River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-08-25
THE DOCTORS STORY

In the year 1875 / graduated, and
began to practice medicine IN coun-
try town in Canada. 1t was coal
mining place, full of poor miners, and
there was several doctors there before
me; but | bought ont another mans
practice before ascertaining that he
had none, so | had to try and work
along as best | could.
In two years my patients had IN
creased to a respectable number, tut /
was still a poor man, for ! could not
exact heavy fee from people who
earned their bread by the sweat of
their brows in darkness, and sometimes
in danger.
They were poor, and the doctor who
attended them in case of illness was
necessarily poor also. The valley in
which the town was situated was a
beautiful one; lovely farms lay IN every
direction. and aged elms rose beside
the placid river that flowed through
the midst Of it-peace and plenty
smiled on the beautiful scene, and nap
py men and women lived and died
there without having ever seen the
busy, turbulent world outside.
The superintendent of one of the
mining companies lived near the cot
tage which | had made my home, and
he had an only child, daughter, and
as thew say poor man is never prop
erly miserable till he falls i'll love ! had
to follow up my destiny by loving Lille
Hardwick.
She was lovely, that is the only ex-
cuse can offer for my rash devotion
to her. | loved her the first time L
ever saw her-it was one Sunday, at
church.
she sat beside her father, and |
thought of angles all the morning IN
stead of listening to the sermon.
She wore a blue and white dress and
something gauzy upon her head; her
hair was nut-brown and rippled natu-
rally, and her complexion pure as an
infants and fresh as a rose.
She had large, soft brown eyes, with
long, dark lashes, and the sweetest
voice ever heard.
After that Sunday | met her at one
or two parties, but L did not dare to
pay her any marked attention, for she
was the only daughter OF a rich man,
and | was the poor, unknown doctor;
struggling hard to make a living.
The summer wore away, and Lille
was still "a bright star ut which | fondly
gazed but which was also far beyond my
reach.
| fancied she cared for me, and that
kept love and hope alive, and at my
present rate of progress L might. 1T
about sixty years, amass sufficient OF
this worlds goods to take wife. Ger
tainly the prospects was not cheer
ing.
/ attended a picnic one day, and l
had the happiness to be chosen Lilies
escort which filled me with delight, for
we spent the afternoon together; she
had a volume of poems with her, and
lay among the ferns at her feet IN the
hard wood grove where more energetic
people were making fire and prepar-
ing supper, and read some OF these
poems aloud 70 her; they were short Sc
iections. and one of them | shall never
forget. It was new to me and ran thus:
lie little knows
A womans heart who, when the cold wind
blows
Deems it will change. Though storms may rise,
And grief may dim and sorrow cloud her skies,
And hopeless hours, and sunless days come on,
And dark despair the gloomy future fill
But, loving once, she loves through good or Ill.
raised my eyes to Lilies face as she
listened to the words, and her look de
lighted me.
"How true that is she said, earnest
ly, then colOred, at, | suppose, the ex-
preston | could not keep out of my
face. If l only dared there and then
IL L l., I 1,vr,l har h1f | had
not the courage.
That picnic lived i'll my memory like
one sunbeam on a dark day streak
of golden light shining through gloom.
| scarcely saw Lille all winter except
occasionally at church, for was too
busy to be regular attendant.
In the month of March terrible day
dawned over our peaceful valley. About
10 o'clock in the morning an explosion
took place in the mine of which Mr.
Hardwick was superintendent.
All the men were in the mine when
il occurred. and as the fearful sound
was heard, and the mine belched forth
volumes of black smoke crowds of vail
ing women and children tlocked to the
mouth of the hideous monster that had
swallowed up their husbands and
fathers.
was soon on the spot, for | knew
there would be work for me when the
burnt and mangled victims of the ex-
plOsion were brought to light.
Volunteers were not wanting to 60
below and do what they could for the
unfortunate beings imprisoned amid
darksess and death. | offered myself,
but Mr.. HardwiCk pushed me back,
saying:
''No. doctor, stay where you are. You
will be more needed when we come up.
Stay here, l beg of you"
So speaking he stepped into the
bucket with as many more rs 1t would
hold. and rapidly descended down the
dark chasm through which the black
smoke still rolled.
| stood in sad anxiety as to what
would come next, when | felt light
touch on my arm, and turning, | found
Lille beside me.
She wore light morning dress and
slippers, and was without hat; her
bosom rose and fell rapidly. for she had
evidently lost no time in coming here.
"Oh, DOCTOR she cried, clinging to
my arm. Il have ran all the way and
am out of breath. Tell me where
papa is?
looked at her flushed face and eager
ewes: l noted the trembling of her
hands, and the pink dollhouse rose
that nestled in her breast, as if mock
ing her agony of fear.
Miss Lille. come back little, your
father was not in the mine at the lime
of the explosion; l have seen him since;
he is safe.
s'Oh. thank God-thank God - 81
cried, tears starting to her sweet brow II
eyes.
Something told me to get her away
from the mouth of the pit, but 1t was
hard to do. At length | left her trying
TO console an old woman whose .hree
sons had gone down few hours ago,
hale, hearty young men, and who night
be blackened corpses for all she knew
burned and bruised past hope OF re-
cognition even by their mother.
As | returned to the shaft dull,
booming sound came suddenly from
underground-the earth shook-a roar
like the blast of a thousand cannons
was heard, and huge masses of inky
smoke rose above the fatal pit A sec
ond explosion had taken place.
IL 1