The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-02-25
HIS LORDSHIP'S LEG.
The Substantial Results of q Prac-
tical Joke.

1t froze, and it continued to freeze!
There was lacework on the panes of The
most exquisite beauty, and icicles of
crystal dependent from the caves of my
house. The trees were so covered with
the eyes were dazzled, while the mind
was-no, ought to have been, filed with
wonder. 1 say ought to have been, for
mine was not. In fact, i was too ILL
tempered at that time, and the more il
froze the worse my temper grew. |
walked up and down my little surgery
- - 80 -----s, md -h-~o5 every
thing and every body, myself worst Of
all.
abused Long Pogis for being the
prettiest and healthiest place that
was ever situated twenty miles from,
a town and railway station, and
called myself an idiot for buying a
practice in so out-of-the-way spot, and
thinking that 1, a young doctor, would
be sure to get on.
been there year, and SO far had
found that my practice really was
TO practice patience, for no one
would give me chance in medi-
cine. Not but that there were plenty of
people about; the trouble was that either
they would not be i'll, or, when they
were ill, they would 60 to old DR..
Robson at funston, twenty miles away,
when they might have come to me and
been cured for half the money.
i was not what is commonly called
<'hard up" for had enough money left
to last me, with economy, for another
year; but was sick and tired of the ter
flble inaction, and of being pitied, or
laughed at, or treated with contempt, as
the new doctor.
In such frame Of mind ought to
have sensibly set to work to heal myself
by prescribing exercise and fresh air,
and forced myself to go out. instead of
sitting indoors studying, and fearing to
leave home in case that iong-expected
patient should come, as come he would,
I was sure, directly went out.
walked to the fire and poked it that
frosty day, and then walked to the
window, rubbed away little of the
ferny ice pattern. and looked out
Two ruddy-faced young fellows and
three n1crry-ivukins girls, ovidontl,
their sisters, were walking sharply by,
with the frozen snow creaking and
cruncbing under their feet. as each
swung a pair of glistening skates de-
pendent from the wrist.
''Off skatingr' ! said. aloud, and
thrill Of pleasure shot through me.
Well, why not? had splendid pair
OF nearly new skates, which had been
ground and oiled before they were put
away two seasons before The ice was
perfectly safe, the sun shone, the sky
was blue. In imagination | began to
glow and feel the blood throbbing in my
veins as heard the hollow metallic ring
of the black ice, and saw the puffS of
white dust fly at every stroke of my
steel blades as | sped along.
They're going up to the big sheet of
water on the way to the Hall. Lord John
is in town, and the ballitf has given
them leave. Hurrah, I'll be a boy
again for a day, and skate as | used to
skate. It'll do me good, and"
A second thought struck me, and l
threw myself in my chair with my fore
bead all in lines, for | caught glimpse
of it in the glass.
''Self-denial, John Russellr' l said.
Master yourself, for so sure as YOU go
skating somebody Will come and want
you. Stop at home and study up, ready
for the patient who will come. Your