The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-12-01
CHAPTER Y.

CHAPTER X.
AN AFTERNOON SONG.
The following day Margaret spent the
morning with her girl pupil. She saw
neither Rupert nor Mrs. Lascelles till
lunch time When they did meet at the
meal, she found that even then it was
only Mrs. Lascelles, not Rupert, who
was present. The lady's gentle dark
eyes were suflused with tears as she
said:
"My dear, believe you are going to
be the saving angel in this house. /
can not express my thanks to you as |
ought. but Mr.. Baldwin says
"Mr. Baldwin says what?'' asked
Margaret, suddenly pausing, with a
startled expression.
"Oh, nothing but what was good,
said Mrs. Lascelles, with a smile.
"How he considered the influence YOU
had acquired over Rupert to be little
short of magic-little short of his own,
that is, which comes to the same thing"
Margaret smiled a little nervously.
She had by some means imbibed the
idea that Louis Baldwin regarded her
with feelings not entirely and purely of
approval. Not that il mattered in the
least, she fastened to assure herself,
whether he approved her or not.
"You have known Mr.. Baldwin long
timer" she asked, as they seated them
selves.
GAS long as his own life, / may
say"
"Ah, / remember, now," Margaret
said, suddenly; "Mr Mallabarr said
yesterday afternoon that you had been
wonderfully good to him and some
others, Louis Baldwin, for instance
Those were his words.
"Oh, l have done them what little
kindnesses | could. They were beth
left motherless very early; and both
without any near relations. Their
fathers We're both intimate friends of
ours, and both consulted me on many
points concerning the bringing up of
their boys. They have both turned out
well. | feel quite proud of John MALTA
barr, he is such fine fellow. But he
has not been to us all that Louis Bald
win has"
"Mr. Baldwin lives at that old brown
house which l see from my bedroom
window, does he not?'
eyes; his people have lived there for
many generations. They are by no
means rich, though quite independent.
Louis always had passion for doctor
ing as we call it, and persuaded his
father to let him study medicine and
take his diploma. When he had fin
ished his studies, he came home, and
Immediately gained some practical ex-
perience, for the old doctor, cambridge,
was almost past his work, and sadly
behind the times. Louis helped him
! freely, out of pure love of the thing,
and was soon very much liked, indeed,
beloved by many of the people. When
old DIR. cambridge died, year or two
ago, Louis said that having once
been in harness, he should never like
being out of it again. He took up DIR.
Bainbridge's practice, and succeeded
him. Then his own father died, and
there was no longer any real need for
| him to continue to work, but he liked it.
He says it gives him an object in life,
and keeps him up to the mark in the
matter of professional knowledge. Biol
ogy is his favOrite study in his leisure
time. And a0e think him the model of
man of healing of course. That
may be partly our own Partially"
II think it is" said Mr.. Lascelles,
''for when | ride about, | often hear II
good deal of talk about the doctor, and
find very varied opinions current con-
corning him. Some people swear by
and almost worship him, like our poor
lad, and his mother here; and others
hate him, absolutely hate him, you
know, like poison"
''Indeed! How is thatp"
"Well, | generally find, when l come
to inquire, that it is the honest folk
who like him, and the worst sort who
hate him. He has some old ideas, and be-
ing independent of his practice, if not
rich, allows the said ideas to have full
swing; for mind you, with all his COM
mon sense, Louis is a man who would
die for an idea. For instance, he has a
way of saying very severe things very
quietly, but in way that cuts like a
| whip. and he can say them in style OF