The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-09-05


4 j.
\ j wish ! had the courage to begin this tale
~ turning to my professional visiting books,
md. taking at random any month out of the
asst twenty years, give its record as a fair
ample of my ordinary work. The dismal
extract would tell you what a doctor's-I sup
a0se l may say a successful doctor's-lot Is.
Ehen his practice lies. in Il poor and densely-
populated district of London. Dreary as
mcl a beginning might be, it would perhaps
allay some of the incrcdulity which this tale
may probably provoke, as 1t would plainly
Ihow how little room there is for things inn
iginatiye or romantic in work so hard as
mine, or among such grim realities of power
~, pain. and grief as those by which Ihave
peen surrounded. 1t would certainly make
1t appear extremely unlikely that l should
have found time to imagine,e mich less to
write, a romance or m%elodnma.
The truth is that when q man has toiled
from nine O'clock in the morning until nine
o'clock at night, such leisure as he can enjoy
Is precious to him, especially when even that
short respite is liable to be broken in upon at
any moment.
Still. in spite of the dolcful picture l have
drawn of what may be called "the daily
: grind" | begin this tale with the account of
q holiday.
In the autumn of 1864 l turned my back
with right goodwill upon London. streets,
hospitals, and patients, and took my seat in
the North Express. The first revolution of
the wheels Sent u thrill of delight through
my aded frame. "A ioyfuFsense of. freedom
: came over me. Ihad reallN.go away. atiasHt1t
Moreover, Elrad left nc address behind me,
SO for three blessed weeks might roam. an un-
disputed lord of myself. Three weeks We're
not very many to take out of the fifty-two,
but they were all l could venture to give my
self; for even at that time my practice, if not
30 lucrative as l could wish, was a large and
Increasing one. Having done a twelve
months hard work, / felt that no one in the
Kingdom could take his holiday with a con-
science clearer that mine, so l lay back in a
peculiarly cohtented frame OF mind, and dis
counted the coming pleasures of my brief
respite from labor.
There are many ways of passing a holiday
many places at which it may be spent: hut,
after all, if you wish to enjoy it thoroughly
there is but one royal rule to be followed.
That is, simply to please yourself-go where
you like, and mount the innocent holiday
hobby which is dearest to youEhoart, itt It's
name be botany. geology. entomology, con
chnlogy, vcnery, r. cation, or what not.
Then you viii be ..appy, and return well
braccd mp for the battle of life. I knew a
city clerk with literary tastes, who Invariably
spent his annual fortnight among the musti
est tones of the British Museum, and aver
red that his health was more benefited by Sc
doing than if he had passed the time inhaline
the freshest sea-hreezes. l daresay he was
right il. his assertion.
Sketching has always been my tavorit.
holiday pursuit. Poor as my drawings ma,
be, nevertheless, as | turn them over in III,
~ portfolio, they bring, to ne at least, vivid re
membranes of many sweet and picturesque
spots, happy days, and congenial compan
ions. 1t is not for me to sayanything OF thei
actual merits, hut they are dear to me TO
their associations.
This particular year l went to North Wales
and made Bettws-y-Coed my headquarters
i stayed at the Royal Oak, that wellAhowI
little inn dear to many an artists heart, an,
tecming with "reminiscences of famous mel
who have sojourned. there times witl,ou
number. 1t was here l made the acquaini
ance of the man with whose life the curiou
events here told are connected.
On the first day after my arrival at BETTY
interpretation of my liberty was so thol
ough,. my appetite for the enjoyment Of til
beauties of Nature so keen and unsuitable
that ! went so far and saw so much, tina
aa Wlltu i IttllHctt 10 tuC loyal oth itSil HI
fallen and the hour of dinner had long pas;
ed by. Twas, when my own meal was place
on the table, the only occupant of the coffee
room. just then a young man entered, an
ordered something to eat. The waiter know
::SSs,, &C an..hht, something of the frank como
fddertc which exists, or should exist, between
the followers of the painters craft, laid hi
cover at my table. The newcomer seates
himself. gave me a pleasant smile and a nod
and in five minutes we were in full swing o
conversation,
The-moment my eyes fell upon the youn'
man | had noticed how singularly handsoln
he was. Charles Carriston-for this foun,
afterward to be his name-was about twenty
two years of age. He was tall. but slight
built: his whole bearing and figure being re
markably elegant and graceful. He locke
even more than gcntlelnanly,-he looked dis
tinguished. His face was pale, its feature
wcll-cut, straight. and regular. His fore
head spoke OF high intellectual qualities, an
there was somewhat of that development
over the eyebrows which phrenologists, l be
.lieves consider as evidence of the possessio
of imagination The general expression q
his face was onesof sadncss;s and its refine
beauty wayheightened bya pairof soft, darl
dreamy-looking eyes.
1t only remains TO add that, from his a
.%t.tire;I judged Mmto be; an %aitist-a profe.
sional aTtist-tothe backbone. in the cours
Of conversation / told him how ] had class
\. \ fled him. He smiled.
II am only an amatenr,ri he said; ian idl
~ man, nothing T1sfe--and youpp'
Alas! l am a, doctor" "
Then we shall not have to answer to eac
other for our sins in painting"
Wetalked on pleasantly until our bodil
want were satisfied Then came that plea,
ant craving for tobacco, which attera goo
neai, is natural toa well-regulated digestio,
Shall we go and smoke. outsider said Ca
ristom THE night is delicious"
.iWe went out and sat on'one of the woode
Benches. AS my new friend said, the nigf
was delicious. There was scarcely a breat
of air moving. The stars and the moo
bhdns brightly, andrthe rush of the not fl
distant stream, came 10 us with q soothin
"a. s.InlImur. Near us were three or four jovii
I. = ~ ffFps44g t&ettfsts.. They were in merry moo,
- 0sus d&Rhem had that day sold q pictu.e to
=. tnwiStt.. we listened Is their banter unit
mos. likely grdwing. Thirsty, TREY. ~re-entere
thesHT.. ..
I. .Garriston had said little since we had bee
out of doors. He smokcd.his cigar placid
and gazed up at the skies. With the viii
moonlight falling on his strikingly -beautif,
1ace-me graceful pose into which he fell.
he seemed to me the embodiment of poetr
lie paid no heed to the merry talk OF the al
lists, which so much amused me-indeed,
doubted If he heard their voices.
Yet he must, have done SO, for as soon
they had left us he came out of his revcrie.
!Itmust be very nlce.'' he said, ''to ha,
to make ones living by Art"
Nice for those who can make livings /
ity1 answered.
p do that who are worth it. tt
ssdp kaected genius is gone by. Null
va st sufferer, l think-and he die
Iou are so %sanguine, why not try 70
s.owiHft@ lex at it?s
! "fyould; but unfortunately / am a ri,
! smanY :.
/. ! laughed at this misplaced regret. TIL,
z Cair.ston, in the most simple way. told me
2 = sgooa deal about himself. He was an orpha
saIf9nly child. He had already ample mean
: aSb1S NQrtune had still favors in store for hi
At the death of his uncle, now an aged ma
e. Isl ~ kc...k re - III. T