Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-04-17
THE D0CS0R'S BOY.
ON st. Nicholas
By Edmund Lyons.

that he was founding, because he
had been left at the door of old DIR.
Harris house one cold Christman-eve,
but it was divided in o9inion as to
whether he was bad boy or good
one. Some thought he was the latter,
some the former | was perfectly
satisfied that he was a wretchedly in
iquitous youth, and | told him so.
He burst into tears, and said | would
change my opinion of him some day.
But at first he certainly gave me no
reason to do so He compounded for
me a dose once to cure a headache
flor DR.. Hart was not above keeping
drugs and ma ing up his own pre-
scriptionS) that brought me to death S
door. and the old doctor was put to
his wits end to cure me. But the
Boy went to my mother and told her
that il was his fixed intention TO be
come great doctor aud chemist aud
| had given him his first opportunity
to test his kno Wedge of medicine He
had given me the wrong drug, lac ac-
knowledged; but he said it was all in
the interests of science and he promls
ed never to do so any more SO my
mother forgave him, and persuaded
DR.. Hart to retain him in his service.
Itcertainly was not on account Of
the Boys good looks that bis first
misadventure resulted harmlessly to
him. He was an angular Boy. He
was a red-haired Boy. He was q
freckled Boy. But he was frank
Boy cat least my mother said sol, and
ln oil 10 n
go about the village distributing the
doctors nostrums, and making him
self, as ! thought, very obJectlona-
bic.
DR.. Hart had no particular liking
for The Boy. He said the boy was a
Christmas gift, and, like all such
presents, called for something in re-
turn. Thus he had been obliged to
board and ciothe the lad for seven
teen wears. and he always protested
that he was not worth the outlay
Still, those who knew the doctor best
were well assured of the fact that if
he Boy had not earned his board,
clothing, and lodging, he would not
have received then He was called
in latter years. Ebenezer Dorking
though what right he had to that
name nobody in the village knew.
At last the Doctors Boy disappear
ed. He stole qaietly away in the
nighttime, leaving not line of writ
ing behind him to say where he had
gone; so Mrs. Hart suggested that he
had robbed the till in the drug store.
A search was at once made, and the
fact was developed that not only had
no money been taken from the drawer,
but new crisp five-dollar bill had
been added to its contents There
seemed to be no doubt that the Doc
tors Boy had placed it there, and the
matter was nine days wonder for
the village. Then the doctor hired
another boy, who interested nobody,
and was soon discharged.
| suppose it was due to the subject
matter of conversation furnished by
the Boys departure that found my
self more frequent y than before IN
the doctors sitting-room. Agnes Hart
was a beautiful girl, about sixteen
wears of age, and she laughed so mer-
rily at my tales of the eccentrlclues OF
the Boy that am afraid l gradually
grew to exaggerate them little; but
bv degrees the recollection of the
fugitive seemed to pass cut of our
lives, and when, four years later, a
torrent of war swept over the country,
| was not thinking of the Doctors
Boy when l took Agnes Harris nand
to say goodbye before going to the
front; but was thinking very tender
ly of Agnes herself, and believe she
was thinking in much the same strain
of me. A hundred times during the
past two years had been on the verge
of asking her the mOmentous ques
ton, but had decided to wait until
my position in the world was better
assured. And now that the country
in her extremity was calling for the
best services of her sous, would ii
have been fair to ask a simple girl tc
bind herself, even by an engagement,
to one who might never return to
claim her pledge2 | thought not; but
as | watched her face when we were
parting, and imagined | saw what
louged for written there, determined
to ask her to be my wife when the wan
was over.
Oh, the wretched years of strife that
followed l thought that they would
never end. But at last the closing
scenes had come, and the good for
tune that had followed me through
a score of engagements, bearing me
unframed while others went down
by thousands, forsook me in meas.
ure at last. / was hit by spent ball
in the knee, and moment afterwaro
ridden over by the charging caval
ry.
Your case is not a very seriou:
one, said the doctor, as he bent over
me as | lay that night on blanket IN
the field, where the hospital tents
had not yet been erected There are
others here more in need of nay servl
ces-this boy here, for instance;
must attend to HIM. He seems to be
badly hurt. Let me examine you,
my lad
"Uh, there is not much the matter
with me, sir, y said the lad. Il wa
hin in the side at the last fire. but i Is
only a trifling wound. You see,