The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-22
THE COUNTRY DOCTOR.

worn ont. inst asain. n beast may be by
like treatment q diapidated les cabin,
partially incloeed - l1ci.oty fence the
pic.eis # which wcc Of unequal lengths
o,d her. and there leaned IN on out, as u
abor, Z, lay themselves down "a tho ground
tired Of being swayed back ana iorih by
over-v rough Wind that blew. In the niue
sroce iuclosea by this fence were few col
lard plants, their lean stalks-tEat had run
Nh 10 a height OF three and four lcet, with Z,
init Of green leaves at the top-having some
what the appearance Of dwarf palm trees;
and se.c,al rows Of dead cornstalks, e'9saS'f
which tyned thin, nceiy COW pea vines, like
.1,e,le-s povortv clnging 10 the dead past.
Ii was early morning-the dew was sui
cliaoning on the green collard leaves-when
DR. Meredith rode up 80 this cabin, and dis.
mounting fastened his horse to little scrub
oet fbat grew near the door The doctor
was q fac looking man, about - years OF
noe. tail. broad 81 ouldered, with dark COM
nlexion. black HAIR and beard, and full dark
ewes in which the light OF intelligence shone
as a beacon of hoI, 10 the SICK and wretchcd
who had the good fortune 70 fail under his
miuistrat,ons lie was only country doc
tor--onc Of those men VINO sacrifice Their
lives for the good Of poor humanity, whose
services are great and whose fees are small
but he was well worthy to stand ms the peer
Of any Of nis brethren, whose fees. bestowed
by the grateful rich for services not 50 great
a. his has bacn in the aggregate, had sweiled
their bank account, to a comfortable hgure'
He had come now t. attend q poor girl
only 10 see hcr die he knew, aud then to
bury her at his own expense. but the thought
that his crrand wa 10 be altogether irultless
in every way. never occurred to him, as he
took his medicine cases, which hung over his
saddle like saddle bags on his arm ana en-
tered the cabin
It was a poor place--it fairly reekel with
poverty. Two or three articles Of the com
moncsf kind. Of furniture, pot and Trying
nan that stood on tie hearth in front OF
wide clay fireplace, and a tn pan, few
plates and two cups on the shelf OF cup
board the door of which WAS gone, and
where the flies, carly rs it was. were swarm
inc nround'a bit.of uucooked bacon. and the
half # a cake Of corn bread, were the aces
so!Ies OF the direst, most hopeless poverty.
ON rude bedstead, that stood near the
open sashlcss window, lay the invalid. she
Law perfectly still. with her eyes closed, her
black hair scattered in tangled masses on the
coarse sheet and pillow, and INT for the little
moan thnt came from her half open lips at
REGULAR intervals one would have thought
her already dead.
\ woman In Der own rank ia life-a com
mon woman with "A sorrowIul face-a face
marked with those lines which constant,
never ccasng distress always leaves there
sat .n front OF the fireplace, where there was
a slnoldeciug fire She sat there not that she
was co.l-the weather was warm and pleas
art-Ln. IRON the force OF habit II seemed
% her the rirht place to sit, winter or sum
mr..
The doctor. as soon as he entered the
room. went 10 the bedside and examined his
patient.
Unlike thc generality Oh her class, whose
features are almo.t invariably coarse and
ifeeular, seldom pretty. often lepulsive, this
girl was beautiful with features as delicate
ana clearly cut rs those of Greek statue
From her the doctor turned 10 the woman
with an inquring glance. She said nothing,
but pCil tea 10 pine table that stood IN a
corner If Tho room, on which there was some
thing covered with coarse piece Of cloth
He went to the table, aud, hitting the cloth,
looked under II
How long did it liver lac asked, turning
once m pre- 10 tho woman.
mot a minute, doctor" was the reply; lit
jes' give a gulp, So an was gone"
at il ttiter 50, murmurod the doctor
IL rFclin it ! said the woman, who over
heard lheIemark, though it was not intended
for her ears "Ef she was TO dean she's
like TO- amt shef looking earnestly in Dr.
Meredths face
"Yea"
Thin thar'd be nobody to kier fur it, yer
see
The doctor said nothing He WIS thinking
Of the father OF that lifeless atom. He had
been found daad-murdered, probably, by
some Jealous rival-the day before in deep
gully not far from the cabin. the girl, almost
dead herself lying on his body, and clinging
to il with such tenacity that & had been diff
ficult 80 remove neFs. The man had been
reckless scapegrece, belonging TO a good
family, bnt proferring the companionship Of
the low aud vicious. lie had run through
with a moderate fortune, and then gradually
sunk 70 the level, socially, Of those whom, in
the houn OF dcbauchery, he had chosen for
his associates.
Such was the story Of the man. OF the
antecelents OF the girl little was known.
She was not native Of that pa Of tho
country, but had come there about year
before, accompanied by her brother, little,
dried up specimen Of humanity about Is
years Of age, bat who looked rs though he
might lie 30, so vripklea was his sallow,
weazen face, 80 dull his light blue eyes Tho
two hid taken up their abode in the old
cabin. that had been tenantless for some
time, and three months later Tom Stanard,
the murdered man. had likewise made II his
domicile.
The doctor, leaving directions with the
woman to prepare the infant for burial, rode
away, saving he would be back before night
fall In the meantime she could continue to
give the mother the medicine prepared dur
ing his former visit: it would ease her pain,
and that was all that he could hope to do for
her.
When he returned Just before sunset the
woman met him at the door.
"Well. Mrs. Turner" he said, what Of
your patientr
''She pear TO be mendin' o leetle, doc
tor was the reply, and there was q hopeful
look In the poor woman's eyes.
lot grlx