there is snug meeting of the Commits
sioners of Public Sewers for the district
The small, silver headed old gentleman
who is poking the fire is a retired surgeon
OF the town; his colleague is Colonel Bow
ster, of Cossop Priory, a tall, grizzlcd ex-
cavalry officer; and the red-faced, merry
looking man i'm the corner is local lawyer
the clerk to the board. Wine and biscuits
are on the table. There is nothing par;ic-
ular to be done bnt they are bound by act
of parliament to sit till O'Clock, and it is
now barely one.
''lt wouldn't do to smoke, suppose ?'
says the Colonel, looking dolefully out of
the window a wet, dripping day, IA High
street deserted Of passengers. depression
prevailing everywhere. 1T wouldn't do
to smoke eh ?n
"Well," replied the lawyer doubtiully.
"perhaps it wouldn't be quite regular, eh !?
What do you say. Mr. Wilson? ?"
Personally, haven't the slightest OBJ
jection," replies Wilson; ..but whether
public opinion would quite sanction men,
bers Of a public board--on public business
What do you think, Colonel?'
mo, no; ! see that quite see that. -
said the colonel, relinquishing his hold of
his cigar case, and yawning dolefully.
TRY pinch of snuff, Colonel" said
Wilson. producing little horn snuff-box,
and tapping the lid with his knuckle
"Public opinion can't object to snuff
Tho Cnlnpo1 ctratohol ht, ho,l 90
the snuff-box, took pinch, and then ex-
| amined the box in a listless way
THAT box" went on Wilson, sis con.
nected with curious incident iu my early
life.'
We'll, let's hearait. Wilson," said the
Colonel good-naturedly; "anything's bet
ter than sitting here doing nothing"
"Well, when first joined the medical
school of St. Joseph's, began Mr. Wilson.
seating himself by the fire with glass of
sherry in his hand, which he slipped now
and then in the pauses of his narrative
"when l first joined the medical school,
and made my acquaintance with the dis
secting table, there was person in the
habit of frcquenting the dissecting- room
whose position and calling were for a long
time puzzle 10 me- He was fine, tail
man, well dressed, generally in q blue
swallow tail coat with brass buttons, a ca.
nary-colored waist-coat, white kersemere
trowseIs. and Hessian boots. quite buck
in tact and he would walk up and down
the room dangling great bunch of seals
that hung at his fob, and gave himself as
many airs as a Queens physician. The
prof" 'sors seemed to know him well. and
treated him with sort of sarcastic defer
ence he would often be called out and
| closeted with the authorities ofthe school.
| Altogether he held az important although
unrecognized position at St. Joseph's. The
elder students, when asked them about
him only mystified me; and at last my Gu
| riosity became so strong that determined
to satisfy it at the fountain head. So, one
day when happened to be alone with
him in the dissecting room, said to him
Mr. Blackstock,' Qhat was his name) u
see you here a great deal; pray, excuse
me for asking you what is the exact posi-.
ton you occupy in the medical profession
He turned rather red, and looked down
upon me in a naughty kind OF way. Sir,
he said, Il am Purveyor General to the
Faculty.
"Purveyor-exactly,' said the Colonel.
as Wilson paused to sip his wine. Had
! em in Crimea, | recollect-provided med
ical stores. and so on. All, your friend
was purveyor, then. Wilson,
| AHA! not that sort OF "a purveyOr, Col.
Perhaps you might make a guess at this
particular line. Give it up, eh Well, sir
they We're subjects-subects, as we call
them in plain terms-bodies."
'Body-snatcher, ell ?" cried the lawyer.
Ought to have been hanged"
| Well, don't know whether that WASH
his eventful fate; but there were many
worse fellows than Blackstock. I'll tell
you little incident that illustrates his
kindness of heart, think | may almost
say that he saved my life.
Imust tell you that Blackstock had a
little dog called Bingo, the most extraor-
dinary dog you ever saw. He was yellow
dog, of a sickly unwholesome yellow, with
out a particle of hair on his body, but a
tuft at the tip of his tail. He was always
with his master,
II mention Bingo." said Wilson, with a
low chuckle, "because he's necessary to
my story; and l may remark, that, not
withstanding his repulsive appearance,
there was something very intelligent-I
might say almost human--in his express
ssoEs atQ yCS, HC "ds suQt0cS All HlStS~
silion, attached to medical students. whom
he recognized with marvellous instinct,
but to the rest of the world he was sullen
and defiant. But to proceed. One even-
ing, OF. rather. should say one morning
at very early hour-between and 81
happened to be returning with friend,
and jackson, from some scene of gayety
to my rooms in Marylebone. On our way
we passed the church OF Saint Giles Over.
reach. Perhaps it wasn't Saint Giles, for
my memory is not always accurate on
these minor points, but, anyhow, a church
with large church yard about it. that
was surrounded by high wall. on the top
of which was a. very spiky chereaur de
f,tse. The public tootway ran close be-
side this wall, hardly foot in width, and
the road was very bad just then; in fact,
at this season of the year-mid winter
an impossible slough or quagmire. 1t is
not yesterday l am talking about, mind
YOU; in fact, it was before the time OF
street gas-lamps. The road was dimlv
lighted with an oil-lamp that swung in
bracket from the church yard wall, and
the next light was round the corner, quite
out of sight. Well my friend and were
pushing along at tull speed in n yerv