River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-10-19

clouds rolled away and the sun came
out bright and beautiful, just as of old
in Brookfield, where my thoughts had
been many times within the last few
hours. This gave me renewed cour-
age, and though weak from hunger
and exposure, continued my journey
up river. 1t was worse travelling than
the day before, for the streams had
been swollen by the nights rain and
the trees had been blown down in
every direction by the terrific wind.
So | made slow progress, and the sun
had mounted TO the zenith and was ON
his downward course when | finally
came to human dwelling place. |
came upon it very sudden, and so
great was my joy that | actually ran
to it-a log cabin on a grassy slope
near the foot of the hill on which this
house now stands.
"As raped at the open door a
neatly dressed young woman, engaged
in sewing, left her chair and answered
my summons. She appeared half
frighted at the sight of me, and, as
the blood mounted her face, she SEEM
ed to me the most beautiful woman
had ever seen. No wonder she looked
startled at the sight of me, for my
clothes were torn and dirty, and my
half-famished condition must have
given my face anything but Il pleasing
expression. ! told her my story, BRIT
ly, however, and was invited into the
house. While the table was being set
for me, learned that the name of the
owner of the cabin was Herman Van
Wort that his wife and daughter,
Marguerite. the young wOmand repairing
my meal, composed the family; and
that | was just five miles from st.
Louis.
Il ate with rayenouS appetite Of
what was set before me (; and as is gen.
orally the case after one has gone so
long without food, my stomach was
too weak to bear the hearty meal, and
was soon taken violently sick. In this
misfortune, also, my new-fOund friends
were very kind to me, and, 10y their
careful nursing, | was placed on my
feet again in the course of three or
four days. At the end of that time
was still very weak, but they Wouldn' I
allow me to go until had entirely re-
covered. So remained there over a
week, and delightful week it was, in
spite of my affliction. 1t was so sweet
to once more have gentle haIds doing
me such willing service, and unsellish
hearts offering me such genuine SYM
pathy it was taste of home. Then,
during that week our associations were
such as to call out each others conf
dence, and to knit the ties of friend
ship unusually close. Accordingly,
when felt strong enough to push on
to st. Louis, | was very loath ut de-
parting, a sort of home sickness came
over me and stirred up my feelings so
that | felt as if | could: t leave. Look
ing at it now, however, it seems to me
that the secret cause of my dissatis-
faction was the image of Marguerite S
sweet face that was before me almost
constantly for many long weeks after
wards.
'sWhen | reached the city-which,
by the way, wasn't much more than a
village them felt some of my old
pluck and energy returning to me, and
| set about getting things in order TO
commence my practice. There were
several things that needed first to be
set at rights, and so was soon busy.
There was my clothing and my saddle
bags which had left on the boat that
had TO be hunted mp. | had little hope
of finding them, for the boat had come
and gone several days before but, as
good fortune will have it. my traps
had been left there in case | should
ever call for them, and they were
turned over to me all right. Then Il
letter had to be written to Brookfield
without delay, to put at rest any anxi-
ETY. that might have been caused by
the letter of the captain of the boat to
my folks, stating the particulars of my
sudden and mysterious disappearance.
This done | established myself in a
room in the tavern, and waited as pa
tiently as | could for patients. They
didn't seem to be numerous, however,
for frOntiermen of that day were a
sturdy class of people, and plain food
and plenty of exercise seldom put
them in condition to need a doctor S
attention and, when a doctor was
called he got very little pay, and then
perhaps, months afterwards, for money
was wofully scarce then. Also, peO-
pie generally mixed their own medi-
cines, and settled their own difficulties
by arbitration. and SO the professions
didn't have much of chance. They
didn't flourish until a later day.
'For these and other reasons | soon
discovered, to my sorrow, that prac-
Using medicine on the frontier would
not, of itself, even make me decent
living, let alone bringing me wealth,
as | had anticipated. And so, dis
couraged and home-sick, decided one
day to gather up my traps and go back
to old York State. That very day ]
was TO have started, however, Van
Wort. all excited and troubled, came
bursting into my deserted room at the
tavern, to get me to go and attend his
daughter Marguerite, who had been
taken sick very suddenly. The mo-
ment comprehended what he wanted,
all thoughts of York State vanished,
and hastily unpacking and arranging
phials and powders in my saddle bags,
| was without loss of time, in Van
Wort's wagon and on the way to at
tend another patient, although an
hour before never thought ! should
see another one in this region.
somehow my heart beat rapidly as
| alighted at Van Wort's, and | felt
unusually nervous as ] entered the
sick room in the cabin. An almost
momentary diagnosis of the case show
ed me that Marguerite was pretty far
advanced in the first stages of mala-
rial fever that is more common nova
DAYS than it was then. She did not
recognize me as ] spoke to her, and
her mind seemed to be wandering a
little. 1t was a severe case, and one
that taxed to the utmost all the skill
and experience then had but gave
it my whole time and attention, stay
ing right at Van Wort's day and night
and sleeping little. The memory of