The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1875-06-12
The Little Old Gentleman.
The STORY OF the IIody.Snntchcr.

"Talking of that" snid Mr.. Wilson.
getting up and pOiing the fire vigorously,
"rcminds me Of little incident that oc-
Cured to me in my young days"
The scene is the best parlOr of the
Wallscnd Arms, at Cossop on the Sore,
where there is Il snug meeting of the
Commissioners of Public Sewers for the
district. The small, silver-hcadcd old
gentleman who is pOking the fire is re-
tired surgeon of the town. His colleague
is Colonel BOwsicr, Of Cossop Priory, Il
tall, grizzlcd cX-cavalry officer, and the
rcd-faccd, mcrry-lo0king man in the cor
Her Is u local lawyer, the clerk of the
Board. Wine and biscuits arc on the
table. There is nothing particular to he
done, but they are bound by act of Par
Lament to sit till two o'clock, and it is
now barely one.
at wouldn't do to smoke, I supposc7"
says the Colonel, looking dolcfully ont of
the window; wet dripping day, n High
street deserted of passengers, depression
prevailing everywhere. at wouldn't do
to smoke, chr"
"Wcll," replies the lawyer doubtfullv,
"perhaps it Wouldn't be quite regular, ch {
What do you say, Mr.. Wilson7"
'Pcrsonally, haven't the slightest oil
jcction," replies Mr. Wilson; "bmt whether
public opinion would quite sanction the
members of public Bourbon public
busincss-what do you think, Colonel p
"N0. no; SEQ tlat--I quite see that"
| said the Colonel, rclinquiShing his hold
of his ciSnr-cnsc and yawning dolcfully.
"rry Il pinch of snuff, Colonel" said
Wilson, producing little horn snuff box
tn Ian L. l..
"Pnblic opinion cant object tn snuff
The Colonel stretched out his hand for
the snuff box, took pinch, and then cx-
amincd the box in n listlcss way.
"Ihat box" went on Wilson, "is con-
ncctcd with curious incident in my
early life"
"Wcll, let's hear it Wilson," said the
Colonel good-naturcdly; "anything's bet
ter than sitting here dning nothing"
"Wcll, when ] first joined the medical
school Of st. JOscpll's," began Mr.. Wilson,
seating himself by the fire, "whcn first
joined the medical school and made my
acquaintance with the dissccting table,
there was person in the habit of frc-
Iucnting the dissccting- whose posi-
tion and calling were for long time n
puzzle to nc. lie was fine, tall man,
well dressed, generally in blue swallow
tailed coat with brass buttons, n canary
cnlnIcd waistC0at, white kcrscymcrc truw-
ScrS, and llcssian lIouis; quite buck, in
fact; and he would walk up and down
the room dnndling great bunch Of seals
that hung at his fob, and gave himself rs
many Mrs ms a queens physician. The
professors seemed 10 know him well, and
treated him with a sort of sarcastic def.
crcncc; hc would often bc called on, aud
| clnSCtcd with the authorities of the school.
Altogether, hc held an important, although
unrccnEniLcd position at ST. JOScph's.
The elder students, when asked them
| about him, only mysiiticd me; and ut last
my curiosity became so strong that de-
| tcrmincd to satisfy it Mt the fountainhcad.
So, ono day, when | happened 10 he alone
with him in the dissccting.room, said
10 him: "Mr. Blnckstock" ulat was tho
| gcnticman': naIncJ, 81 see you here n
great deal; pray excuse me for asking
you what is the exact position you occupy
in the medical proGrssion1" lie turned
rather rcd, and l0OkCd down upon inc In
II naughty kind Of way. "Sir,," he said
'I am Purvcyor General to the racultyr'
| "PurvcyOr-CXacily," said the Colonel
| ~ W ''H'h p'uSNu w SIP iliS WHO. 'Iinu
'cm in the CrimGa, rccnlicCt-pruvidcd
medical stores, and SO on. Nh, you,
friend was purvcyor, then, Wilson1"
"Aha not that sort Of purvcyor, Col
oncl. Perhaps you might take II gucs,
Mt his particular line. Give il up, eli
Well, sir, they were subjects --sulij ijccis
as we call them IN plain tcrms-bodics.
"Bohy.snaIclIcr, chi" cried the lawyer
"Ought To have been hanged"
"Wcll, | don't know whether lha
wasn't hi9 eventual fate; but there wcr,
many worse fellows than Blncks,ock. II
tell you n little Incident that illustrate
his Kindness Of heart. think | may nj
most say that he saved my life.
81 must tell you that lIladslock had
little dog called lingo, tho most cxIraor
dinary dog you ever saw. lie was gel
low dog, Of sickly unwholcsomc yellow
He wns always with his master.
III mention BiuGo," said Wilson. wit
u low clncklc. "bccausc he's necessary [
my story; and may remark, that not
withdrawing his rcpulsivo appearance
there waI something very Intelligent,
might almost say luman--in his cxprc'
| -. a 4 n!