Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-12-27
THE LITTLE DOCTOR.
ny MARY n, PRESCOTT.


must go to Europe to recover his
health, and Ladislaw said l must GO
with him; but it was necessary that
he should travel with physician, who
would watch the variations of his
pulse, and friend introduced him to
the ''little dark Doctor" as Ladislaw
described him to me, who, having been
overworksd himself, needed vaca'
ton. On my part, Ihad my chaperon.
to be sure-a widow, not too old and
not too frivolous, who knew how to
be blind at discretion, and who was
Mt the same time, so dreadfully near
sighted that she could hardly distin-
guish Irritation from quarrel, and
who, moreover, never made her APP
pearance on deck after the first day
during the whole voyage. found the
Doctor agreat convenience, you may
be sprS. LadisIaw said one would
suppose was his patient; but Lads.
law always exagcerates little about
such things. Our passage was long
ami rough. and Heaven only know,
what should have done but for the
little dark Doctor! Ii i wumtedan ex-
ira wrap-and one always does on
shipboard-or u book. or my chair
moved, he was ut hand. He read
to me on calm days, he sang TO me
little Spanish and Italian ballads
on moonlight nights; he bc.uil-
eel me with anecdotes OF his
procession when we sat upon
deck in heavy swell, with our chairs
la>h"l to the house, and the spray
driving over us-that il, unless Mr..
Finch. the En- Dish gentleman who had
ma le our acquaintance through lad
i~!Jw. stole il march upon him, and
erected q canopy over my head with
his umbrella an macintosh, OF gave
ME has arIa for promenade on the
tla@y deck. The doctor, however.
l@Niaue,l his attentions upon me with
II .U Nhica made one sensible that
H. wOUl do rs much Tor any woman
sind w}io happened in his way; THAI
here was nothing personal or par-
tjcu!ar in his devotion. Perhaps
OWNED his feeling from the pericct
case with which he made himself a5
home wi,h me. as ii were merely II
Conipaniouabie cousin or other ndii-
ieseut feminine relative Shall | ever
for-rt that pitch black uight-'a very
N@;pur1is night, the doctorhai sand,
eal!ier-when the engine STOPPED sud-
denly, like 2 tired-out heart, on the
ir.-h coast, and all the gentlemen
came tearing up from the card.room,
;u,i -heladies. in all DEGREES of toilettes,
from their state-rooms, forgetiul OF
seaSicl;ness or appearances; and l.,
with sudden visions ot shipwreck IN
that plungiug sea. with the hustle Of
launching lifeJDats. and the terror OF
being swung into one, and possibly
dropping between the two, rising be-
fore lue like q spectral scene. tainted
outr ght upon the deck, and walked to
ind myself in the Doctor arms in the
! saloon?
You thought this was the end Of the
word?" he said, smiling as only the
dark Doctor could smile.
II fancy that lam dead and damn
ed, | answered laughing Ivy terica!iy.
lie dropped me upon the sofa and
| turned away. They stopped TO take
| soUndings, ne said. "I5 is nothing.
You had better 20 to bed.
do you charge much for your adj
vice." | asked. Well goodnight.
hope we may not meet in the life.
| boat"
One day in London, as we were
walking through the dim old cloisters
/ . 4 -
the names OF the dusty dead on tin,
worn pavement, having left Ladislav
and Mrs. Adams still-mooning in the
Poets Corner, the Doctor said
'.lou were u little frightened that
night on the Irish coast To tell tn,
truth, IL small pipe in theeng.ne broke
but there was no real danger, | sus
pect
and you were not frightened at all
| knowing this?"
Il? We would all 90 together, yol
know. Your company would bc Al
| pleasant III heaven a. on ship
board"
"EGuiyocaI-bu thankyo Asfo
me. like to choose my company, no
have 1t thrust upon me-"
"Yes." he said, inditferently
"Whose company would YOU select?'
81 would select an artist, or mu
stefan, or perhaps q poet"
Il see. In heaven they need no doc
tors"
Nor on earth either, general,
speaking" And then | impertinentl,
repeated to him the little German Il
cend Of the Doctor whom Death pait
a visit one day, and who, begging t,
defer the debt OF Nature, offered 10 di
vide all his future patients with tn
King OF Terrors; and so engrosse,
were we with this pastime that W
barely escaped being locked into til
Abbey.
You do not think well of the Pre-
fession," he said
"Oh. don't !? But, honestly, doyo
think yourself that the one who xo
unfairly elects to live in the constan
sight OF disease and suffering Gun hay
sensitive or aesthetic nature? And
love the aesthetic?
He did not answer, but looked a
the yellow horn ofthenew moon, maxi