The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-04-01
THE NAV WHOSE roKE WAS yor EASY.

boots III .nsivclv exhibiting a degree of polish
Inconsistent with thoir lilnpidated condition.
and the shirt showing an 'St'nt of ostentatious
surface that is invariably fatal tOthc thrcadbarc
waistoont that it partially covers He was II
pale man. and | fancicd still palcr from his
black clothes.
H. handed mo n note.
II was from a certain rhysl'lan n man OF
broad culture and broader experience; "a man
who had devoted the greater part Of his active
lic to the alienation Of sorrow and suf
fering: man who had lived up ~
tho noble vows Of noble profession: a
man who locked in his honorable breast the
secrets " "A hundred families. whose face wac
M kindly. whose touch was rs gentle in the
wards " the great public hospitals as it was be-
side the laced curtains ~ the dying Narcissa; II
man who. through long contact with suffering.
had acquired Il universal tenderness and
breadth Of kindly philosophy; a man who. day
anl night. WAS at thc beck and call 1t Anguish;
n man who never asked the creed. belief. moral
or worldly stan ling Of the sufferer, or even his
ability to pay tIe lew coins that enabled him
uhc physician to exist AMI practice his calling
in brief, man who 50 nearly lived up to the OK
ample Of the Great Master that ii seems strange
am writing Of him as "a dOetor Of Medicine
and not Of Divinity
Tho note WIS in pencil. charactoristicaIy
brief. and ran thus;
Here is the man spoke Of He ought TO be-
good material for you.'
For q moment I sat. looking from the note to
the man. AMI sounding the dim perilous
depths 81 my memory Tor the meaning Of this
mysterious communication. The good ma
terlal." however soon relieved my embarrgss-
mont. by putting his hanl on his waiztroat
coming toward me. and saying. LIS Just here (;
you can feel it,
II was not necessary for mo 10 do so. In a
Hash remembered that my medical friend hal
told me II certain poor patient. ONO a
soldier who among his other trials ami unecr-
antles was afflicted with m anucrism raus'd
by the bu kc Of his knnpsa"k pressing upon
the arch Of the aorta. II WIS lsbl" 10 burst M
any shock or any moment The poor fellow =
yoke had indeed hoen too heavy.
In the presence Of such u tremendous
possibility think for an instant fnlt anxious
only about myself. What / should do. how
dispose OF the body; how explain the cirrum-
stance Of his taking Of; how cvade the ubilui-
tous reporter and the Coroner's inquest; how a
suspicion might arise that had in some way,
through nesligen %. or for some dark purpose.
unknown 20 the jury. prerpitlted tho catas-
tophe. all flashed before me- Even The note
with its darky suggestive offer Of good ma
terial' for me-lookcd diabolically signih ant.
What might not an intelligent lawyer make
Of III
l tore It up instantly. and with icverish cour-
tesy begged him % he atcd.
You lont oare TO feel NJ he asked. a little
anxiou-ly.
No"
Nor see III"
mo"
He sighed. trhe sadly rs II I had rejected
tho oniy favor H. eui!li hestow. I saw nj once
that ha had h.,.n uu,i.r fr.,,u.ut axhflitf,, T.,
the doctors, and that he was. perhaps. a trinc
vain Of this attention. This perception was
sOrroboratel a moment later 10y his producing a
COPY Of Il medical magazine with the remark
that on the sixth pag" would lind a full state
ment Of his case
Could serve him in any way. I ashci.
Itappcared TINT could. II | could help him
10 any lixht employment something that did
not require any great physical "xeriiou or men
Ia excitement. he would Doe thankful Bat h.
wanted mo to understand that hc was not
"'--~t~s"o discovery oi ms fatal complaint h,
h"l taken out life insurance policy for o. on
AMI that lie mai raksd anil srralnl enough 70.
b"ther 70 pay i NJ, AMI that he would not leay,
his wife and four children destitute. You
500 he added. " il could Had soma sort a
Light work 70 DO, AMI kinder sled along you
know-until-n
He stopped awkwarly
ihave heard several noted actors thrill the j.;
audiences with single phrase. Think Iney.r
was a. honestly mo'ei - any spoken word n-
ui until or tie pause tnat followed Il n.
was eyi lonuy lui,. IN n .sinus ~ f.', a.,
~ LOOK seat cside him on the STA and
looked NOR" ~os.ly in his wayan fac. .oulI
be- IN, he wac evidently embarrassed. and
would have explained himself further, If had
not stopped him.
Possibly 1t WI, the dramatic idea. or poasi IDLY