The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-18
THE DOCTORS FORTUNE.
By handy NJ. HENLY.

ssThose were strange, strange days,
my boy; the country was wild then,
and the few people living here saw
hard times"
These words were uttered in q half
distracted way by q wealthy old doc
tor, who had been entertaining me
with almost incredible stories of his
early life in the Mississippi Valley,
when it was the far-off frontier, and
was claimed by the Indian for his
hunting ground. The doctor had a
partial home on the summit Of q noble
hill overlooking the river and country
about three miles below St. Louis, and
we were seated on one of the broad,
vine covered piaZZas about the resi-
dence. He was a well-preseryed, no.
BLOCKING old gentleman of more than
three-score-years-a and one
would hardly Judge him to be one of
the early pioneers in this region-as
he really was.
Looking up suddenly from a brief
reverie. his countenance all aglow, as
if his memory had struck a rich vein
Of incidents of long ago, he said -
''Didn' ever tell you how [ hap
pened to make this place my home O.
AS answered him in the negitave,
he continued in the same breath with
a look Of surprise.
''Nor of. the Van Wort family, that
lived under the hill near the mouth Of
the creek?''
''NO, SIR
"Well, we'll, I suppose so. Twas
long before your day when the last
member of the family quit this life.
1t must have been forty, yes, more
than forty-fve years ago. It does not
seem possible that it is that long since.
It was an uncommon strange affair,
and, though it looked hard then, it
seems to me now as if it was foreor-
dained.'
The doctor had charming, simple
way of talking, and, knowing that he
was going to give me scrap Of his ex-
perience worth listening to, I settled
back into a large, easy chair with inf
mite satisfaction, preparatory to enjoy
ing it.
II had just finished reading medi-
cine,' he continued, s'with DR.. Brad
ford, in Brookfeld, my native village,
in York State, and, there being no
promising opening to young man in
that vicinity, determined to go West
to seek my fortune-and a wise deter
mination 1t proved to be, too. I was
only one.and-twenty then, and the
western fever and the golden dreams
Of the future rendered me so Impatient
that hurried off with scarcely any
preparation. My horse, saddle bags.
and some pocket money, and dog sRo-
YER were all of my effects.
''By the time had ridden as far as
Pittsburg 4 reaction began to take
place and felt a little blue over my
prospects, for the trip was lonesome
and tedious enough; but there I sold
my horse, and bought a ticket to St.
Louis by steamboat. The journey by
the river elated my spirits again. On
board the boat there was plenty of
company, the scenery was beautiful,
and, further, it was my first ride on a
steamer. At the end of a,two week s
trip we had passed down the Ohio
river and out at it's mouth, started up
the Mississippi River and were narrow
ing down the last fifty miles between
us and St. Louis.
S'About that time, as was begin
ming to wonder a little anxlously what
kind Of a prospect should find there,
we ran into one of those heavy fogs
that are frequent on the Mississippi.
1t was as impenetrable to the eye as
the darkest night, and so the boat had
to run ashore and lie up until the fog
should lift.
sit was early in the morning, and,
as there was no prospect Of the boat
getting away for several hours, I call.
ed Rover my dog, and we went
ashore. The river bank, to my sur.
prise, was more than one hundred
feet high, and very steep and rugged.
l succeeded, however, in climbing to
the top, and was rewarded, by finding
the fog much lighter there than down
low on the water. [ could see out into
the woods quite well, and it was a
lovely sight. Spring was we'll advanc'
ed, and the trees had leaved out in
full and all manner of gay-looking
wild-fowers and plants were growing
up out of dead leaves that lay thick or
the ground. Around the roots of the
large trees, also, were thick beds OF
fragrant flowers that filled the air like
some sweet incense, and so delighted
was my boyish fancy, that I thanked
God I had left old York State to come
to this new Garden of Eden!
sc Rover was transported with Joy
at getting ashore once more, and aftel
shifting the air and frisking about mt
in a circle several times, he started
out into the woods. 1 followed hin
leisurely, filled with pleasant thoughts
and wandered about over the hills il
an aimless delightful manner. After
a time. as turned and was on nv way