Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-12

L hnltt III. dAdN NEtil QtlNlll2 DIV
day after day.
Every few DAYS the disturbed and detect
ed young doctor heard rumors of rival
coming to Sharon, and the village paper
openly published in its columns that an
experienced 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 dependency he
feared that he had perhaps relied too much
ON the promise that had 50 long encouraged
and consoled him.
But he read another promise, solemn
and sweet, to his troubled heart: % will
not fail thee, nor forsake thee
" 1t will all come right in the end he
said but the end seemed so far away.
He would be only "old Joe Hixson's
SON. to these people all the days of his life.
There was no end to that shame and sor-
row. The sins of drunken and Gepraved
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, discourage
ment and poverty, he had struggled up to
a higher and better life, and yet the good
people of Sharon daily made him look
backward to the life he had left. And no
friendly hand was stretched forth to help
him onward.
1t is really surprising to see the assur-
ance old Joe Hixson's SON displays said
| Mrs. Colonel Giddings, the wealthiest wo-
| man in Sharon, with his antecedents to
set himself here for our physician"
How many of us can look back through
| the ages to ancestors in whom there was no
| guile and for whom we need not blush?
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
a child with the collie. He had not, how
ever, wasted his time. He had studied and
! learned much.
He was a bright, observing young fellow,
| and no one in Sharon would ever have
guessed that the bright letters and sketches
| they read in certain Eastern papers were
written by 'old Joe Hixson's SON. He had
| signed Alexis to all he had written, and
| had been able to meet his small expenses
with the money he had received for his
work.
But he had not spent four years studying
medicine TO finally become a newspaper
| reporter.
At last he made up his mind to go out
West Hope bad died out in his heart.
The people of Sharon were determined to
| ignore him. He could not succeed there.
But there was that young mans mecca
the boundless West Perhaps the Fates
would be less cruel TO him there. He need
not be old Joe HiXson's SON. among
strangers. But there were those precious
promises
They will be fulfilled yet in the Lords
own time and place" he said, cheerfully
He probably means that | shall 20 away
from here to something better than have
dared hope for
bp r1aJa rauTy IN 40 rTl,. I,o,,,o 6
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.
de intended going on Tuesday.
On Monday afternoon a 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 to send
for DR.. Graves"
The insulting message made the blood
fairly Jingle in the young doctors veins.
But the next moment he laughed
" Oh! well, it don't NATTER he said, "Tl
go. 1t will help me to say truthfully that
I've had some practice"
Tommy was the very urchin who had
sung the hateful doggerel before Doctor
Georges office
The young physician examined the boy
carefully, and then he said:
We'll, Tommy, my boy, it will take
something more than grease on your heels
and tar on your nose to make you we'll
You have the smallpox
:" / don't believe it, said Tommy's moth
er, sharply. don't believe you know
smallpox from the measles I'll send for
DR.. Graves right off,
" Very well, madam" said DR.. George,
politely bowling himself out.
But late that evening Toms mother came
crying to DR.. George.
DIR. Graves wouldn't come" she said.
" He was going to- but when he heard that
ii looked like smallpox with Tommy he
said he wasn't well, and just sent some
medicine that amt done him a bit Of good
viii you come up, sir ?"
1t was the first time he had been adj
dressed as sir for many a dav.
"Of course will co. he said
That was the beginning of Dr. Georges
practice in Sharon. Within ten days there
were fourteen cases of smallpox. The an
mails OF the little town contain a record of
how it was scourged by that fearful disease.
Before the end came there were one or
more cases in every house The means
taken to prevent the spread of the disease
had proved Intellectual. At last the town
was quarantined.
When DIR. Graves was sent for a second
time it was discovered that he had suddenly
been called away on business" He STAYED
away all winter.
DR.. George went back to his empty office
after seeing Tommy second time. He
unpacked his little trunk, lighted candle
and began to read certain medical work
He read until midnight-until |. and 8
o'clock-until the dawn of day-that found
him on his Bonded knees, prayerful and
even fearful. He felt that there had been
given him work to do-that change was
coming in his life. He opened his we'll
worn little Bible and read :: :" will not fail
thee nor forsake thee" and again he read
" Be strong, and again 1 say, be strong"
And he was strong.
His strength was as the strength of ten,
Because his heart was pure"
He became tower of strength to those
stricken people. He was doctor, nurse,
consoler-more than he thought he ever
should be to suffering creatures
His success with Tommy was assured
within few days, and others came eagerly
after him: His skill in battling the disease
was wonderful. Had he not the Heavenly
Help? There were few deaths and many
people came forth, their fair and blooming
cheeks unmarked by the dread disease.
Mrs. Colonel Giddings beautiful daugh- |
ter was stricken down while making prep
arations to fly from the town.
Mrs. Giddings' own carriage came for |
" old Joe Hixson' SON." His contaminated |
presence was in her splendid parlors and |
in her daughters dainty ROOM His skill |
and careful watching brought her beautiful |
daughter forth with all of her girlish love- |
illness unframed.
He had hardly time to eat or sleep for
many days. His very presence gave hope |
and courage to the suffering.
He escaped the contagion, but when his |
last case was dismissed he was utterly ex-
hausted, and quietly left the village for a |
week or two of rest
When he returned his heart sanl within