The Cecil Whig., 1883-01-06

every thing American. | began TO see that
dom. WAS interrunteG in my reverie
by Il remark of the d .ctur's that gave
me great pleasure.
You're going to do well here"
"ReallN?'
''Ies; the Colonel has taken a great
fancy to YOU: yoa'll be promoted in no
time.
Delighted passed back into the
bureau.
Well it's all right" said the princi-
pal man to me; you re passed"
But asked wonderingly. "bow do
you mean9 Don't you want to examine
me:''
you've been examined once, what
more do you want? And. blythe by. the
Coiunels taken a great fancy to YOU
You're just the sort Of young stuff he
likes to have about him. lie was saying
yesterday you'll soon go up. Here $
your papers: come ano sign them.''
Blndly ! walked up to the desk, and
surveyed long document, in which
read nothing but my own name.
= Is this for the post Of Surgeon'"
inquired
Certainly"
And yon want no further evidence of
my abiiity?'
- No: we know fellow when we see
him. and, by gosh. you're just going up.
the Col0nel's wonderfully taken with you ::
sign your name: hurry up, got a lot to do
here: you re Just in luck way. you are.
There 5 the place: sign there.
Stupiiied with establishment. once
more took up the pen. and was about to
sign, when an idea flashed through my
mind
Let me quite understand This is for
the surgeon of the regiment is it p
.'Why, yes; and the Colonels taken"
Its for the doctor of the regiment.
eh .:
Doctor, be ID. it for sergeant"
pronounced Surgentj
All my castles came tumbling down
about my ears. Chop-fallen, walked
ont of that office and packed for Wash
ington.
The next morning found me once more
with ali my hopes renewed. my ambi-
tions widened. / was at the Capital in
the very midst of all the excitement and
stir of military life. was staying at
Washington. where Generals were so
plentiful c"nid afford to turn up my
nose at Colouels. Already was debating
which tailor | should patronize, and
nothing but the fact that my $45 no longer
were &ij prevented my utilizing the few
hours of liberty left to me. and ordering
my uniform in advance. | felt mvs.l
already in the army, unattached as vet;
in fact. the regiment | should Join would
he very much matter of my own choice.
Every General | met accnsted, and told
him my story. All wanted was com
mission rs a surgeon in the army. in
variably asked the Generals advice, if
General button n-holed gave me cour-
teous reason for his inability to further
my views, did not discourage me. was
even assured by one or two that surgeons
were not, after all. in such demand as a
month or two before. the fighting being
row all over for the season. and the army
gone into winter -quaEters-and yet was
undismayed.
1t was only as my stock of Generals
grew exhausted. my courage began to
waver: numerous as they were, my two
days had used most OF them up, and,
like the Londoner who knocks two or
three times at the same door in fog,
foend myself frequently tapping the
same General.
In sheer self defence had to fall back
on the Colonels. Alas. with the same
result. | discovered there WAS somehow
an applicable Indifference on the part
Of both division and regimental COM
manders to avail themselves of my in
valuable services.
Applications in the legitimate channels
were Just as fruitless.
There was no denying the fact. At
the commencement of winter, army snr-
geons were just as much drug in the
market as actors i'll summer. My $40
were dwinding, and the only man to
whom did have letter of introduction.
obtained in New Yo:k. helped the dollars
on their way by borrowing few of them
and forgetting to return them.
Disheartened at the barren result of all
my efforts, | suddenly resolved on an
without any plan. | was young enough
IT, believe in the mysterious and benign
influence of Fortune, and into her hands
determined to commit myself blindly.
Planting myself on seat in the public
room with an illustrated work on surgery
in my hands selected the most formida-
BILE colored wood cut of them all. placed
it oStentatiou>ly on my lap. and waited
;or any chance passer by % he attracted
by the picture. His attention once ar
rested, | would lure him into converse.
tion, and what more probable than III
the end sh"uid secure some influential
listener and succeed in gairin. his inter
'st in m, pr'.i-cts.
G. min: t,r',;> i"'.t.>i tii.rl >,3a...v.
thr, >a,. W.,s This ala "ririg ana'nmicr
mousfrnsjty rhr dist t're umbsl % tn.
actors picture poster?
However, the plan failed. and did not
fail Two days sas there. Cnwas came
in, crowds went out, but no one evinced
any curiosity about me or my book. |
persistently read and read ever carefully
turning back to this most alarming of
pages. but in vain.
Toward the end Of the second day
noticed an elderly gentleman sitting at
the writing table opposite me, whose
features were strangely familiar States
man, author, artist, or divine? | could
not fix him in my mind. but there was
the face that had stared at me from Il
hundred photographs. | cursed my un-
fortunate memory. lie might be a man
of eminence: must be man of eminence
or why his portraits? OF course he is
man of eninence, or what would this
individual want with his autograph--an