St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-24
a FALSE FRIEND.

not. Advance.
a FALSE FRIEND.
From Chambers Journal.
| returned only three months ago from
Melbourne, where | had been in practice as
Il surgeon for about ten years. When went
out to the colony. there were good openings
in most of the larger towns for medical men:
and lis | Was exceptionally fortunate III the
introductiolls with which the forethought
of my friends at home had provided me- pa
tients rang my bell in considerable numbers.
Within three years | was making an annual
income of f3, 900: and when. owing TO
family necessities ] was obliged regretfully
10 turn my back upon the new land that
had treated lie SO handsomely, | had saved
s29. 600, and had. in addition, obtained q
very respectable sum by the sale of the good
will of my practice to a distinguished young
Edinburgh surgeon, who went out expressly
to succeed me. | give these details not in
order to encourage ambitious young fellows,
fresh from the schools. the rush off to Aus
tralla under the impression that it is still an
Ell Dorado. but in order to show that stood
we'll forward in the front rank of my pro-
fesSion in Melbourne, and in some measure
to account for the fact that when gentle
man who held 4 very high political rank in
Victoria met with severe and ultimately
fatal accident, was called in to attend him.
| suppress his name for reasons which will
be obvious later on, but for convenience |
will call him Sir James Reilly.
Sir James was one of the largest land and
stockholders in the colony. l have ridden
for thirty miles along the banks of the river
MurrHnbidgee without going Off his prop
ertN: and whereas ordinary men count their
possessions by hundreds of acres, he counted
his by hundreds of square miles. He had
worked hard. and his upward progress had
been gradual, but it had always been steady.
When | knew him no man in Australia was
more respected or looked up to. He had
been knighted as a small reward for his ser
vices as Il colonial minister; he had received
all kinds of gratifying testimonials from his
fellOw-citiZens; his word in all the tranSac-
tons Of life was as good as another mans
bond: and yet Sir James, forty Years be-
fore had come to Australia as 4 convict on
account of the disgraceful crime of forgery.
| never inquired into the details of his case,
and indeed | never knew them until he told
them to me when he was Oh his deathbed:
lDll lihCN III 81 DCdulllul S!Jd-
cOrS house overlooking the sea. and distant
4 few miles from the center of the city. In
spite of his 20 years he was a good and ac-
tive horseman: and one morning. as was
his frequent custom, he rode into Melbourne
in order +. transact some business with his
solicitor. He had quilted the lawyers Of
fee and was already half way home again,
when his horse was frightened by some
blasting operations Which were being car
ried on in connection with the making of
new road. The animal became FESTIVE. and
finally threw Sir James. He fell heavily
upon a heap Of stones. and his groom COM
ing up found him lying inSensible. The
unfortunate gentleman, WHO was well known
to every one In the neighborhOOd. was ten
derby carried to the nearest house: and no
sooner did he regain consciousness than he
sent his servant for his carriage. and dis
patched a messenger to request Inc to go at
once to his house. i rode thther i'm
mediately. and reached the place before Sir
James arrival. | feared, of course. that
lie had met with all accident but had not
the faintest idea of the nature of it: and
therefore | was greatly shocked when. few
minutes later, | saw him lifted from his
carriage, helpless and wel-nigh speechless.
He was conveyed to his bedroom which
was upon the ground floor: and upon eX-
aiming him discovered that several of his
ribs were broken, that the internal organs
lad been injured, and that there was, prac-
tically speaking, no hope of his recovery.
Sir James was a bachelor. and had no fe-
male relatives in the colony. He might
live. l knew. for some days; and as his
housekeeper, though kind and thoughtful
woman, was far too advanced in years to be
capable of properly attending upon her I'M
fortunate master, | sent the groom back to
Melbourne for an experienced hospital
nurse. and in the meantime remained with
my distinguished patient, and did all that
lay in my power for him.
When the news of the accident was pub
liShed in the city. it occasioned great ex-
element. Several of Sir James former col
leagues Immediately met together; and one
of them rode to the house to request that |
would not leave it so long as my patient
assistance that / might need and to do ex-
actiy as deemed best.
we would move heaven and earth. =
said the gentleman, Ito preserve his valu-
able life.''
Il feel" said |, ''that there is not the
slightest hope of saving it; but you may be
sure that | will spare no palms.
Sir James had tainted during his removal
from the carriage to the house, and he did
not regain the use of his senses for some
hours afterward | was sitting by his bed
side when he opened his eyes.
$50 I'm not gone yet, doctor, he said
with weird kind of h1lmor. Can this
last for lOng?'
WHO can say?" l replied. ''You are
sadly hurt. Are You i'll much pain?"
NO: thank God! In pain, but not in
severe pain.
Il should warn YOU" said. as gently as
| could, that if you have any worldly affairs
to settle, you should settle them speedily
There is grieyOlls danger
Il know it." he returned with sad
smile: ''but have settled everything-ev-
erything, that is, that lawyer could help
me in Yet before | die there is something
that should like to coniide to YOU"
Twill it agitate you to tell it,"
I'm afraid it will. little" he replied.
''rhen wait until Tomorrow. Sir James
The danger is great--even inevitable fear:
but not immediate: and you had better wait
until you are calner, and let us hope
stronger The shock has tried you terribly,
and YOU have not yet had time to recover
| from it.
"As You WILL he assented. But do
not leave it until too late
recommended him to the care of the
nurse, who had by this time arrived, and
retired to bed. not knowing how soon
might be summoned to him. or how long it
might be before | should be able again to
| quit his side. In the early morning | re-
! turned to his room. He was sleeping, and
| tba ,,,rca ipforncfl ma thot hG had no ccaI