Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-02-17
4 PHYSICIANS REWARD.

Z u Il II hcASA4A4N - 1AL w
[ had been six years a surgeon in the
navy, and for the last two of these si1
years | had been cruising on tina
dreadful Gold Coast. Perhaps | wai
not the best tempered man in the ser
vice, but [ thought | was badly treated
The Admiralty and | had slight dis
agreement, and the end was that
threw up my commission in disgust
My health was much broken, and while
L was recruiting my strength Ill a little
Devon village, / did the one thing
which | have never regretted-fell il
love with Il good girl and married her
L had certain amount Of money
which | invested in a country practice
and for some time all went well with us
But we were not to escape our share
of trouble. My health, which had SUI
fered more seriously than / imagined
during my period of service, broke
down; my practice went to the dogs
we got deeply into debt, and, to make
Il long story short, three years after my
marriage, one miserable Sunday in No
AVember, found my wife and myself
with our two little children, occupying
a single poor room in Grenville stree
off Guildford street
4 We had then been in London abou
six months, and [ had been unable
chiefly on account of my precariouE
health-to get anything to do. About
a month, however, before the day
speak of, my only friend in London
had held out hope of obtaining fol
me the post of private physician to q
wealthy relative. But my friend had
been compelled suddenly to go abroad
and though he was daily expected
! back, yet three weeks had now passed
and | had gone to his house in Ken
sington day after day without getting
any tidings of him.
Meanwhile our little stock OF money
was quite exhausted; everything that
could be spared was sold or pawned; and
this Sunday evening, with months
rent due next day, my wife and [ sat
before miserable apology for a fire,
with absolute want staring us III the
/ face; we had not quite shilling left, and
when | looked at my sleeping children
and thought of the future, | fairly
broke down in utter dspair. 1t was
then | found what treasure [ had in
the noble woman by my side. Affect
ing cheerfulneSs which she could not
feel, she impaired to me Il portion OF
her own courage, and at length induced
me-anXIOus to please her, and glad to
do anything rather than sit poWerless
to go once moro to my friends
house.
1t was ten o'clock on cold drilling
night when Iset out on my walk some
how felt a kind of fictitious hopeful
ness and walked briskly, resolutely
shutting out the thoughts of failure. 1
stood some time at my friends door
before [ dare to ring the bell tn at would
change my hopes or my feelings into
certainty; and when at last the servant
who answered my ring told me that
her master had not yet returned, [
fairly staggered into chair in the hall,
overcome with disappointment.
The woman, seeing my condition.
brought me a little brandy, which re-
vived me somewhat; but it was some
time before midnight as I left the door
for my long cherries walk. The rain
fellin a steady drizzle, but though | was
lightly clad / never needed it. my
thoughts were fixed on my poor wife
sitting alone and watching for me, and
on the wretched news | was bringing
her. | walked on needless of the bitter
cold and of the constant rain. feeling
the numbness ofmisery in my heart.
How it happened do not know, but
somehow 1 lost my way, and after wan
dering aimlessly for some time found
that | was in a street that did not
know-the Gray's Inn Road, as after
wards learned. / could see no one to
direct me, and was walking on rather
anXiOusly when [ stumbled over the
| form of a man. who was lying half in
and half out of the covered entrance
of wretched court. For few yards
| walked too absorbed in my own
troubles to think of aught else; but
then, thank God, thought of the I'M
fortunate man lying in the rain, and,
as doctor, felt, perhaps more strong
! ly than | otherwise should, that it was
my duty to go back and assist him il
possible. There was a gas. lamp in she
/ entrance to the court, and by it [ was
| enabled to see that the PROSTATE figure
was that of singularly tall and power
fully built man; and on a closer In
spection [ was surprised to find that
his dress was that of gentleman. All
once | thought that he had been rob
bed and perhaps murdered; but, tax
ing his hand to feel his pulse. saw
that he had remarkable handsome
diamond ring on his finger, and the
beating of his pulse, though very faint
showed me that he was not.
Then / thought, with something Of
contempt, that [ had case of mere
drunkenness to deal with; but yet on
careful examination [ could detect nc
fume of spirits, and the faint action Of
his heart at length convinced me thai
the man was in state of complete ex
haustion, probably from want of food
| With considerable labor, in my weak
condition, l managed-half lifting
half dragging him-to convey him
into the covered passage, and deter
mined to stay with him until some
passer-by would assist me. | had no
waited long when a halftinsv woman
walking past, looked into the passage
and came over to see what was the
matter. She looked keenly at me anC
my unconscious patient, and | not
iced her eye CLEAN as she caugh
sight of a massive gold chain on hi
vest,
I asked her To 90 at once and fetch