The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-06
THE DAILY STAR
HOW CRAGUE GOT Ills DINNER.

He was o Young, very young doctor.
His sign read "Elihu Crague. Md" He
was ready to try his hand at anything in
the profession, from laneing a felon to
amputating leg. But the world was
not ready for him. His youth, the new
ness of his sign, the daintiness of his
clothing, his nervous efforts to please, his
plaintive anxiety, were all against him.
Sick people have no fancy for too much
polish-it is 50 frigid to the eye and to
the touch.
TIE doctor was lonesome. His family
lived one thousand miles away, and he
had no. been in the city long enough to
make intimate acquaintance. He gen.
orally amused himself by going out upon
the streets to watch the people, study the
shop windows, and plan what he would
do if he should he at hand when boiler
blew up or man fell down. 1t was his
daily habit in good weather to walk
abroad. He wanted to anticipate the
reality. The doctor had lots OF true
grit and proposed to fight the battle
strategically-beseige, mine, ,countermine,
assault, bombard-do everything the
ethics of his profession would permit
When Crague started out for his
Thanksgiving morMing walk he had for
gotten the Governors proclamation. The
sad appearance of the turkeys, whose
corpses went by him in all sorts of shapes
and exposure of person, reminded him at
last of the day. Immediately. he grew
lonesome. The sun was shining, the air
nipping, the streets full of life, but he
turned blue, inside and out.
"Why, believe Pm going to be sick
home sickp' he said to himself. "Worse
yet, / can't prescribe for myself an avail
able remedy. All! if l were only at
home"
The thought of clearinghouse tur-
key, as finty and angular as if quarried
out of the Alps, of the watery soups and
corrosive sauces, of papier-mache pies and
elastic puddings, of the .cheerless faces
and grumblng lips, that would appear at
his table, intensified his disease.
'Tf some good person had only invited
me out to dine" he said, II would not
mind this internal shiver in the heart.
Pshaw I'll walk off the miserable feel
ingsP'
He stepped away briskly with his old
college lope, long and steady, down the
avenue, into cross streets, past little
parks, and finally into quiet little
street, only two blocks in length. The
houses were all handsome, with stone
fronts and high stone steps, and faced an
open square. Three houses from the cor
ner young lady came out of the front
door. She stopped for moment to
button glove. The doctor slackened
his pace. He was an adorer of women
Young and handsome women, of course.
The lady on the steps was both. Then,
too, she looked good; that is, her beauty
was not cruel or wicked. As he ap
preached he catalogued her graces in hi
mind like this:
Features perfect. just look at tha'
dear little mouth! What black hair
Form good-but, heavens! just see thost
tiny feet! Now, there's woman for &
man to win. She can't be over twenty
! wish she'd smile. A smile speaks more
than words, if you know how to read it
Ha! she is looking this way. She move,
to descend. There's grace for you! Great
beavens!"
The last was a cry of alarm, uttered as
he started to run. The vision he hac
been contemplating had advanced to the
edge Of the steps. The sunlight had moi
yet fallen upon the ice formed of the
rain of the night before. Her feet bac
hardly touched the treacherous edge o.
the steps when they slipped and she slit
to the sidewalk, where she lay motion
less.
Dr. Crague was at her side in second
She was insensible. He lifted her heac
and rested it OH his knee, The face wa
like marble. The jet black hair, looseneo
by the fall, lay in heavy masses on he
shoulders. Her lips were just littl
parted, enough to show the CLINT of he
small white teeth. But she was alive
she breathed; her pulse moved. Thai
delighted the doctor. 1t was infnitel.
more satisfactory than holding a corpse
DuU Wudl SIOulu uc uot IHls CdUds
trophe was something for which he hat
not studied. Other accidents he had i'm
agined, and mapped out his line of &c
tion; such predicament as this he ha'
never thought of, because it was unprC
fessional. He looked up the street, dow
, the street, across the street, and then a
the row of buildings from the door of on
of which the young lady had emerged
Not person was visible. 1t was happ
ness enough to half kneel and hold tn
form of so handsome a girl, but tn
situation was embarrassing. He wa
young; and his heart susceptible. In fac
his heart began to trouble him. If h
had admired the young lady as sh
perched, like a bird, on the topmost steE
mis- admiration began. to merge int
adoratioon as he looked into her colo
less face. He was terribly temple
10 kiss her. The provocation was grea
and there seemed to be no one lookin,
She would never miss what he migf
steal, or missing it, never advertise il
loss. As he thought of it his face bega
to droop toward hers, and he might hay
robbed her lips had not the far-aws