The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1877-05-08
The Man Whose Yoke was
Not Easy.
By BRET HARTn

ne Vhs spare taAus huds phl nASaAt
an ill-conditioned man, but at first
glance scarcely a seedy man. The in
dications OF reduced circumstances In
the male Of the better class are, fan
cy, first visible in the boots and shirt,
the boots offensively exhibiting de-
gree of polish inconsistent with their
dilapidated condition, and the shirt
showing an extent OF ostentstious sur
face that IL invariably fatal 10 the
threadbare waistcoat that IL partially
covers. He was q pale man, and i fan
cied still paler from his black clothes.
He handed me O note.
II was from a certain physician; O
man OF broad culture aud broader ex-
perience: a man who had devoted the
greater part OF his active life to the al.
deviation of sorrow aud suffering; q
man who had lived up 10 the noble
VOWS OF noble profession; a man who
locked in his honorable breast the Sc
crets OF hundred families, whose face
vas as kindly, whose touch was as gen.
tie in the wards OF the great public
hospitals as II was beside tho laced
curtains Of the dying Narcissa; o man
who, through long contact with suffer
ing, had acquired universal tenderness
and breadth OF kindly philosophy; q
man who, day md night, was at the
beck and call Of Anguish; q man who
never asked the creed, belief, moral or
worldly standing OF the sufferer, or
even his ability 10 pay the few coins
that enabled him (the physician) TO ex-
ist or practice his calling; in brief, O
man who 30 nearly lived up 10 the ex-
ample Of the Great Master that it seems
strange j am writing Of him as q doc
tor Of medicine and not Of divinity.
The note was in pencil, characters.
tically brief, and ran thus:
"Here il the man / spoke OF. lie
ought 10 be good material for you.
For q moment i sat, looking from
the note TO the man, aud sounding the
dim perilous depths of my memory
for tho meaning Of this mysterious
communication. The good material, y
however, soon relieved my embarrass-
mont, by putting his hand on his waist.
coat, coming toward me, and saying,
'It's just here; You can feel IT."
IL was not necessary for me TO do 20
In flash remembered that my medi-
cal friend had told me Of q certain poor
patient, once q soldier, who, among
bis other trials and uncertainties, was
afflicted with an aneurism caused by
the buckle of HIS knapsack pressing
upon the arch OF the aorta. Itwas LA
bic TO burst at any shock or moment
The poor follows yoke had indeed
been too heavy.
In the presence OF such q tremen'
dous possibility j think for an instant
felt anxious only about myself. What
should do; how dispose Of body
how explain the circumstances OF his
taking of; how evade the ubiquitous
reporter and the coroner's inquest; hov
q suspicion might arse that i had IN
some way, through negligence, or foI
some dark purpose. unknown TO tho
Jury, precipitated the catastrophe, al
flashed before me. Even the nete--
with it's dark suggestive offer Of '.gooC
materisl' for me-looked diabolically
significant. What might not an intel
ligent lawyer make of II?
i tore il up instantly, and with few
erish courtesy begged him 10 be seated
"You don't care 20 feel itf" he asket
little anxiously.
"No."
"Nor see it,"
"No."
He sighed, tri1e sadly, as il ha'
rejected the only favor be could be
stow. ] saw az once that he had beei
under frequent exhibition 10 the doc
tors, aud that no was, perhaps, q trif'
vain Of this attention. This percep
ton was corroborated q moment late
by his producing a copy OF O medica
magazine, with the remark that on the
sixth page would And full statemen
OF bis case.
Could serve bin in any way, ] ask
ed.
II appeared that ] could. II I coul'
help him 10 any light employment
something that did not require an.
greet physical e1ertion or mental ex
element, he would be thankful Bu
he wanted me 10 understand that b
was not, strictly speaking. a poer man
that some years before the discover
| Of his fatal complaint he had taken ou
life insurance policy for $1,000, ans
| that be had raised and scrsped enough
together 10 pay IL up; and that b.
| would not leave his wife and four chill
dren destituts. see," he added
''if could find some sort Of Light worl
70 do, and kinder sled along, you kno'
until"
He stopped, swkwsrdly.
I have heard several noted actor
thrill their audience With . sipgl
phrass.--I think never vss 90 honest
y moved by any spoken word ss ths
until" or the pause that followed II
He was evidently quite unconscious o
It's effect, for as l took q seat hesid
him on the sofs, and looked more close
" in his waxen face, could see this
Se was evidently embarrassed. ans
funld have explained himself furtbs
| | bad mst stopped him.
| P,,-ritly u was the dramatic idea, q
.ss,hIy cli~pce, but few days AFTER
ar.l, me.fitg CERTAIN kiDd-hsarir,
nrstric-l manager, | asked hun II Ia
,nd any light employment fa a ma
shu uas an Invalid. Can he waIk?
Yes" Stand mp fer 10 miDutes?
Yes" "Ibsn Ill take him. He1
| f.r tie lasf scrne iB The 'Drsfrue
: ~ ~~rmrfl'--it'- u irem~u
IIg. ,uu know: veil have 2 on