Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-02-24

i stared at him IN amazement
No one has ever dared to call me
one, sir, / answered. l.
Hold your tongue, sirl cried the old
gentleman. No affectstion with Inc.
You know you are one. A pretty fel.
low, indeed, to ask girl to marry him
within the year. What do you mean
by it 2
That love her, sir, | said.
Bah = cried the old gentleman.
Love-a fine love, indeed. When We
love people We have some considera.
ton for their comfort. What is your
wife. if you ever have one, going TO
live on, sir? All, sir like chameleon?
Good heavens! your impudence sur
prises me-
We must all have beginning, sir,
| said. You had yours, l believe
"A beginning cried the old man. i
did not begin by associating with wild
young fellows whose very acquaint-
ance was ruinous to my reputation. |
did not spend my nights drinking or
gambling. did not spend the hours
which should have oeen devoted to
study in recovering from the effects of
whisky or beer A new way to rise in
the world! And that is your way.
You don't deny it. Rise! you'll sink
down to the very gutter. What right
have you to ask a girl to marry you2
put my head down on my hands,
and hid my face with very shame. 1t
was all true enough. l was reckless,
wild, unsteady. Yet tried to falter
forth an assertion that was not so bad
as some men after all, and that | in
tended to have large practice, and be
steady and prosperous some day.
Above all chat | loved Helen better
than my life; which was true enough,
heaven knows.
Good intentions pave the lower
regions, said the old gentleman, when
l had finished.
Speaking rather more kindly than
before, but still decidedly:
I cannot give my daughter to one
who has given no proof that he intends
to put them into practice But, aside
from your habits, have always liked
you, l think you might, if you choose,
become an honor to your profession,
and rise in the world in every sense !;
and since Helen has given her heart to
you l will make compromise. You
are both young. You can afford TO
wait on each other. Abandon your
evil habits, 60 to some distant city,
then work hard, and try to become
worthy of the love of a good woman,
and at the end of three years return.
Then, if you are what you should be,
you may have my daughter
Three years! 1t seemed an eternity
to young and ardent lover, but Helen
was the only girl in the world for me,
and had only the choice of my obey
ing her fathers mandate or parting
from her forever
Besides, the old gentleman was right;
my companions and my habits had not
won me the regard OF our own town,
where the medical students were al
most public nuisance from their wild.
ness and dissipation.
| resolved to do what | knew would
ultimately be for the best; and having
declared my resolution, found friend
in the old merchant.
He gave me letters of introduction
to persons of influence in San Francis
co, loaned me the wherewithal for my
journey, and wished me well. But he
forbade me to write to Helen during
my absence or to communicate with
her in any way.
IF your love is worth anything it
will live without billet dour for three
years. che said, and Helen had never
disobeyed her father,
He is very kind, Theodore she
said, and we may trust him at his age
to know what is best for us.
So in few days we parted, and no
one can blame me, loving her as l did,
if the moment was one of intense sad
ness.
Three years, three weary years before
| might see her sweet young face again,
and one of us might die, or another
might take my place In her heart!
Who could tell? l felt sure of myself,
but how could I be sure of her, who
was so beautiful, so good, and so every
way charming that others than myself
must also be enamored of her, and
strive to win her.
do not forget me- pleaded, as [
kissed her lips at parting, and she
promised to be true to me till we met.
My last glimpse of her was taken as
I turned my head and saw her waving
her handkerchief to me from the win
dow, on the sill Of which my golden
tulip in the Chinese pot nodded its
gorgeous head in the breeze as though
it were also bidding me adeu.
shall say nothing Of my voyage to
California. nor Of my first struggle in
the city of San Francisco Enough
that l abandoned my habits of dissipa-
ton, and became steady and industri-
Gus.
l established small practice almost
Immediately. Itincreased. 7 did my
best to earn the favor of my patients
by thinking of their real benefit in