Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-07-06
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1.-THE PROLOGUE

1.-THE PROLOGUE.
va attending my last coui - Of lee
lures IN one Of the medical schools in
large Western city during the winter OF
1879. The holidays had arrived. It was
Christmas eve. The janitor, who always
smoked m old cav pipe, had rem0moved
the models and pictures serving TO Illus
tsste the lectures, the last of which had
been delivered for the day. when our
worthy dean entered the ampftheatre.
busting and smiling. Each student, fall
Of expectation, remained in his seat The
GOOD mans eyes .sparkIed with suppressed
merriment, almost as brilliantly ~ the
m0nstrously large ring or his niger,
while his huge gray mustache
gave him . somewhat ferocIous ap-
pearsnce. By the way. he was professor
Of anatomy. Trying to assume an i'm
posing appearance, with bis head erect,
bis feet planted far apart and his hands
crossed over his capacious epigasfric re-
zion. he announced week holiday. babe
us . Merry Christmas. and left the hall
like he entered it-bustling and smiling.
A moments stiffness, and then shouts Of
exulsation from 200 throats rang through
the lecture hall. and echoed and re-echoed
through the venerable building. from the
damp cellars below to the cadaverous
smelling dissecting room above. II is
questionable whether or not the grim, mu-
tilased subjects. :" that were ranged side
by side on tables covered with coffee
sacks" would have turned over and
stretched their necks in astonisbment had
their stifIiy- frozen limbs permitted them.
There were sounds Of hurrying feet
shutting down the stairs, and loud bangs
Of the great entrance door; and then all
was silent IN the lonely building. With
the exception of few hungry rats. the
s.subiects," or stiffs," were left alone;
but they minded that little. For them, as
they Law stretched out on their backs. with
their mouths open and their dull, express
sionless eyes directed toward the ceiling.
the darkness and silence and cold had no
terrors. More than one living mortal
there were that night who had no cause
to envy them; for they were dead-dead
biting penury, TO thwarted ambition. to
disappointed love, 10 the cold sneers Of
the world; dead to despair.
The air was bitterly cold. The snow
shrieked and complained ominously under
The dark sky frowned upon the white
earth. as If II envied the latter's robe of
innocence while the trees stretched out
their snow covered branches. pleading in
vain for warmth from its sunless expanse.
We attempted to SNOWFALL each other,
but the snow sullenly refused to stick to-
gether, and flew from our hand in spray
of thousand tiny crystals. Buttoning
my overcoat. soon was fairly on nv way
home, whistling the much-abused "Sweet
By-and- Bye" My home. as called it.
was at my cousins, physician and
bachelor. Walking past the City Hall |
was startled from gloomy reverie about
my studies by the bleak, cracked tones Of
the city clock giving forth the hour Of
four. This is Christmas Eve !" escaped
me Involuntary. just then something
soft but heavy bulged up against me. and
nearly knocked me over. II was big
fat woman. Both of us must have been
staring into vacancy. At any rate. there
was collision. The immense turkey
which she had been carrying in her arms
fell to the ground, and an emphatic
'cluck" was emitted from its liieless chest.
confirming my words about the presence
of Christmas Eve. Apologizing to the
pouting and painting woman. and turning
the street corner. Ihailed benumbed and
cherries car-driver, who was cursing and
whipping his mules to spite the cold, l
suppose. The car was crowded with faces
fat and happy; faces thin and detected;
faces bearded and beardless faces intel
lectual and ignorant faces besotted and
virtuous; faces smiling; faces scowling;
baby faces; pretty maiden faces and bux-
ON matron faces. My destination was
soon reached, and alighted.
Knocking Mt my cousins Office door
(the Office was attached to the residence),
and hearing hearty Come in ~ went
in. and so did cold. crisp gust Of air.
This reused the doctor from his char. and
caused him to poke the fire so that it cast
y ruddy glare all over the room. "Merry
Christmas 7" said l. MERRY Christmas,
Paul." rejoined he. Just from SCHOOL,"
"Yes, sir" Then we seated ourselves
and seriously studied the flames Of the
stove. Presently supper was announced.
and the Doctor and myself met the family
In the dining room. who were waiting for
us to complete the happy circle.
The roasted turkey, the delicious oys-
ters. the fragrant celery, the blushing
the delicious fruits and the
egg-nog filed the room with
CHEEKY Christmas odor. Even the Doctor
(who was considered crabby by some)
strsked his shortly-c-opped whiskers with
evident satisfaction as he munched his
turkey and glanced over the pages of the
''double number" Courier Journal. The
egg-nog was strong-and this fact may
have aided in giving birth to the story
which Is about to follow.
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