River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-08-27

studying medicine to finally become a
newspaper reporter.
At last he made up his mind to 90
out West. Hope had died out in his
heart. The people of Sharon were de-
| termined 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 pre-
cious promises!
They will be fulfilled yet, in the
Lord own time and place he said
cheerfully, HE probably means that
that | shall 90 away from here to some
thing better than | have dared hope
| for"
So he made ready to 90. 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 goodbye to the few
/ friends who cared to say goodbye to
him. He intended going on Tuesday.
On Monday afternoon 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 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 that hateful doggerel before Doc
tor 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 don't believe it, said Tommy's'
mother, sharply. Il don't believe you
know smallpox from the measles! I'll
| send for Doctor Graves right off. y
VERY well, Madam" said Doctor
George, politely bowling himself out
But late that evening Toms mother
came crying to Doctor George.
doctor Graves wouldn't come, - she
said. "Ie was going to, but when he
heard that it looked like smallpox with
Tommy, he said he wasn't well, and
just sent some medicine that ain t done
him a bit of good. If you would come
up, sir.
1t was the first time he had been adj
Il gi,.ft fC,- 4
"Of course l will go, he said.
That was the beginning of Doctor
Georges practice in Sharon. Within
ten days there were fourteen cases Of
smallpox. The annals of the little
town contain a record of how it was
scourged by that fearful disease. Be
fore the end came, there were one or
more cases in nearly every house. The
means taken to prevent the spread of
the disease, had proved Intellectual. At
last the town was quarantined.
When Doctor Graves was sent for
second time, it was discovered that he
had suddenly been called away ION
business. He staid away all winter.
Doctor George went back to his
empty Office after seeing Tommy a
second time. He unpacked his little
trunk, lighted candle, and began to
read a certain medical work He read
until midnight, until one, two, three
O'Clock, until the dawn of day; that
found him on his Bonded knees, PRAYER |
full, and even fearful. He felt that |
there had been given him work to do; |
that change was coming in his life. !
He opened his well-worn little Bible, |
and read:
II will not fail thee nor forsake
thee, and again he read 'Be strong, |
and again / say, be strong"
And he was strong.
"His strength was as the strength Of ten, |
Because his heart was pure"
He became a tower of strength to |
those stricken people. He was doctor,
nurse, consoler-more than he thought
he ever should be to suffering crea-
lures.
His success with Tommy was assured
within a 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 Gidding's beautiful
daughter was stricken down while
making preparations to fly from the
town.
Mrs. Gidding's own carriage came
for cold Joe Hixson's son His con-
taminated presence was in her splen-
did parlors, and in her daughter
dainty room. His skill and careful
watching brought her beautiful
daughter forth with all of her girlish
loneliness unframed.
He had hal dly 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 ut
terly exhausted, and quietly left the
village for a week or two of rest.
When he returned, his heart sank
within him. In the window of one of
the handsomest office rooms in the
town, he saw the word, physician in
great letters of gold.
Handsome curtains were before the
windows. Everything indicated that
the new conner had been a successful
man. He hardly dared to read the
name on the door. When he did, he =
read:
DIR. George II. Hixson."
$50 long in an see how you ike
It, said old Enoch Lampson, who
stood grinning on the pavement.
The amazed young doctor opened
the door and went into a beautiful
office. A handsome carpet and rugs :
covered the floor, walnut and mahogany [
chairs with velvet and plush cushions
were in corners, a mahogany table and ,
stood ia the room, pictures |
and ornaments were on the walls,
books filed a walnut bookcase with a
silken curtain Back of this pretty
room was one for a private Office, fitted
up in the handsomest style.
'I-I-don't understand it, said
Doctor George.
Don't, heyo queried old Enoch.
Wall, hits little prise fixed up fer
rou by Mrs Colonel Giddings an the r
est Of US. Bout the hull town he'd
niger in hit. Hits all your own, an
Ill paid fer. reckon you hain't lost S