The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-01-04

/ -ANNA 80 ASeNob SolAi@N S'NNASSA i4ChNS "
himself than wealth could bring, which
compensated, in some degree, for the
dreary poverty of his younger days. So
far he had logged on with a quiet
patience and humor, but when the
parentIess baby fell to his keeping, d
new and rich interest was added to his
store of grain, by which he was thrust
into an untested groove of calculation.
Yet in the mean time his patients had
no cause to complain of his inattention,
for he never permitted hobby to in
terfere with his professional duties
And now arose the main object of bis
| life, namely, to prepare a way to future
success for the child of his affections,
| the little waif he had drawn to shore, SO
! that his own death, which could not be
so far distant, as he thought, might not
leave this poor little one to the tender
mercies of world he had no rtason to
place much confidence in. Hour after
hour of the night saw him still musing
/ by his study table, no nearer solution
of the difficulty than the previous night
had left him, but with brain bewilder-
ed by the propositions which whir.ed in
rapid succession through his aching head.
Then would he arise at length with a
sigh, and, trimming his lamp, creep
silently into bed, listening ever On his
way for the light breathing that came
! through the door Of the room in which
his baby lay unconscious.
! No tongue could describe the hold
I these young hands had taken on his
heart. The welfare of their owner had
become the one absorbing interest Of his
! life, amounting almost to a morbid anx-
iety, and an intensity of nervousness
| resulting from the high strung sensitive
ness of his nature. So far from making
his personal ill-luck a matter Of comment
with the child, he took every Opportuni-
ty of instilling into its fresh mind sound
principles and an appreciation Of man
kind, which he taught and believed was
ever ready to acknowledge and recon-
pense honor and honesty Fatality was
no part of his lesson, but he made vigor
1 and uprightness of character his critic
rion of success, attributing his own fail
ure to general peryerseness and care
/ iessness of nature.
Now it so happened that, returning
one day from visiting q wretched patient
/ in the neighborhoOd of Westminster, he
was attracted by crowd near the White
/ hall, which surrounded the apparently
lifeless body of a young man who, it APP
/ peared, had been thrown from his horse
and injured TO such an extent that he
lay insensible. A cry went round for 2
doctor, and, averse as he was to attend
/ ing creature of quality, as the young
| fellow seemed to be by his dress, circum-
stances would admit of little hesitation
! to q charitable II allure in the present
4 instance, which ended finally in his &C.
cOmpanying the sufferer to his home,
consisting of bachelor chambers in the
Strand.
Sir Henry, newly-instalied country
! baTOnet, proved a somewhat fractions
patient in the haEds of Doctor Bone; but
q youthful constitution, not too greatly
impaired by drink and gaming, carried
him at length safely through his mishap,
and left the reputation of his cure to the
poor medicus.
Alas! that it had ended there; his final
downfall dated from this little triumph.
AlIured by the buoyancy of spirit and
winning address OF Sir Henry, this sad
old life ingratiated itself gradually into
the cOmpaniOnship of the y0uugster,
and was by him directed-with little
intent, [ belieye-toward the paths of
ruin.
Poor Bone was dazzled by a thought
which flashed like lightning before the
1 vision of his troubled mind-the gaming
/ table. Why not risk the few savings he
had scraped together there! What
might follow? Opulence, comfort and
gOld-g0ld-glittering gold for his dar-
ling! Sure Fortune had unveiled her
beauties for his benefit on a sudden, and
he would not be backward, but would
feed readil y upon her charms. What OF
the risk? He had little to lose, and
much, very much to gain. He would
listen to no voice Of conscience or com
mon sense, but once seized with the
| plague, its terrible fever glanced from
the restless eye, and bit by bit he be
came a totally altered man. In fact
! Doctor Bone sank into a veritable gam
bier.
Few of us probably have passed, Of
will pass, through life without some
time or another coming across that most
piteous and degrading Of sight-ar
ancient gambler; men who, knowing how
little time yet remains to them, play
with a delirious and grasping eagernes
which aims at securing BY reckless means
what they can never enjoy; men who
rattle the bones in the dice box in sac
mockery of their own shaking Joints
aud make no endeavor to conceal theil
unworthy avarice from the world. Los
to honor, shame and decency, they art
some of the responsible propagators O.
such theories as atheism, and are cal
ously Indifferent to the foul name and
example they bequeath to their descend
ants.
The wretched doctor was undeserving
of so hard a sentence as this. for hi
only object in view was a worthy end
but lis misjudged ideas of moral respon
sibility had concentrated too thickiy
round one point, and he was to blame
Tor taking so narrow view of honor.
1t Is needless 10 say how his fortune
wavered and huctuated; how his trem
bling feet sought night after night the
scene OF his disgrace and fall from for
mer disinterestedness and simplicity
how his patients knew his kindly voice
and touch no longer. Sir Henry him
self was almost startled with the fearful
eagerness of his pupil, and won hi
money with a shrug of his shoulders
/ for this spark had some little warmth
F., left in MIN.
Poor old Bonel such disgraces wer,
more common then than now, and les
noticed. Simplicity and age are small
friends to the gambler when balanced
against the sharp medicines and future
! guaranteeing impudence of youth