Iron County register., 1882-10-26
MY FIRST FEE.

fear am not saying anything very orig
inal when mention that nv IA ther was
poor clergyman. There are hundreds of
poor clergy; naturally their sons can be
reckoned by thousands. / know there were
thirteen of Us, and how we all managed to
find standing room in our small North coun-
try vicarage seems marvel to me, when /
look back upon that time OF growing up.
And then the struggle to settle the profess
sions of eight sons! Mine was. however,
soon fixed upon. My aunt's husband. a
Scotchman, and an NJ. ID. in country town,
said he would bring me up to his own pro-
fession, provided I eventually became his
partner. and in this manner repaid him the
cost of my education. = - s-.. g.
The proposal sounded we'll; anyhow, it
was accepted. But, ah! the realization was
different. He never praised me when l
worked myself almost to death in order tC
pass brilliant examinations, and only Grunt-
ed when at last came to settle down with
him in a desperately dull town. after having
come out first on the list at Edinburgh.
My uncle cared nought for my being Ar
thur Merrifeld, NJ. ID. 1 was to be his
white slave, and repay, with hard labor,
what he had spent on me. l honestly tried
my best to please him, the practice in
creased considerably, but time went on, and
still my uncle never spoke a word about
money affairs. / was more than partner
as to work, but no partner at all as to pay.
Aud vet Il felt that I could make name.
also a fortune, If only I could get fair
pecting grand things of me, which looked as
IL they might never be realized, for even il
persevered till my uncle died and left me his
practice, / might by that time have become
gray with age and unable to begin to make
my way.
AT last I could bear it no longer, and one
day determined to come to an understand
ing with him. am sorry to say this ended
seek my fortunes in London. My uncle
called me all sorts OF names, which, as they
were the reverse of complimentary, l will
not repeat, and respectfully disagreed with
him. His last words were:
81 should like to know, sir, how you are
going to find patient in LondOn?'' L did
not answer him, for 1 was perfectly unable
to do SO, but l had courage and persever-
ance. "Where there's a will, there's q
way" thought, and thus left my uncle's
house, knowing well enough that I should
never see penny of his money.
i will pass over the many difficulties
next encountered; the applause OF { he other
twelve as TO my conduct, and the regrets of
nv father, who bad fancied l., at least was off
his mind; and lastly, the difficulty Of find
ing any one to lend me some money where
once in good style; nothing venture, moth
ing have; ami l was determined to have one
of the best practices in town.
At last part of my dream was realized.
But vet it wa> all very we'll to be the occu-
pant of Respectable looking house in a
quiet London square; to have gone to the
expense of brass plate on which was neat
" engraved "Dr. Arthur Merritield;" fur
Lher, to have engaged worthy, middle
aged female to answer the door, if the door
bell had ever been Iung anu the master i'll :
ouired for. Ala>l l was beginning to feel
depressed in mind because no patient APP
peared, and no fees filled my pockets.
/ had told the hve girls at home that my
house would soon be besieged ut all hours
of the day and night. i had even bad a
night-bell attached, which rung in deaf
euing manner close to my ears, as lay In
bed: and, best of all, i had cOntrived a
peep-hole through my window-shutter, in
order TO distinguish the rank of the visitor
who disturbed my slumbers. But up till
now, / had slept peacefully night after night,
and might have slept all day II l had 50
wishetitit, for no patients had come 10 ASH
me to cure them.
ssAnd yei," | thought, as I paced the
floor of my consulting room, where no con.
sultation had ever taken place, land vel
that rich young Jones promised that he
would recommend me 10 the first of his re.
lations who fell ill. The constitution Of the
Jones family must be terribly good, for
am sure the fellow meant what he said; he
is good nature itself. Perhaps l have been
a fool afi er all, and had better have stayed
with nv uncle, where ut least my food COS,
nothing!"
You must un erstand that my spirits had
reached far below zero to be able, even In
nv most private thoughts, to wonder any
thing of the kind. And, cIlriously enough.
ii was at this moment that my front dool
bell was suddenly rung in furious manner
Ivery nearly rushed out to open the door
myself, oniy was met by Mrs. Davis, who
had run up from below, almost as much ex-
cited as was at this unprecedented event
ssShnw the visitor into the consulting
yoom, Mrs Dayis,'' whispered, land sa!
you'll see If am disengaged."
I retired into small study next to the
consulting room, and separated from it by
folding doors. 1t was here had my meals
AMI bs,ides nv bedroom, 1t was at present
the oH,y furnished room in the house. Bu
hardly had closed the door when l recog