The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-09-11
Srlert Storp.
The DOCTORS NIGHT WATCHMAN.

'Tell you what, doctor, you'll be getting
robbed aud murdered one Of these days,
You will, upon my word y
Hardly, my boy You ought to know
by this time that it's the province Of us
doctors to Kill other people, not to be
killed ourselves And with thick chuc-
kle at his own wit, DIR. John Hunter Bis
toury settled himself comfortably in his
chair, aud began to peel his third orange
as carefully as if he were taking off limb.
When the doctor frst came TO New
York, thirty years before, he had been in
no way burdened with riches, but his face
had proved bis fortune in different sense
from that Of the over candid milkmaid 10
the song. The mere sight of that round,
forid yisagc, in every crease Of which a
joke or good story showed itself, aud ap.
penred capable of reviying the most inya-
lid without the aid Of medicine at all.
Mindful Of the human weakness which
makes so many worthy people regard their
own ailments as kind Of personal dis.
tinclion, the lesssning of which in any
way Is direct insult to themselves, DIR.
Bistoury skilfully took n middle course
between alarming his patients by an over
serious view OF their case, and offending
them TO make light Of it, In this way be
had acquired an enormous practice aud
his reputation now stood so high, that the
mere eclat of his name had suiiiced 10 sell
an entire edition of his great work upon
the mutual relation Of mind and body, Ia
which no proved to his satisfaction, il not
to that Of his readers, that all criminal
impulses, whatever, and indeed the very
existence of sin itself, are wholly due TO
"a morbid action Of the physical system
that murder may be prevented by the time
ly use of EPSON salts, and an unbeliever
converted by judicious contemplation Of
the virtues Of quinino.
al can assure you, my dear Harry, re-
sumed the genial doctor, "lhst it's anna
zingly hattering to me to find myself con-
sidered worth robbiug at all No thief
would have thought me worth centre bit
in the day when your poor father-as fine
a fellow, Harry, as ever breathed-used
to come up and sup with me upon biscuits
and toasted cheese 10 my little snuggery
down town. And he'd turn to me and |
say "Now, Jack, old boy, won't you think
better Of il, aud let me write you check |
Just to give you fair start, you know7"
But although | knew well enough that
he d have been only too glad to do it, had
to refuse, for my motto is "Heaven helps
those who help themselves ?"
"a motto which you'll find some black
masked gentleman cxemplifying in this
very house one Of these nights" growled
Harry Everett "Look here, doctor, I'm
not jokiug-Tm not indeed Everybody
knows you're rich man; and It's got
abroad that there's room in your house
which is always shut up the very thing
to make people think there must be some.
thing very valuable slowed away there
aud yet after all that you 80 living in this
house without soul near you except the
cook and old Sam yondcr, who wouldn't |
be worth cent 10 a real scrimmage T.
"Well, my boy" said the doctor, with
a curious smile, "would il tranquil your
mind il were to engage night watch.
man 2"
81 should think so, That would be
just the thing"
avery good. Consider il done"
This roOm, Of which Harry has spoken
as being ''always shut up, was standing
puzzle to the doctors few intimates Not
man Of them had ever crossed its thres-
hold; and,its master, when questioned on
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