Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-10-04
C0URTING ALICE AND MAR.
RYING HETTY.

RYING HETTY.
/ was young surgeon, just free
from college and walking the hospit-
ais, when I got my first practice in
the little town of Dunfield. DIR.
Thompson, of the place, was an old
friend of my fathers. and it was ar
ranged that | should assist him, with
an ultimate view to the whole prac-
tice. 1t was a good lookout for a
young man just beginning life. Above
all, as my friends vehemently prophe-
sled, "Thompson can't possibly live
another ten years, you know" So,
with many pleasant dreams about
dead mems shoes and other cheerful
subjects, / moved myself and my
goods and chattels to W-shire.
Most naturally | had good deal of
curiosity as to my new friends and
patients. Mine was sociable tenn
permanent; and as | had about two
hundred and fifty pounds year Of
my own, in addition to what Dr.
Thompson was to give me, / fancied
that l was already in position to
have a little home and wife of my
own, provided of course that | could
find some really nice girl who suited
my taste and liked me. had sort
of grand feeling that the medical pro-
fession ought to be obliged to me for
entering it.
1T isn't as if were fellow who
had quite to earn his daily bread"
was a remark / made to my bosom
friend, Charlie Somers.
/ arrived at Dunfeld in the early
part of May. 1t was settled that, for
the first, / should live at DIR. Thomp-
sons, whom | found to be a CHEEKY
old fellow, and his wife most kind,
motherly soul. They had no child
rem, and the household was quiet and
we'll ordered. The practice, too, was
very good.
The town had its squire, Sir Will
liam Crowhurst. His wife, Lady
Crowhurst, was the grandee of sthe
place; and, by good fortune, their
two little girls were my first patients,
being conveniently sliced with mild
touch of measles soon after my arrival
and when the doctor happened to be
laid up with lumbago. This of course
gave me a good start, and was the
best introduction / could wish for to
the other swells of the town, such as
the clergyman and his wife, Mr.. and
Mrs. Perkins, who had seven child
rem, of whom one or the other was
always ailing; Mr.. Gordon, the law
yer, who had also wife and two
grown-up daughters; and many 9TH
ers.
It is true there was rival doctor
in the place-there always are rival
medical men in a small town-but
then she hadn't even stray dog to
experimentalize upon,' as old Thomr-
son chuckingly told me. As, how
ever. | can only mention one or two
of these people again in my story, |
will not weary you with lot of dram
ats personde, who will never be &C
counted for; else the postmaster,
chemist, dissenting minister, school
master, and others, are all we'll worth
being described, each in his or her
own peculiar way.
About three weeks after my arrival,
Thompson showed me note from
Mrs. Gordon, saying that her daugh-
ter had bad cough-would one of
us come up to see herr
Now, Mr.. Gwynne,' said the doc.
tor. shere's chance of distinguishing
yourself. Lawyer Gordon is smart
man and making no end of money.
Mrs Gordon is a great one for being
on the sick list. Unfortunately, she
doesn't like me, because she suspect.
cd me once of sending her bread pills
and water mixture when her imagin-
arv illness drove me beyond bounds,
90 that lean and ugly Shares was
called in; but he injured his cause by
nersisting to remain for lunch, which
Mrs. Gordon thought very imperti-
nent on first acquaintance and so it
was. Now my firm belief is that this
cough is more than half to decide if
yeu will do, or if she must send to
Colchester for DR.. Sims, which will
of course cost her a great deal more.
They are good patients--too good to
lose SO 60 and do your best for us.
On no account be sparing of grave
shakes of the head and plenty of med
icine. though it may be as innocent as
you like, provided it be judiciously
nasty
sAll right, SIR was my reply; I'll
oo up at once ) and as spoke | rose
from my seat and proceeded up stairs
TO put on clean collar and better
tie. trying to think / wasn't a bit
nervous. But was; for when | was
a Young man l was very nervous, and
never could, to save my life, give a
repartee answer or get out of mess
neatly. / pushed my hair up, then
patted it down again; it would not
look as curly as fondly fancied it
did whenever / took the preoaution
of wetting it well over night and
brushing it up against the grain.
Some, come, Gwynne, make haste
at last sounded from below.