The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-11-13
LITTLE MISS TURPIN'S FATE.

LITTLE MISS TURPIN'S FATE.
A little conversation took place, one
morning, on the top floor of dingy
old lodging-house IN the metropolis,
that led to strange results. 1t was in
the front room, but made its way very
readily through the chinks and cram
nies in the mortar to the neighboring
apartment, where little Miss Turpin
was preparing her frugal breakfast.
The tOasting-fork nearly fell from her
hand, and her dimity apron narrowly
escaped being seduced by the sumptuous
flame from the CRATE, when the harsh,
gruff voice of her landlord fell upon her
ear.
rach.
SO do J." replied the young doc
tor, :" and more. He that wants
money, means and content, is without
three good friends. -
- Can have my money tonight"
" To-morrowpn
"It is extremely doubtful -
"Then you must get out of here. 1
want my roOm.'
= When do you want it?'
4" As soon as possible -
VIII tomorrow dOP'
eyes,
g Then leave me, friend; the room
shall be yours tomorrow morning
The young medical student was man
of spirit, and would have vacated these
not very alluring premises at once, and
there seemed vital necessity Just then
for some such proceeding on his part.
He had discovered two days before that
the faltering and shabby source of his
pecuniary supplies had utterly failed,
and the knowledge that he was without
money or friends in a strange city to-
gether with an inability to beg, borrow
or steal, had robbed him of sleep. The
loss of this necessary rest to a tired brain
and worn out body, rendered him the
prey of many different sensations dur
ing Mr.. Shadrach's visit. An iron band
seemed to compass his forehead, his eye
balls burned, his hands shook, his knees
seemed at times about to collapse be-
meath him rs he walked to and fro the
length of the dreary department, for
lack of more nournishing food chewing
the cud of many bitter fancy. He asked
himself over and over again if this was
why he had been such fool rs to fancy
he could pursue the study@of medicine
with the wretched capital of a worn out
body, a distracted mind and barely
money enough to keep flesh upon his
bGHCH. idl III lllOlLlLtlBI0 SpiEib uittl
prompted him to go on, hoping for a
little desultory practice by the way
that the Iose-cOloraWith which youth and
ineXperience are apt to tint those falla-
cious dreams had been too vivid in his
case-that these and many other excuses
could be made for his folly availed little
Just now. A systematic course of semi
starvation and overwork had broken his
indomitable spirit, and turned the rose
colored dreams to an exceedingly green
ish-hued nightmare.
The only patient he had during his
nine months stay with Mr. Shadrach
was a poor little workwoman i'm neigh
boring room, n washed-out, timid,
wretched little creature, with scarcely
enough stamina about her to rally after
a slight attack of pneumonia. Her little
fee had been ready for him after every
visit-in fact, obtrusively ready, for i
was out of the question, of course, to take
moneys
1t was merely aneighborly service, >
he said, when, upon his fifth visit, hC
found her up and at work again, and OF
his departure she had stammered on
something about his bill. q am only
too glad, Miss-Miss-''
''Turpin," she whisper, d.
To be of service to You, and beE
YOU viii call me in whenever my pres
ence is desirable"
Miss Turpin faltered out her thanks
A burning flush chased the pallor out o
her face, as he warmly pressed he
trembling hand in his and bade he
goodbye.
Poor little devil! = he said, as h
strobe away to the lecture room. "It'
bad enough for a great strong OK lik
myself to face and battle with this grin
old grindstOne of a world, but for a mis-
cradle little waif like that-phew, it
monstrous.'
He thought of her pityingly till h
crossed the threshold of the college
then gave himself up to the subject i
hand, which so engrossed his mind, tina
he forthwith forgot the existence of lii
tie Miss Turpin. But she, upon he
part, repeated over and over the word
of young DIR. Blake, bIushing agai
when she became conscious of the fac
that she really had the temerity t
dwell upon his genial but commonplac
courtesy.
Miss Turpin's work was delicate an
artistic, but not Soul-absorbing, like tn
Doctors She could tint her photograph
all the better for this little episode in he
life. The vines and tendrils tOokte tendC
shapes under her deft little fingers;
shy, sweet melancholy helped TO MAX
the shadows at least more and more pc
feet; under the rosebuds grew IL
thorns but there seemed TO lurk eve
in their cruelty a subtle, mysteriol
charm. Il was enough for Miss Turpi
to dream. The physical and practie'
reality of the Doctors hearness had i
weight, but not consciously so, to Il
little woman. She never Ventured
get up cramp or cough for the sake
stamping more clearly his shape int
these vague but eXtrayagant feats
fancy. In truth, so timid and afrai
was she Of practical JOY that she actua