Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-18
FCoPYRIGHTED.

When Ralph Prescott and l, after leav-
Ing the New York Medical College, first,
entered into a kind of profes sionaI part
nership together, our practice as physi-
clans, could by no means be con-
sidered brisk. Still under the cir
cumstances we managed, during a
period OF tour or five years,
creditably enough. We have since be-
come well known and prosperous practi-
l~ioHers, so that / can refer to our prim al
struggles for recognition without the
least qualm of embarrassment. Fortu-
nately, / possessed a fair, il not copIOus,
Inherited income, and was not, on this ac-
count, as avid for patients as the threat
of harsh need might have made me. AT
fairs were less promising with Ralph
Prescott. but long before we had our two
names printed in decorous gilt-lettered
parallel over the basement door of a neat,
reputable building in Thirty-seventh
street, 1 had made my friend clearly I'M
derstand that one Of the happiest duties
in lite would be to prop his falling fortunes
and to feed with loans at what lie might
consider an indefinite date his fall ng
purse.
Dur friendship was then, AS it has al ways
been since then, Of the most honest and
frankly reciprocal sort. We had no petty
squabbles, no feverish misunderstood
j gs, ne absurd impediments to a genial
and sincere intimacy. Ralph came of
an impoverished Western family, and
though a gentleman in every manly and
-Eo-FE.. s.-As-o -whs-L -~n..Hl .a.-.-.A-A-
Itself as correspondent to that rather
vague term, was perhaps deficient very
obviously in graces which sum up its more
superficial definition. l don't know how
he will like me to state NOW that he is
really famous as a medical authority
that be was once very lank and aWk-
ward Of figure, very nasally drawing in
his mode Of speech, and very insecure
about either the gilt or exercise of his
own peculiar talents.
But the talents were always unques
tionably his, and now that be is a doctor
Of note, l record with pleasure how
keenly from the first 1 esteemed his innate
power of diagnosis. If ever a man was a
horn physician it was Ralph Prescott.
Butt have told Kim as much so many
times that when he reads these lines the
acknowledgment on my part will, l am
sure, cause him no novel thrill.
J have recorded that we were like
brothers in our cOngeniality Of taste and
pursuit, and doubtless for this reason l
ielt an actual pang of irritabiiity, durin &
the third year Of our association together,
when it had become more or less plain to
me that Ralph was devoting his full pow
ers OF study and analysis to a certain
ease without repOsing in me the least
hint Of confidence concerning 1t.
"Come," 1 said 10 him one day in our
bfhce, 'yOu'Ve been pOring over that
queer, di~rty-covered book at odd inter-
Vals for tire past three weeks, and YOU al
ways lock il up when you're not reading
IT.. What on earth do you mean by that
sort Of clandestine conduct? What the
devil ia the book about? You might as
well tell me, Ralph. You know PHI worm
II out OF you, sooner or later, if you
dOn't.''
He had already started, and had looked
at me with an almost guilty flush. Then.
as ! finished be broke into an awkward
laugh aud handed me the volume OF which
] had sDOken.
"rhere, Rudolf" he said, "look at it
Tor yourself"
did. And presently 1 lifted a rather
Astonlshed face TO his. "PoisOnsl" / said,
%laeonIeally.
Ralph nodded. eyes; ! CHANGED on it
one day down town, at Leggett's, In
Beekman street. II interested me, so |
bought IL. It's rather rare, / find, though
they let me have it quite cheap. Perhaps
Nhey didn't know how rare it was"