Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-09-04
.e was so proud of that hard-earnec


ply CALLING to the high strung young
man. He was daily hurt by covet or
sneers. Children ridiculed him and
his new title.
Could anything be more exasperat-
ing than to have a crowd of Ill bred
urchins assemble in front of his poor,
shabby little Office, while one Of their
number sang out:
Doctor doctor, kin you tell
What will make sick man well:
Grease his heels and tar his nose,
And that will dc, suppose.
The Doctors Office was a shabby
little affair, and he was quite too poor
to make it better. 1t had no carpet,
no pictures, nothing but cheap desk,
a chair or two, and the few old but
valuable books which comprised the
Doctors library. Appearances go
good way toward physicians success
or failure, no matter how greatly we
may effect to underrate them- he
should be well dressed. A shabby
man can never assume . very dIgnlh-
ed appearance. His Office should be
neat and inviting. 1t augurs i'll for
the amount of mans practice II his
office is shabby as poor DIR. Georges
was.
If the young fellow could only have
had chance, but there were the peo
pie sending ten miles TO K,
neighboring town, for DR.. Graves,
who could ride over in his carriage
and count their pulse beats by mag
nifcent gold watch. His clothes were
of the best tailor made, and he had
graduated from the same college from
which Dr. Georges diploma had
come. His father had left tim mod
crate fortune, and he could begin his
career in manner becoming ply
sician.
And then George had to sit in his
dreary office, in his frayed aud patch
ed garments, waiting for the patients
that would not come, while DE-.
Graves went driving by day after
day. Every few days the disturbed
and detected young Doctor heard ru-
more of a rival coming TO Sharon,
and the village paper openly publish
ed in its columns that San experience
ed and competent physician will do
well to locate in Sharon"
After that Doctor George thought
he would really have to seek new
field of labor, and in deepest despond-
ency he feared that he had perhaps
relied to much on the promise that
had so long encouraged and consoled
him.
But he read another promise, sol
emn and sweet, to his troubled heart:
II will not fail tEee, nor forsake
thee"
1T will all come right in the end, !"
he said; but the end seemed SO far
away.
He would be only odd Joe Hlxsons
son" to these people all the days of
his life. There was no end to that
shame and sorrow, The sins of
drunken and debraved father were
visited upon the head of son who
was deserving of the worlds honor
and esteem. He had risen above
them into the beauty and glory of a
pure and noble manhood. Through
shame and sorrow, Encouragement
and poverty, he had struggled up to
higher and better life, and yet the
good people of Sharon daily made
him look back ward to the life he had
left. And no friendly hand was
stretched forth to help him onward.
1T is really surprising to see the
assurance old Joe Hixson's son dis
plays" said Mrs. Colonel Giddings,
the wealthiest woman in Sharon,
with his antecedents, to set himself
up as our physician"
How many of us can look back
through the ages to ancestors in
10 nd TEta
whom we need not blush2
During six months DR.. George had
but two patients, One of them was a
boy who had cut his finger badly,
and the other was child with the
colo. He had not, however wasted
his time. lie had studied and learns
ed much.
But at last he made up his mind to
go out west Hope had died out in
his heart. The people of Sharon were
determined to ignore him. He could
not succeed there. He need not be
"Old Joe Hixon's son" among strang>
ers. But there were those precious
promises
"They will be fulfilled yet, n the
Lords own time and place." he said,
cheerfully. ale probably means that
| shall go away from here to some-
thing better than | have dared hope
for"
So he made ready TO go. The home
of his childhood was dear to him, and
he was fond of familiar faces, even if
they were not always kindly. He
had always felt timid about going
among total strangers. But his poor
little trunk was packed, and he had
gone around saying good>by to the
few friends who cared to say good>by
to him. He intended going on Tues
day.
On Monday aftern Don little tow
headed boy met him on the street.
Say, you, Doctor George" he said,
my ma wants you to come up to our
house and see if there's anything the
matter Of our Tommy cause if there
is ma wants 10 send for Doctor
Graves
The insulting message made the
blood fairly t;ugle in the young doc
tors veins. But the next moment he
laughed.
"Ohl well, it don't matter, he said
"Tll go. 1t will help me to say truth
fully that I've had some practice.
Tommy was the very urchin who
had sung the hateful doggerel before
DR.. Georges office.
The young physician examined the
boy carefully; then he said:
well, Tommy, my boy, it will
take something more than grease on
your heels and tar on your nose to
make you well; you have the small>
pox.
II doA't believe it, said Tommy's
mother, sharply; Il don't believe you
know small pox from the measles.
Ill send for DR.. Graves right eff.
Very well, madame" SAID DIR.
George, politely bowling himself out.
But late that evening Toms mother
came crying TO DIR. George
''Dr. Graves wouldn't come she
said; he was going to, but when he
heard that it looked like smallpox
with Tommy he said he wasn't we'll,
and just sent some medicine that. amt
done him a b.tof coed. If you would
come up, sir"
1t was the first time he had been adj
dressed as "sir" for maupa day.