Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-01-03
CHAPTER x.

earliest twitters, before she at last
dropped into an uneasy sleep.
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 suffused with tears Us she
said:
"My dear. believe you are going to
be the saving angel in this house. 1
can not express my thanks to you as L
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 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 it mattered in the
least. she fastened to assure herself,
whether he approved her or not.
"You have known Mr.. Baldwin long
time?" she asked, as they seated them
selves.
GAS long as his own life, may
cay
"Ah, I 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, / have done them what little
kindnesses l could. They were both
left motherless very early; and both
without any near relations. Their
fathers were 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 a fine fellow. But he
has not been to us all that Louis Bald
win has,
"Mr. Baldwin lives at that old brown
house which / see from my bedroom
window, does he not?''
"Yes; 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 fla
ished his studies, he came home, and
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
of professional knowledge. Biol
ogy is his favorite study in his leisure
time. And zoe think him the model of
a man of healing of course. That
may be partly our own partially"
Il think it is" said MIR. Lascelles,
'for when / ride about, often hear
good deal of talk about the doctor, and
I 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 that?'
''Well, 1 generally find, when come
to inquire, that it is the honest folk
who like him, and the worst sort who
hate him. He has some odd 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 man who would
die for an idea. For instance. he has
way of saying very severe things very
quietly, but in a way that cuts like a
whip, and he can say them in a style of
language not too dainty for our fisher
folk and our rough farmers and labor
ers to understand. He gives it them |
on the subjects of drinking,
and dissipation, and ill-treating their |
wives. and so on--till I've seen regular |
Hercules of a fisherman, who could |
have made mince-meat of him if it had |
come to a trial of strength, sneak away |
home like whipped cur. with its tail |
between its legs"
81 am afraid he has an unenviable |
power ofscolding."
.sOh, it's not like scolding. The |
worst things he says are usually uttered
with smile on his face. But that |
about which he carries his crotchet the |
farthest is lie of any kind-falsehood |
in any shape or form. For anything
IF that kind he has no pity, and allows |