The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-16
AN INSANE" PATIENT
The Charlatan and the Abscond-
ing Bankrupt.

DR.. Clarence Jones was an enterpris-
ing young gentleman who meant to sue
ceed in his profession. He was not
clever in the sense of being well read,
and, in fact, he had only just managed
to scrape through the qualifying exam
ination. But he did not aspire to scien-
tific distinction and took no higher view
of his calling than to regard it as a
means by which he might possibly
make a fortune. He considered that
he would only be wasting valuable time
by seeking a hospital appointment for
the sake of gaining experience. In
stead. therefore, of going through the
routine of young doctors early career
he took the bold step of renting the
ground floor of large house in fash-
lonable quarter and setting up immedi-
:ately as consulting physician. He
was Shrewd enough to perceive that he
was best qualified to succeed in that
branch of practice, being at heart a
mere charlatan. He had acquired the
art of making a great show of a smat-
tering of knowledge, he had carefully
cultivated bland and impressive man
ner, and he thoroughly realized that
the great secret of amaSsing wealth is
to be utterl y unscrupulous in the mat
ter of fees, and never to release pa
dent while he can be imposed upon by
humbug. As though to aid his amb-
tiOuS designs, nature had endowed him
with a good presence. high and shin
ing forehead. which was enhanced bv
premature badness, and a soft, melo-
diouS voice.
He found it uphill work at first, of
course; but he had no real cause for
dissatisfaction. He went as much as
possible into society and made useful
friends. He was always particularly
careful to be polite and attentive to the
wives and daughters of physicians in
sagacity by assiduously counting the suf-
frages of lady acquaintances. The con-
sequence was that patients soon made
their appearance, while neighboring
doctors, owing to domestic influences,
found many opportunities OF putting
stray guineas into his pocket. In very
short time he contrived to gain the rep
utatiOn of having established practice
and soon came to be regarded as a
rising man.
DR.. Clarence Jones did not hide his
light under a bushel, but was rather
addicted to boasting of his success.
Some of his professional brethren
smiled at this, knowing from expert
ence how slow and laborious is the
work of making a remunerative prac.
D,,k H. 81 of
was proved by the fact that even these
skeptics had no suspicion of the real
condition of affairs. The truth was
that at the end of three years DIR. Jones
found himself hopelessly in debt, his
professional earnings having fallen faI
short every year of his modest require,
ments. His practice was increasing,
to be sure, and in all human probability
the time was not far distant when il
would Weld him a decent income; but
meanwhile, just as it was more than
ever necessary to keep up appearances,
bankruptcy and ruin stared him in the
face He had spent his small capital
creditors were pressing, and he was lit.
orally reduced to providing for his daily
wants by surreptitiously pawning his
personal effects.
In such circumstances an elastic con,
science is often a useful ally. Young
DR.. Jones, having no scruples what
ever on the subject of his liabilities,
was enabled to devote all his energies
to the difficult task of evading them.
He was quite unmoved by the tailor's
pathetic appeals, while he succeeded by
sound argument in convincing that
long-suffering individual that his only
chance of getting paid was to wait, But
his powers of reasoning and persua-
sion, though efficacious in some cases.
often proved unayailing, so that the air