Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-11-07
LITTLE MISS TURPIN,
He was n stranger ana sbeTook Hin

He Was n stranger and She Took Him In
A little conversation took place, one
morning, on the top floor of dingy old
lodging house in the metropolis, that
led to str9nge results. 1t was in the
front rCom, but made its way very
readily through the chinks and cram
nles 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.
90 want my money" said Mr.. Shad.
rach.
So do l." replied the young doctor,
land more. He that wants money,
means aId content, is without three
good friends"
" Can l have my money tonight"
% think not"
Tomorrow
'' 1t is extremely doubtful"
"Then you must go out of here. L
want my ROOM"
When do you want itP''
As soon as possible"
VIII tomorrow DOR
Eyes"
"Then leave me, friend; the room
shall be yours on tomorrow morning."
The young medical student was a
man of spirit, and would have vacated
these not very alluring premises at
once, but he had not where TO Law his
head, and there seemed a vital necessi
ty just then for some such proceeding
on his part, He had discovered two
days berore that the faltering and shah
by source of his pecuniary supplies had
utterly failed, and the knowledge that
he was without money or friends In
strange city together with an inability
to beg, borrow or steal, had robbed him
of sleep. The loss of this necessary vest
to tired brain and worn out BODY rem
dered him the prey of many different
sensations during Mr.. Shadrach's visit.
An iron band seemed TO compass hisfo
head, his eye balls burned, his hands
shook, MS kpees seemed at times about
to collapse beneath him, as he walked
10 ana fro the length of the dreary
apartment, for lack of more nourishing
tood chewing the cud of many bitter
fancy. He asked himself over and
over again if this was to be the end of
1t all, and why he had been such fool
as to fancy he could pursue the study
OF medicine with the wretched capital
OF worn-out body, a distracted mind,
and barely money enough to keep flesh
upon his bones. That an indomitable
spirit had prompted him to 90 on, hop
ing for little desultory practice by the
way; that the rose color with which
youth end inexperience are apt to tint
those fallacious 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 sys-
tematic course of semi-starvation and
oVerwork had broken his indomitable
spirit, and turned the rose-colored
dreams to an exceedingly greenish-
hued nightmare.
The only patient he had had during
his nine months stay with Mr.. Shad.
raeh, was :. poor little work woman in
the neignboring room, a wasbed-out
tlmld, wretched little creature, with
SCARCELY enough stamina about her to
rGlly after slight attack of pneumonia.
her little fee had been ready for him
after every visit-in fact, obtrusivelv
ready, for it was out of the question, of
course, to take money.
1T was merely a neighborly serv-
lce," he had said, when, upon his fifth
visit, he found her up and at work
again, and upon his departure she had
stammered out something about his
oil, 81 am only too glad Miss
Miss"
"Iurpin, she had whispered
10 be of service to you, and BEG you
viii call me in whenever my presence
is desirable"
Miss Turpin faltered out her thanks.
A burning flush chased the pallor ont
OF her face, as warmly he pressed her
tremhling hand in his and bade her
goodbye.
" Poor little devilp' he said, as he
strode away to the lecture room. cts
bad enough for a great strong OK like |
myself TO face and battle with this grim
old grindstone of world, but for a lit
monstrous.
de thought of her pityingly till he
crossed the threshold of the college.
theh gave himself up to the subject in
hsnd, which so engrossed his mind,
that he forthwith forgot the existence
OF little Miss Turpin. But she, upon |
her part, repeated over and over the |
words of young DIR. Blake, blushing
again when she became conscious of |
the fact that she really had the temer-
lty to dwell upon this genial but COM
monplace courtesy.
Miss Turpin's work was delicate and
artistic, but not soul absorbing, like |
the DOCTORS. She could tint her photo !
graphs all the better for this little epi- |
sode in her life. The vines and ten
urlls took tender shapes under her deft
little hngers; shy, sweet melancholy
helped to make the shadows at least
more and more perfect; under the rose
buds grew the thorns; but there seemed
10 lurk even in their cruelty a subtle.
mysterious charm. 1t was enough for
Miss Turpin TO dream. The physical
and practical reality of the doctors
nearness, had its weight, but not con-
scloasly so, to the little woman. She
never ventured to get up a cough or
cramp for the sake of stamping more
clearly his shape into these vague but
extravagant feats of fancy. In truth,
so timid and afraid was she of pulsa-
uon OF practical joy, that she actually
Stunned and shrank from its approach.
But more and more imposing, grand
er and grander grew this one figure of
her fancy, around which revolved the
satellites OF health and wealth, popular
ity and fame-all that could render life
sweet or desirable.
Perhaps it is detrimental to nv
heroine TO say that she would have been
quite content TO have lived upon the
fruits OF her own fancy for the remain
der OF her natural life. Had circum-
stances compelled her TO change her
abode, and had she thus lost sight of
DIR. Blake, the dreams would have gone
along just the same, the fact of his dy-
ing in a neighboring hospital Of weak
meas and want and fhn nnnrnLf u