The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-08-13
MY FIRST PATIENT.

/" And may beg you to visit us
In your private rather than in your pro-
fessioRal capacity! Since nv dear wife has
been failing thus sadly she has evinced great
dread of medical men, and were she to guess
you other than an ordinary guest tremble for
the consequences! The carriage Will meet
you at Blackburne station at whatever hour
you name. Yours very truly
ARTHUR CRAWFORD"
This is an extract from a letter that
l received on the 10th day of June,
1870, and being but young fellow of
&c. / was very much elated thereby.
The great drawback to being what is
called specialist is that the generality
of people are afraid to employ you until
you are well on in years, and conse-
quently this Mrs. Crawford, for whom
my services had been enlisted, was my
first private patient My speciality was
madness, and tiring equally of hospital
work and idling in my own rooms, /
was heartily thankful for the good luck
that had befallen me.
My host met me on threshold with
outstretched hands.
"This is exceedingly kind of you,
he said, for know you have come at
your very earliest convenience. I" do
not think I ever met man who so
much charmed me at first sight; nay,
he more than charmed, he captivated
me. He was about 80, and exceedingly
handsome, with fair curly hair and
bright blue eyes. When i had finished
luncheon his manner changed abruptly
as he began speaking of his young wife.
II did not like to enter upon the
subject before you were rested. For
some months past she had been suffer-
ing from intense melancholia, and
lately she had taken deep distrust of
those around her, more particularly of
Sse. He stopped abruptly and bit his
lip. Doctor, / simply worship her,
he went on passionately. when /
married her, five years ago, she was
the blithest, merriest girl in all the
shire; and now, to see her like this
why, it breaks my hearth and he drop
ped into chair and buried his face in
his hands.
There was an awkward pause, for in
those days was too inexperienced to
be much of hand at consolation, and
then I stepped nearer to him and laid
my hand upon his shoulder. Come,
come, y I said cheerily, "there is no
needtto dispair like this We must
hope for the best How does she show
her distFustof youp"
He raised his head to answer me.
by keeping the boy from me. for one
thing She viii hardly let me touch
him
.'The boyP A son Of yoursP''
The only child, be answered-ssa
dear little fellow of nearly four; and
she betrays a terrible fear whenever I
have him withyme." Then followed a
string of various professional questions.
You remember that asked you to-
drop the doctor, and seem as an ordi-
visitorp'
OF course agreed; and then he told
me he had spoken to her Of me as an
old college friend.
When I descended found both
Crawford and his wife waiting for me.
he was talking merrily and looked the
. personification Of life and good spirits.
"Ah! there you are at last! Let mo
introduce you to my wife Beatrice,
this is Mr.. John Lcnnox.
She bad half turned when he began
speaking, bat as he said my name she
rave sudden gasp and confronted
me with large. startled eyes. For one
moment she seemed half mad with
terror. but the next it fled as quickly
IL ii came and she held out her hand
III greeting. AS she did so an ugly