Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-06-14

""i'oB 'ho PaoI Two years had been on
the verge of asking her the momentcns
question, but had decided to wait until
my position in the world was better as
sured. And now that the country in her
extremity was calling for the best ser
wees OF her SONS, would it have been
fa'r to ask simple girl to bind herself
even 10y an engagement, to one who
might never return to claim her pledge
thought not; but as l watched her face
when we were parting, and imagined /
saw what l longed for written there. /
determined to ask her to be nv wife
when the war was over.
Oh, the wretched years of strife that
followed l thought they would never
end. But at last the closing scenes had
come, and the good fortune that ind
followed me through score of engage.
ments, bearing me unharmed while
others went down by thousands, forsook
me in measure at last. was hit by a
spent ball on the knee, and moment
aftcrward ridden over by the charging
cavalry.
Your case is not very serious one,"
said the doctor, as he bent over me
while l lay that night on blanket on
the field, where the hospital tente had
not yet been erected. "There are others
here more in need of my services-this
boy beside you, for instance; must at
tend to him. He seems to be badly
hurt. Let me examine you, my lad"
"Oh, there is not much the matter
with me, sir" said the lad. 81 was hit
in the side at the last fire; but it is only
triAing wound. You see, was doc
tors boy before joined the army, and
I know something about such thinge.'
"Indeed y said the doctor, smiling.
"Well, we ought to be good friends. J
was doctors boy myself before be-
came doctor. But let me look at your
wound. Phew this is no trihe. The
sooner we get'you under cover the bet
ter. You are i'll for siege of couple
of months of it at least, my lad.
+. The boy was very much diaheartened
ut this intelligence; and the next morn
ing, when we were all under canvas, the
doctor, having finished his immediate
duties, sat by his bedside, and I heard
him tell his patient how when he was
doctors boy he had not learned much of
medicine: ard how in making an expert
mcnt be had nearly dosed to death a
boy littl" older than himself. When
he was ahnut to leave the tent | said
"Docior, l am the boy whom you near
" doscd to death. What have you been
doing through all these years /?
had recognized bin on the preceding
night. but Ire he'd not known me, and he
was a.,toulrltd when accostcl him He
hal rertaiuly improved both ia appear
allc, and manners, ana / found after
ward that he WIS a great favorite with
the command 10 which he was attached.
We soon became very good friends far
E>ttcr. indeed, than we had ever been in
the oh days when / SO candidlv ex-
pressed NV opinion of him. HIS success
was due simply t" common sense and in
,iustrv On leaving Or. Ilar''s service
he had hired himself to aCothor doctor,
who gave him faircr play than his
former principal, AMI he was enabled to
study medicine, attend the necessary
lectures, and finally to obtain his dl-
ploma.
At last I asked him why he had left
| tht>iye-dolar bill III the drawer when
he aszlcavi,lg Hc laughed.
1T was the only money" he said,
'that Or. Hart ever gave me. He
handed it to me, grndginGly enough.
atout year before left, aud l never
| changed it. You will think it, perhaps,
strange sentiment for doctors boy:
but when l was running away without
giving him any notice, l thought I had
forfeited all claim to compensation for
nv services; so I returned his money.
Bv-the-wav. how is the old doctor now?'
I had heard of DR.. Hart since I left
the village, and was able to give DR..
Dorking (for SO he Was calledD good
deal of information about him, and
with the rest. I told him that he was
anxious to sell his practice.
"Oh, indeed" said Dorking. quietly.
''Then I think will 60 and buy it. >
And then, in answer to my look Of sur
prise, he added: Il have saved some
money, ard l don't see how l can EN-
ploy it better than in settling down II
! the old village"
AS the weeks went past, my woune
did not improve, and Dorking was ofse,
! with me. The final scenes Of the wa
closed without our presence. In tn
J conversations we had l suppose .o!s
him enough TO give him some mixing Q
: my old affection for Agnes Hart, Tor
J noticed tina, as spoke OF her he grey