Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-09-17
THE DOCTORS STORY.

town IN Canada. LII was coal mining
place, full Of poor miners, and there was
several doctors there before me; but I
bought out another mans practice before
ascertaining that he had none, so I had
to try and work along as best I could.
In two years my patients had increased
to respectable number, but 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 beau
tiful 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 happy 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 I had made my home, and
he had an only child, daughter, and
as they say poor man is never prop
erly miserable till he falls in love I had
to follow up my destiny by loving Lille
Hardwick.
She was lovely, that is the only excuse
can offer for my rash devotion to her.
loved her the first time I ever saw her
it was one Sunday, at church.
She sat beside her father, and thought
of angels all the morning instead OF
listening to the sermon.
She wore 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 q rose.
She had large, soft brown eyes, with
long, dark lashes, and the sweetest voice
l ever heard.
After that Sunday I met her at one or
two parties, but did not dare to pay
her any marked attention, for she was
the only daughter of rich man, and
was the poor, unknown doctor, strug-
Cling hard to make living.
! The summer wore away, and Lille
was still bright star at which fondly
gazed oQt 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 I might, in
about sixty years, amass sufficient of this
worlds goods to take wife. Certainly
the prospect was not cheering.
I attended picnic one day, and I had
the happiness to be chosen Lilies es-
cort which filled me with delight, for
we spent the afternoon together she
had 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 to her they we're short se-
lections, and one of them I shall never
forget. 1t was new to me and ran thus:
"He little knows
| woman's 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.,
I 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.
Iy, then colored, at, I suppose, the ex-
preston I could not keep out Of my
face. If I only dared there and then
to tell her how I loved her-but l had
not the courage
That picnic lived in my memory like
one sunbeam on dark day-a streak of
golden light shining through gloom. 1
scarcely saw Lille all winter except
occasionally at church, for I 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 it
occurred, and as the fearful sound was
heard, and the mine belched forth vol
umes OF black smoke, crowds of waiting
women and children focked to the
mouth of the hideous monster that had
swallowed up their husbands and faith
ers.
was soon on the spot, for / knew
there would be work for me when the
burnt and mangled victims of the explo-
sion were brought to light.
Volunteers were not wanting to go
below and do what they could for the
unfortunate beings imprisoned amid
darkness and death. / offered myself,
but Mr., Hardwick pushed me back, say
iOn.